Where not to go...

[spanishlearner]

I tried to learn Spanish and have tried different schools with very different results.

I am myself a language teacher and have a pretty good idea what modern and good teaching looks like. Here a short summary of my experiences:

International House:
I had different teachers at IH of which one was good. I was there during the summer and I heard that some of the regular personal might have been on vacation. I also attended a teacher training course in which it became clear, that the methodology that is taught in IH is modern and oriented on communication.
Conclusion: good school with also has some bad teacher (like every other school in the world).

Escuela oficial de idiomas: Basically for free, 2 hours a day, therefor apply. There are usually more applications than places. Read the instructions carfully, it is a little bit of paperwork.

Universidad Complutense: Teaching here is total crap! Well, if you like sitting in a classroom and hearing somebody talk about grammar for 3 hours it is not that bad. But I have not found anybody here who knew at least a little about teaching languages. The only!!! form of exercises I have done at this place are gap filling activities. I still wonder how they dare to offer classes like that at a university. After all there should be a reputation to loose, right?
Conclusion: outrageous that this can happen at a university, where modern teaching should not just be used but DEVELOPED. The place where academic excellence is formed is certainly not Complutense.

[Ben]

Thanks for the tips! I learned Spanish at International House Madrid on various occasions and was generally happy, especially in the last course I attended, when I studied for the DELE Superior exam with a great teacher called Naomi.

[Marina]

Universities lenguages departments are appolling. My sister is attending to the Universidad Autonoma de Madrid (UAM), recently she went to fill in the application to attend to English classes and she found out that the higher level they had was First Certificate (Cambridge Exam) - which is more or less the level they teach in the last year of highschool. So what is the point then to have a lenguage department!!!

[rod]

I spent 28 weeks in International House schools over the last year, the last 18 at Clic in Sevilla. Overall I was very happy with them - I was lucky to have two extremely committed and effective teachers while I was there. But I think inevitably (especially if you are there for a long time) you will have problems at some point or other and the measure of a good language school is how they are able to deal with that. For example, on a couple of occasions at Clic during the 18 weeks I felt I badly needed to change the classes I was in (not actually because of the teacher), I went to the Director of Studies, said what the problems were, and they were able to accommodate a change of classes without any problem.

I was thinking of drafting a list of tips about Spanish language schools based on my own experience (I doubt that many people here have spent quite so long in them as me!). Would anybody be interested?

[Ben]

Originally Posted by rod

I was thinking of drafting a list of tips about Spanish language schools based on my own experience (I doubt that many people here have spent quite so long in them as me!). Would anybody be interested?

Definitely! If you put it in a new thread in this section that would be fantastic!

[que]

Definitely Rod, very interested to hear.

Out of interest then, you spent 28 weeks in a language school? around 7 months? What was your level before, and what is it now?

I would like to hear. Also, i went to a language school for 3 weeks, it was fantastic, but everyone just wanted to speak English with me, although they were all really cool people, this was a slight issue. Im also wondering where would be a good place to go, and how to avoid speaking English, whilst gaining friends that you could speak in English in if you felt you wanted the break.

[omeyas]

Originally Posted by que

Definitely Rod, very interested to hear.

Out of interest then, you spent 28 weeks in a language school? around 7 months? What was your level before, and what is it now?

I would think even if he started at a very basic level, after 7 months studying in Spain, he should be extremely fluent. After 7 months , even without a language school, should be enough to learn quite a bit. I remember I did a 2 week course, and the marjority of the students on the course had already been studying for 6 months, and they were pretty good!

[Rizzo La Rata]

Hola!

spanishlearner:
As you are a language teacher yourself, could you give some hints, tips or some sources on "modern methodology"? I ask because I take classes myself, but I do not like the way it is taught. Since I know the teacher quite well I might convince her way of teaching a little bit.

rod:
Yes, I'd also be very interested in you're tips.

André

[gary]

Originally Posted by rod

I was thinking of drafting a list of tips about Spanish language schools based on my own experience (I doubt that many people here have spent quite so long in them as me!). Would anybody be interested?

yes please - I am thinking of enrolling in the summer for a short course and any advice that allows me to get good value for money would be great

[edespagede]

Is without going to any formal classes at all. Start with one of the better computer learning programs. The one I used, began with Spanish and stayed in Spanish, offering you various images (screeens) to go along with a particular phrase. For example, "El muchacho esta nadando", with four different choices, a boy jumping, a girl jumping, a boy swimming (the correct answer), and a girl swimming. When you are right, you move on to the next question, when wrong, you keep trying until you pick the right image. I found the method to be extremely effective. After the basic, intermediate, and advanced course, you will be can start reading dual-language books, listening to podcasts, etc.

For me, the key has been finding interesting material with which to practice and learn, not boring, school book stuff. For example, I like Earnest Hemingway's books. His "The Old Man and the Sea" can be found in both English and Spanish versions. One of my first projects was to read the Spanish version, referring back to the English version when I needed help. For even simpler reading, I got a book of fairy tales "Cuentos de hadas", reading them with the help of a Spanish/English dictionary.

Now all of my reading for pleasure is done in Spanish. I still refer frequently to my dictionary and Spanish verb handbook, but am doing so less and less.

After about 18 months from starting the first computer program, I'm now able to hold conversations with Spanish speakers on just about any topic, even over the phone, which I find particularly challenging.

I've looked at a few books on grammar which helped a little, but I think the best way to learn is just listen, read, and speak the language everyday until through repetition it just "sounds right".

[rod]

Originally Posted by rod

I was thinking of drafting a list of tips about Spanish language schools based on my own experience (I doubt that many people here have spent quite so long in them as me!). Would anybody be interested?

Last November I offered to write this piece, a few said they were indeed interested, but then after replying to some queries as you can read above, because of a busy period at work I never actually got round to doing it.

Finally I've made a start. As I go on a bit, I've decided to post this stuff to my blog rather than here. It is going to take me a few instalments to write it. I hope that anybody who is thinking of doing a medium or long stay in a Spanish language school might find it interesting/useful - and certainly I'm interested in comments here or on the blog from anyone who has already had similar experience in Spanish language schools

[richardksa]

I get lots of vacations, almost as many as teachers(!) and have wondered about attending a school. But could an advanced beginner (he said hopefully) like me benefit from a three or four week course?

[Damian Corrigan]

Originally Posted by rod

Clic in Sevilla

I also studied there and agree completely with Rod.

CLIC is a big school, so they always have other classes available if you want to change. This is why I always recommend big schools over schools with 'good reputations'. A school is only as good as its teachers and teachers come and go with such frequency that the only way you can (almost) guarantee good teachers is by going to a big school where there has to be someone who is good!

Damian

[rod]

Originally Posted by Damian Corrigan

I also studied there and agree completely with Rod.

CLIC is a big school, so they always have other classes available if you want to change. This is why I always recommend big schools over schools with 'good reputations'. A school is only as good as its teachers and teachers come and go with such frequency that the only way you can (almost) guarantee good teachers is by going to a big school where there has to be someone who is good!

Damian

Interesting - when were you there?


I agree that staff turnover is an issue with many schools, but to be fair to Clic, I think its better than most on staff retention. Certainly I got the impression that both my main teachers had been there for some time.