UK Tel: 01209 211 800
Intl Tel: +44 1209 211 800
CESA House
Pennance Road
Lanner
Cornwall
TR16 5TQ
Great Britain
t: 01209 211 800
Intl t: +44 1209 211 800
f: 01209 211 830
Founder member of the Year Out Group and the International Association of Language Travel Agents.
Methodology
The college’s key concern is to get you to speak!
Students are encouraged to speak Spanish and only Spanish for the very first day. Of course you will cover the four core skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing, with structured learning of grammar and vocabulary work included to develop all the essential Spanish language skills.
The curriculum is structured on 10 theoretical language levels, with a natural duration of between two and six weeks at each level. This involves elements of traditional teaching methods and classroom activities such as language games, pair work and role-plays aimed at developing communicative fluency.
The methodology is the result of years of experience in the intensive teaching of Spanish. Every day according to the progress of the class and syllabus, a new area of language is introduced and practised. A student of average linguistic ability should allow around four to six weeks to complete the Beginner 1 and 2 levels, covering basic grammatical structured knowledge to be able to communicate in the practical situations of daily life plus an introduction to Spanish customs.
Approximately 6/10 weeks will be required to complete the Intermediate levels 1, 2 and 3 with emphasis on grammar with reference to the past tenses and development of conversation skills (and at Intermediate 2 level, an introduction to the subjunctive).
Generally an additional 6/8 weeks covers 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.
A further 8/10 weeks to cover the Proficiency levels 1 & 2, and a final 6 or more weeks to complete the Mastery level with a specialised level of grammar and the study of the Spanish language.
Spanish language levels
The table (below) gives an idea of how the Spanish language school levels compare to those established by the Council of Europe's Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEF, in Spanish the MCER) and by the Instituto Cervantes for its Diploma de Español como Lengua Extranjera (DELE) examinations.
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.
| School system | CEF | DELE descriptions |
| Principante | A1 | Diploma A1 |
| Elemental | A1/A2 | Diploma A2 |
| Preintermedio | A2 | " |
| Intermedio I | B1 | Diploma B1 (Incial) |
| Intermedio II | B1 | " |
| Intermedio III | B1 | " |
| Preavanzado | B2 | Diploma B2 (Intermedio) |
| Avanzado I | B2 | " |
| Avanzado I Alto | B2 | " |
| Avanzado II | C1 | Diploma C1 |
| Avanzado II Alto | C1 | " |
| Perfeccionamiento | C2 | Diploma C2 (Superior) |
You will normally need at least 40 hours tuition at any one level before advancing to the next course.
On the first day that you begin a Spanish course, there is both a written and an oral placement test.
Lessons will begin on the following morning (generally speaking Tuesday AM)
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