Invitation Sequences

In this module, you will learn the ins and outs of invitation sequences in Spanish.

Invitation sequences are complex communicative acts that require negotiation from the participants. Invitation sequences are made up of two main components that are often repeated throughout an interaction. They are:

(1) Extending the invitation: The person extending the invitation requests that the hearer (the person being invited) attend his/her function. In Spanish, this is often done with an initial invitation and then, if the person refuses, insistence that he or she attend.

(2) Accepting or refusing the invitation: This is the response to the invitation. A person either agrees to attend or refuses.

Invitation sequences are included in this website due their frequency and importance in maintaining positive relationships.

Play the example below to get an idea of what an invitation sequence between two good friends might be like in Spain. As you watch, pay special attention to finding the extensions of the invitation by Iker (left) and the acceptance or refusal by Gemma (right).

Were you able to find examples of each component of an invitation sequence? If not, go back and listen again until you feel comfortable with the structure of this invitation sequence. You may also use the written transcript for help by clicking "color code" button on the transcript page.

What do you think might be the most difficult aspect of invitation sequences to learn in Spanish? Why?

In this module, we will explore invitation sequences in detail by examining various pragmatic strategies you can use in Spanish to extend invitations and refuse them in an appropriate manner.

At the end of the module, you will know how to:

1. Identify invitations, insistence strategies, and refusal sequences.
2. Understand various pragmatic strategies (i.e., sociocultural and language strategies) you can use to extend and refuse an invitation.
3. Understand and evaluate important contextual and social factors to consider in invitation sequences.

For technical help, you may visit our instructional guide for using the website by clicking here.