Why do we teach from English to Spanish?
We believe that beginners who don’t know anything about Spanish need to feel comfortable in class. There are different points of view that say that the best way to learn a second language is directly from the language you are interested in.
We believe that this is a good method for some students, especially those who have a lot of free time, patience and inclination for this kind of learning.
The truth is that almost nobody has a lot of free time to try it. That’s why we teach from English to Spanish, because we believe that there needs to be a vehicle language for the communication process.
In fact, our online Spanish lessons for beginners are completely designed to learn the language during the class. We know that our adult beginners have jobs, complex lives and sometimes there is not much time for Spanish outside of class.
The communicative method we use is very effective. What is it?
Well, when I first heard about it, I remember wondering if I really needed to use it in my Spanish lessons. After a lot of reading and research, I realised that it was indeed a good method.
The explanation is clear: students need to talk, talk and talk.
If you don’t speak from the beginning, it will be more complicated later. The communicative method pushes you to talk about every subject. Even if you have just started learning.
What is the structure of our Spanish classes?
We usually spend the first part of the lesson talking about the student’s everyday life. When they talk about it, they use familiar words and it is very easy for them to remember for the next lesson.
They also feel very comfortable because this is their territory!
In the second part of the lesson, we usually talk about the topic I offer them. The topic I choose depends on the grammar I want to teach. I create activities to practise different skills: writing, speaking and listening.
Does this mean that we don’t teach Spanish grammar?
Of course we do, but that is what the communicative method is all about. You will learn grammar through a variety of exercises where the most important component is speaking.
There is a myth that grammar should not be taught at all. The reality is that you won’t be able to speak Spanish properly if you don’t understand the structure of the language.
So in order to understand the structure of Spanish, you need to know how to use the grammar.
The problem is not grammar but methodology.
We prefer to concentrate on choosing the right methodology. Methodology is the key to success.
Many Spanish schools still use the same old system: boring theoretical activities. That’s why a lot of students think that learning grammar is completely useless.
Grammar can be fun if teachers know how to teach it. Don’t forget that!
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