All our teachers are native speakers and speak only in Spanish to the students. This may be hard to believe and can be challenging, especially at the beginning if you're not used to listening and speaking Spanish. However, years of experience have shown that it really works.
In class, teachers can adjust their speech (speed, articulation, grammatical structures, vocabulary, etc.) so that students, regardless of their level, intuitively understand what is being said. Gradually, students become more involved in the process, and after a few classes, they realize they grasp what the teacher is conveying more quickly and start perceiving live discourse with more natural confidence.
This constant exposure to the language they are learning is key to developing their oral expression skills day by day. Of course, the teacher can always help and explain nuances in English, but only when it is truly necessary. Immersion in Spanish from the first encounter promotes rapid adaptation and accelerates the learning process, so over time, the use of English becomes less frequent.
In a Intensive course, classes are held 5 times a week, each lasting 4 hours. Here's what a lesson includes:
1 hour of grammar: review of rules and norms, grammar exercises;
2 hours of main course: working with the textbook in a program suitable for the group's level. This includes vocabulary, grammar, audio exercises, and tutorial topic review;
1 hour of conversation practice: students interact with each other and with the teacher.
This approach allows students to experience the language from different perspectives, and the 4 hours of daily Spanish keep them alert: they are able to understand the teacher, their classmates, and the people around them. Students feel more comfortable in a new society and integrate more quickly into the cultural environment.
Students can practice their oral skills by discussing a vast array of topics: not only those covered in the textbook but also current world events or upcoming school activities. The teacher can choose a topic that interests the group. This helps students want to participate in conversations, express their opinions, and try to understand different viewpoints on a familiar topic. Thus, they overcome language barriers, lose the fear of making mistakes, and improve day by day to achieve their main goal: speaking fluently and learning to express themselves in Spanish on any topic.
Additionally, once a week, the teacher organizes a special activity outside the school for conversation practice. Students may have a picnic in a park, visit a nearby market, go to a cultural center, or stroll through emblematic neighborhoods. These outings help them get to know the local culture and, along with it, understand the nuances of the language.
