Confidently converse in Spanish from your very first class.
Have you ever thought about how you learned English?
You listened to it, a LOT, from the time you were born! And then as you grew, you started to mimic some words that you heard over and over. Your brain started capturing a lot of vocabulary words and then with more time, you started to string those vocabulary words into simple phrases. Others around you were excited with your improvements and you continued to string more and more words together, even though it wasn’t perfectly correct.
Take Note: No one was translating English words into “baby language” for you. You had to adapt and associate the words in English to your needs and desires.
You may be thinking, “Ok, yes, that makes sense…but how do I do that with Spanish?” Well, that’s where our method is different than typical Spanish programs.
Imagine a Class in All Spanish
There are three core pieces to learning a language, as exemplified by children:
Do you see what we did there in the title for this section? You just read Spanish but were able to understand what it meant because it is similar* to the word in English.
When you enter the classroom, we switch to Spanish and switch off English. You will be immersed in the language to help develop your ear for it.
With the help of high-quality visuals and using words that are similar in both languages, we will guide you along to understanding.
*Fun fact, “similar” in English is “similar” in Spanish. Trust us, you’re going to be fine!
Inmersión
Look! Another word you were able to understand without us having to translate anything for you.
There will be a lot of conversation in the class between you, your teacher and your classmates.
Remember the example of a baby and toddler? They learn language by listening and conversing with others. A child has no fear in saying things wrong, they just start talking and saying things.
As adults, we become much more self-conscious about this, of course, but when you walk into Spanish class, you need to leave that at the door. We’re all learning together and it’s ok to make mistakes!
Conversación
Now this one might be a little harder to figure out without some context. And that’s where visuals and role-playing will come into place in the classroom.
It is paramount that we bring these core pieces of Immersion and Conversation together with Natural Learning.
Here’s some great news, you have already learned a language before! You have learned first to understand it, then speak it, and then write and read it. Trust us, you can do it again with Spanish!
The hardest thing you will have to overcome in class is to get away from trying to “translate” everything. Remember, babies don’t translate. The natural method of learning is to: listen, observe and mimic.