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What kind of Spanish does the course teach?
How does the course compare to college Spanish?
What kind of homework is there?
Is the course available on audio or video?
Do you sell the course to individuals?
What are the course pre-requisites?
Who teaches the courses for organizations using the group kit?
Is there a teacher certification?
Does someone from The Learning Light teach the course?
What is the cost of Spanish that Works?
Could you do a course for our organization?
What kind of Spanish does the course teach?
How does the course compare to a college Spanish?
Most college Spanish classes follow a grammatical agenda, students are given many new vocabulary words to learn, and a great deal of class time is dedicated to reading and writing. It is often assumed that students who want to become fluent in the language will participate in an immersion program in a foreign country.In contrast, the goals of Spanish that Works are to build speaking fluency with a limited number of key words and expressions. There are no written tests or workbook assignments, and participants do not conjugate verbs or read and answer questions. Instead, emphasis is placed on active participation in group and pair work, which includes practice with flashcards and dialogue role-play.
A 3 credit college Spanish conversation course typically meets 3 hours a week for 16 weeks, or a total of 45-48 hours of instruction. Spanish that Works courses can be taught in as little as 8 weeks, for a total of 16-24 hours of instruction, or expanded to fill an entire college semester.
Students who have completed a Spanish that Works course are usually amazed at how much they can say after such a short time. This is because the content is simplified and speaking practice is built into the course structure.
What kind of homework is there?
The key to building fluency in another language is repetition, repetition, repetition. The more you practice, the better you will get! We recommend that you spend just a little bit of time every day just going over the flashcards or reading the text or reference sheets. A little bit every day goes a lot farther than trying to cram a lot of information in at once. And it's more fun!
You can also benefit from listening to music in Spanish. Visit the On Your Own link for a list of recommended materials.
Is the course available on video or audio?
The reproducible course kits include one copy of an audio program which may be copied under an optional licensing agreement.
There is also a set of "Bee Bilingual!" program videotapes of a Spanish that Works class done for community television. These videos are not fancy or high tech, but you see and hear the information as if you were sitting in class. Videotapes may also be copied under an optional licensing agreement by organizations using the reproducible course or intro workshop kits.
Do you sell the course to individuals?
If you would just like to learn some basic Spanish, you may purchase a set of videotapes of a Spanish that Works class done for community television.
What are the course pre-requisites?
Who teaches the courses for organizations using the reproducible group kit?
Organizations such as libraries, school districts, and city government usually choose their own instructor. Spanish-speaking staff or community members with group facilitation experience and a basic knowledge of grammar can be trained to lead the class. Community college and high school Spanish teachers are also an excellent resource.Your instructor should have a good command of Spanish, including a native or near-native pronunciation of the language, and experience in leading a group. A good idea if you don’t have a professional Spanish instructor is to do team teaching. For example, you might have a staff trainer that knows only a little Spanish, but is skilled in group facilitation, and a bilingual staff member who has an excellent command of the language, but is inexperienced in teaching. In a team situation, one can support the other.
Teaching can be challenging, so it is important that the class facilitators be given plenty of support when they need it. The group training version of the course comes with a basic teacher orientation, but additional consulting time is available if needed.
Is there a teacher certification?
Group pricing for the reproducible kits includes a basic teacher orientation video and guide, plus an optional follow-up conference call to give your instructor the information necessary to make your Spanish that Works course a success. The orientation is included in the cost because Spanish that Works is a non-traditional approach, so your teacher should understand the course concepts and methods. Assuming that your instructor is otherwise qualified to facilitate a Spanish class, this basic orientation is all that is required to teach Spanish that Works.If you are interested in teaching Spanish that Works, please visit the Instructors link.
Does someone from The Learning Light teach the course?
In most cases, you will want to choose an instructor from within your own community or organization. If there is an experienced Spanish that Works instructor in your area, we would be glad to give you that contact information.Elizabeth Almann, author of Spanish that Works, is located in Billings, Montana. If you would be interested in the intensive course (4-days, 16-hours), or a Spanish that Works Library or Customer Service Workshop, (1 day, 1-6 hours), please contact us.
For more information, send us an e-mail: info@thelearninglight.com, or call our toll-free number: 1-866-391-8901.
What is the cost of Spanish that Works?Groups or businesses such as libraries, school districts, government, churches, or independent teachers may purchase Spanish that Works as a reproducible kit and run the course within their own organization.
Each reproducible course kit comes as a master copy, with student text, supplemental section, reference sheets, flashcards, teacher's guide & teacher orientation video, and includes a license to make a set number of the materials for student and teacher use within your organization. The license also gives you the right to make additional copies for a fee that is lower than the initial per-student cost. For the library course, extra materials are offered on a data CD as an addition to the course kit, and may be freely reproduced.
For current pricing information on the group kits, please visit the orders link.
Could you do a course for our organization?
You can Spanish that Works as a foundation and add your own specialized vocabulary to come up with a course that's specific to your group. Send us an e-mail: info@thelearninglight.com or call our toll-free number: 1-866-391-8901 and we will be glad to discuss your situation with you.
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