Program
Core Curriculum
Our Intensive Spanish Program is comprised of an average of 6 daily hours of class. All of our courses are imparted in Spanish by native Spanish speaking instructors.
The following courses involve explicit language learning. The average class size is 4-6, and never more than 12 students per classroom.
CEFRL:Common European Framework of References for Languages
Español I
A groundwork course for beginners, covering simple statements and questions, introductions, personal information, affiliations, family; expressing courtesies, agreement/disagreement, handling survival situations. Present tense. (ACTFL Novice; FSI 1; CEFRL Breakthrough A1,A2)
Español II
Narrate/describe in present, past, future. Fully participate in casual conversations, give instructions, simple reports. Handle complaints, emergency situations, get out of trouble, and make comparisons. (ACTFL Low Intermediate; FSI 2; CEFRL Waystage A1,A2)
Español III
Defend opinions, hypothesize, and tailor language to the situation. Give orders. (ACTFL High Intermediate; FSI 3; CEFRL Threshold B1)
Español IV
Narrate in detail with precision, interviews, simultaneous interpretation, brain- storming, and special fields of interest. (ACTFL Advanced; FSI 4; CEFRL Threshold B1)
Español V
The student can understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in his/her field of specialisation. Can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without strain for either party. (ACTFL. Advanced, FSI IV, CEFRL Vantage B2)
Español VI
The student can understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts and recognise implicit meaning. Can express him/herself fluently and spontaneously without much obvious seraching for expressions. Can use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes.(ACTFL Superior; FSI 5; CEFRL Vantage B2)
The following Seminars and Workshops are not limited to 12 students and students with different levels of Spanish are mixed.
Seminars
Survey of Mexican History
A seminar dealing with the population of the hemisphere, the indigenous groups, Colonial and Independent Mexico, the Revolution of 1910 to the present time.
Study of the Mexican Mind
An inquiry into the contemporary aspects of the Mexican mind and their historical development. Characteristics of Mexican philosophy and psychology are discussed in relation to the various social classes existing in modern Mexico.
Novohispanic Literature
Reading and discussing Mayan and Nahuatl literature; Mestizo and Spanish chronicles about Conquest; the beginnings of Mexican literature in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.
Mexican 19th Century Literature & Modernism
A discussion of Mexican poetry and prose from the Independence Wars to the end of the century, including political literature, the novel and theater. Romanticism and Realism.
Twentieth Century Mexican Literature I
Directed readings and discussions of the most prominent works on poetry and narrative during the Mexican Revolution and through the 1930’s.
Twentieth Century Mexican Literature II
Poetry, narrative, theatre and the essay in contemporary writers from 1940’s to the present.
Special Help
All of our teachers are available for consultation during our 10-minute breaks as well.
Workshops
Pronunciation & Diction
A presentation of the organs of speech in relation to each other in order to make vowel and consonant sounds. Syllables, words and eventually tongue twisters help elementary students lose their foreign "accent."
Grammatical Problems
An indepth review of special difficulties in the Spanish language. This course is taught specifically for advanced students and Spanish teachers.
Oral Communication Workshop
A Workshop for Level 2 students that reinforces some of the material covered in Levels 1 and 2 through interactive linguistic activities.
Folk Singing & Folk Dancing
A survey of genres in Mexican and Latin American music. Songs and traditional dances, from Pre-Hispanic times to the present.