Classes and Programs
A unique plan is developed for each student or group of students, agency
or corporation, starting with an initial interview. SpanishDC tailors
a learning plan according to each group’s needs. This plan includes
quarterly evaluations that allow us to document the advances and difficulties
of each student. By following a learning plan, and through regular evaluations,
we can observe the individual progress of each student. These evaluations
lay the groundwork for the next series of classes.
The Class
SpanishDC designs the class schedules together with its students,
in order to meet their individual needs. We typically hold four
class sessions per year: “Invierno” (winter), “Primavera”
(spring), “Verano” (summer) and “Otoño”
(autumn). Students generally continue with succeeding sessions
until they are satisfied with their knowledge of the language.
In cases of students who stop their training for lengthy periods
and then begin again, they tend to lose as much as 70% of their
vocabulary and 80% of their language skills. For children, class
schedules are matched with the school calendar, with the possibility
for summer sessions as well. We even offer home classes with small
groups during the weekends. We can also provide tutoring to reinforce
what the student has learned in classes at school.
Classes can be taught at your office, or in a private conference/training
room inside your company’s building.
The Lesson
Each lesson has three parts:
1. Grammar
We begin by introducing a new grammar structure, and practicing the
structure in small groups with feedback from the teacher, which leads
into written and oral exercises with this structure.
2. Conversation
The most difficult part for students is to use the language, to speak.
Some times they understand the grammar exercises, and they can do them
without problems. And they are able to read and understand text more
than 80% of the time, but they can’t speak, the most complex skill
to achieve. Our methods provide the students with keys to focus on one
subject and free them to speak. We plan full activities that work like
a trigger to release the tongue and help at the same time to build new
vocabulary.
3. Instructor-led Lab
• Listening comprehension
We work with audiotapes that help the students analyze what they hear,
and recognize the grammatical structures that they already know. The
student is taught to analyze the sounds and words that he or she hears,
and to fit them into the previously learned structures. This is the
most fundamental tool for carrying on an ordinary conversation in a
foreign language. Videotapes are also used with the images, providing
some additional context to understanding what is heard.
• Reading
All students, from beginners to those more advanced, read written materials,
such as current newspapers, to stimulate curiosity. First, we work with
the vocabulary and pronunciation. Then, the student must summarize what
he or she has read. At the advanced levels, both a summary and analysis
are required.
• Making videos
Children learn by play-acting. This is a useful tool for adults as well.
Common situations are set up and the students act out scenes. Afterwards,
students correct themselves and each other, using a videotape to review
their scenes whenever possible.
In addition to the standard, necessary vocabulary, additional words
will be introduced according to the students' fields and interests.
Timing
Class time revolves around the needs of the student, not the program.
The teacher continuously pushes the student to reach the next level,
and helps procrastinators work through those issues. At the same time,
if it becomes necessary to return to a previously taught subject, we
have no qualms about doing that. While we have a suggested length of
time for each structure, each student is different. If the student cannot
achieve the point in that time, we pay attention, looking for the key
that can help the student to understand the concept and continue the
process.
Spanish 4 Kids
SpanishDC, LLC, is not teaching any new classes for children at this time.
Spanish 4 Kids
