How people learn second languages.
The method a school chooses for its students to learn Spanish should be based on their believes about how people learn second languages. Although learners vary in their learning styles (which means: some needs to read, others to hear, others to touch or do something and most of us apply a combination of these possibilities), we strongly beleve that for students to learn Spanish there are three essential conditions that we need to meet:
Students should be:
1. provided with exposure to the target language (written and spoken in put like texts, conversations, etc.),
2. provided with opportunities to use the target language in real communication (use of the language to do things),
3. motivated to engage in the language process (to listen, read, speak and write the language).
In order to meet these conditions, we adopt a certain approach (theory behind the method that we apply), a certain method (serie of steps to acquire a certain knowledge) and certain materials (authentic material like flyers, recorded conversations, etc.) and materials particularly written to support teaching: including textbooks, printouts and handouts).
Our Approach: Communicative Approach.
This approach has proven one of the most successful in providing confident learners who are able to make themselves effectively understood in the shortes possible time. It is the teacher’s responsibility to create situations which are likely to promote communication and prove an authentic background for language learning. Grammar is hidden within the body of a lesson and highlighted and focused upon once the context has been set. First you try to communicate and in doing so, you’ll learn it!
Our method: Task based Learning.
In Task based learning, tasks (activities where the target language is used by the learner for a communicative purpose) will be used as the central focus. The aim of the task is to create a real purpose for the language use and provide a natural context for the language study. At our schools, every day, a different “final task” (for example doing a job interview or organize a party) will be defined. In order to be able to carry out the final task, in different subtasks, you will learn: vocabulary, grammar structures, culture, etc.
Our materials: Authentic input.
1. Spanish for Travel & Volunteer: workbook (including structures, functions, vocabulary and culture)
2. Standard & Intensive Spanish: From the Course “En acción” a workbook and a AUDIO CD-ROM for selfstudy.
3. Specialized Spanish: depending on your objectives, you will work with our “En acción” materials or with a textbook that we have created for your particular subject of interest (including structures, functions, vocabulary and culture).
Intake test
On arrival, you receive an individual, oral and written test. Based upon this test we place you in a group of your level or start with your private classes.
Daily class structure
First part: Time for General Questions (homework and experiences in your immersion situation) and Introduction and Preparation for FINAL TASK designed for today.
Second part: Pre-tasks: communicative tasks (using texts, audio and other authentic input) / Structure oriented tasks (learn and use new grammar structures, vocabulary, functions (like “denying” or “negotiating”) and cultural info.
Third part: Carrying out the main task of the day.
Fourth part: Evaluation of the main task in an alternative task (to see if you learned what we tried to teach you today) / evaluation by the student: did he like this task, did he think it was helpfull, etc.
Certificate of assistance
You receive a certificate of assistance at the end of your course which indicates hours of language classes taken at the schools.
Confirmation of Level Obtained
If you want to have on your certificate stated what level you obtained after studying with us, you need to do a special exam. This costs $15 since you will have a private teacher with you for one hour. The total exam takes 2 hours. The certificate does not have any international value, but you can, comfortably, use this indication for example in a CV.
Credits
For each 20 hours of study at our school, you can receive 1 credit point that is transferable to your University or High school. After finish your study with us, you sign up for an official exam that you can take at our Panamanian Partner University in David: www.oteima.ac.pa. This exam costs $ 90 which you need to pay directly to this University.
If you are interested in doing this exam, you need to let us know on the Registration Form. We recommend to study at least 3 weeks of 20 hours, so you make sure that you can take an exam at one of our three levels: beginners, intermediate or advanced as in three weeks you can proceed from one level to the next. In other words: each level stands for 3 credit points.
If you decide to the exam in David, you can either stay in David or travel from our school in Boquete, so best to finish your study (that could be at any of our schools) at our school in Boquete. We will have test exams available at the school in Boquete.
