Learn Spanish in Valencia: Teaching
Let’s get you speaking Spanish in Valencia!
All Spanish classes will cover the four core skills; speaking, listening, reading and writing, with plenty of grammar and vocabulary work included in order to develop all the essential Spanish language skills. The objective of the language courses is to help you express yourself more fluently in Spanish. To achieve this, the school have a team of experienced teachers who specialise in teaching Spanish to foreign students.
The school’s teaching method combines a traditional grammar approach with a more modern communicative focus. To put it simply, great importance is placed on practising grammar in communicative contexts which reproduce situations you might come across in everyday life. The classes are based on tasks and planned depending on the students’ needs and different styles of learning.
- All classes are given in Spanish
- The average number of students per class is from 6 to 10
- Each class lasts for 55 minutes
Since the groups are small in number, the teacher is able to deal with the specific needs of each student on a more personal basis. The programme is also aimed at familiarising students with and integrating students into Spanish culture. Visits to cultural centres, museums, cities, etc. are arranged, in an attempt to ensure that all students are fully immersed in Spanish life.
First Day
On the first day you will need to be at school at 8:30 hrs in the morning in order to do a placement test level and go to the introductory talk orientation where you will be informed of everything that can be useful. Once the test has been completed the school will assign students to different classes according to their language level.
Timetables
Group courses: 09:30 and 13:30 hrs or between 14:30 and 18:30 hrs
Weekdays: Monday to Friday.
If you have conversation classes or private lessons the director of studies will inform you of schedule. The class schedule will be arranged after the test because class timings will depend on your level and class place availability. Your course includes various social and cultural activities. Upon arrival you will receive a calendar of activities for the month. However, don’t forget to review the daily bulletin board at the language school, this is where staff will post updated information on the activities for each week.
Spanish Level Test
On the first day of class, students are given a talk about the programme they will be studying, and are required to take a Spanish language level test. Once the test has been corrected, they are incorporated into a class group. Students may change levels during the first few days or afterwards, if the student has made more progress than the rest of the group. At least once a month, a test is given in class to evaluate the student’s progress.
Course Material
You will use a textbook in class, together with supplemental material such as newspaper/press articles, adverts, audio-visual materials etc. The textbooks we use have been developed by the teachers and cover all areas of the language. The enrolment fee includes the first book and additional material. When you change from one level to another, you will need a new book which you can buy or borrow from the school library. The school library is for students use and provides additional reading or reference material.
Course Certificate
At the end of their course, students are given an attendance certificate indicating the course taken, the number of hours of study and the level reached, in addition to a detailed report on their progress in each language area.
On going assessment
On the first day of class, students are given a talk about the programme they will be studying, and have to take a level test. Once the test has been corrected, they are incorporated into the group. Students may change levels during the first few days or afterwards, if the student has made more progress than the rest of the group. At least once a month, a test is given in class to evaluate the student’s progress.
Teaching Levels & Progress
The curriculum is structured on six theoretical language levels, with a natural duration of between four and six weeks at each level. There are classes in grammar, oral and written exercises, practice with video and audio material and conversation on subjects of general, social and cultural interest. Special importance is given to the communicative aspect of the language and its use in everyday life.
| Level | Description | Weeks | DELE |
| A1 | Beginner | 4 | DELE A1 |
| A2 | Elementary | 4 | DELE A2 |
| B1.1 | Pre Intermediate | 4+ | |
| B1.2 | Intermediate | 4+ | DELE B1 |
| B2 | Advanced | 6+ | DELE B2 |
| C1 | Superior | 8 | DELE C1 |
| C2 | Superior 2 | 8 | DELE C2 |
A student of average linguistic ability should allow four weeks to complete the Beginner level and four weeks to complete the Elementary level, covering basic grammatical structured knowledge C1 to be able to communicate in the practical situations of daily life plus an introduction to Spanish customs. Approximately eight/twelve weeks will be required to complete the Intermediate level with its emphasis on grammar with reference to the past tenses and development of conversation skills (and at Intermediate 2 level, the subjunctive). Six+ weeks cover the Advanced level (deepening grammatical skills, providing fluency in conversation and a deeper knowledge of Spanish culture, also written expression and the creation of texts and much longer (approximately 8 weeks each to complete the C1 or C2 levels).
In reality students chose to attend a short course or a longer “Languages for Life” course according to their linguistic goals, personal wishes and time constraints.
Spanish Teachers in Valencia
The school have a dynamic team of teachers who love teaching Spanish. All of them are native Spanish speakers and university graduates. They have many years of experience and specialise in teaching foreign students. They use modern materials and methods and ensure that the lessons are interesting and entertaining. The continued on-going development and training of teachers is a key part of the school’s professional practice. The world of teaching is constantly evolving and the teachers are keen to stay up-to-date, incorporating new techniques and materials into their lessons whenever appropriate.
In addition to teaching Spanish in class, they accompany students on the extra-curricular activities that the school organize, and offer general support during your stay at the school so that you find learning Spanish a pleasant experience.
Spanish Students in Valencia
The language students come from all over the world and have many different reasons for studying Spanish. Some of them are university students, other are professionals who need to use their Spanish for work, others learn Spanish just for fun, while others come to prepare for the official D.E.L.E exam (across all language levels).
In general students fall between the ages of 18 and 40 yrs of age, but students of other ages will also be present and are very welcome. Students come from different countries, and the school aims to attract students from as many different nationalities as possible. This mix best assures that all students experience an interesting and international study atmosphere.
Nationality mix:
German 13% / Italian 12% / Swiss 12%
British 11% / Dutch 10% / South Korean 8%
Russian 7% / Other 6% / Chinese 5%
Japanese 4% / American 3% / Belgian 2%
French 2% / Czech 1% / Swedish 1%
Austrian 1% / Irish 1% / Brazilian 1%
Student age mix:
16-19 yrs 29% / 20-24 yrs 33%
25-29 yrs 13% / 30-39 yrs 4%
40-49 yrs 5% / 50 yrs+ 8%
