Milne Open Textbooks

Yo puedo: segundos pasos

Author(s): and

Publication Date: July 16, 2021

ISBN: 978-1-942341-81-9

Affiliation: SUNY Geneseo

About the book

Image of textbook cover for Yo Puedo segundos pasos

Perhaps you remembered what the title of your book means from your previous experiences with Spanish. That is a great start! As you begin the equivalent of a second semester Spanish course with these materials, some of you might think about how long it has been since you studied Spanish while others may come to the class with some background knowledge. We want you to know this book has been designed with many types of learners in mind. Our goals were to address the need for students to achieve the ability to communicate in written and spoken form. We sought to address a common statement by students that may have previous experiences, be they from secondary school or another college that say, “I have studied Spanish for years and don’t know how to speak or write it.” We also sought to present a reasonable alternative to the expensive textbooks and online packages that don’t seem to be practical or relevant. We sought to enhance second language learning by creating our own materials that take a new approach, the flipped classroom model, to learning a second language based upon the skills that we deem most useful and that will enable our students to confidently express themselves in Spanish–tú puedes con Yo puedo 2. The text is supplemented by various presentations and videos that are freely available at https://milnepublishing.geneseo.edu/yopuedo2/

Table of Contents
  • Introducción
  • Vocabulary Lists & Glossaries
  • Unidad 1: Los conceptos que debes saber
  • Unidad 2: De compras y la ropa
  • Unidad 3: Las comidas y los restaurantes
  • Unidad 4: Estudiando en el extranjero
  • Unidad 5: Consejos para tus estudios en el extranjero
  • Verbos y conjugaciones con traducción
  • Verbs: Spanish to English
  • Glosario Español
  • Glosario Inglés
  • Objetivos por unidad


Elizabeth Silvaggio-Adams

Elizabeth Silvaggio-Adams and Rocío Vallejo-Alegre have been working together for 11 years, sharing their friendship and their passion for the Spanish language. They started at SUNY Geneseo teaching Spanish.  Together they developed a series of 3 books, Yo puedo;  Spanish for beginning and intermediate level students.  Yo puedo, or “I can” in English, seeks to share the magic that the Spanish-speaking world offers while giving students the tools to communicate with others with confidence.  In 2018 they started a program called “Learning English and Spanish TOGETHER” with the idea of breaking the language barrier by teaching English to migrant farm workers in Livingston County, helping them build a sense of belonging to the community. At the same time, the program created the opportunity for SUNY Geneseo students to practice their Spanish, develop teaching skills, and learn about other cultures as future global citizens. In summer 2020, with the goal of offering a sustainable program, a safe space for the continuity of English lessons and connecting families with community services, they decided to create a non-profit organization for this win-win program. In January 2021, Cultures Learning TOGETHER, Inc., the new non-profit organization, received the 501(c)(3) approval, a big milestone for TOGETHER. When you purchase their books, you also are part of this effort of building equity and inclusivity in the community as the royalties of the books are donated to “Cultures Learning TOGETHER, Inc”.

Ma. Del Rocío Vallejo-Alegre

Elizabeth Silvaggio-Adams and Rocío Vallejo-Alegre have been working together for 11 years, sharing their friendship and their passion for the Spanish language. They started at SUNY Geneseo teaching Spanish.  Together they developed a series of 3 books, Yo puedo;  Spanish for beginning and intermediate level students.  Yo puedo, or “I can” in English, seeks to share the magic that the Spanish-speaking world offers while giving students the tools to communicate with others with confidence.  In 2018 they started a program called “Learning English and Spanish TOGETHER” with the idea of breaking the language barrier by teaching English to migrant farm workers in Livingston County, helping them build a sense of belonging to the community. At the same time, the program created the opportunity for SUNY Geneseo students to practice their Spanish, develop teaching skills, and learn about other cultures as future global citizens. In summer 2020, with the goal of offering a sustainable program, a safe space for the continuity of English lessons and connecting families with community services, they decided to create a non-profit organization for this win-win program. In January 2021, Cultures Learning TOGETHER, Inc., the new non-profit organization, received the 501(c)(3) approval, a big milestone for TOGETHER. When you purchase their books, you also are part of this effort of building equity and inclusivity in the community as the royalties of the books are donated to “Cultures Learning TOGETHER, Inc”.