Please scroll down to the bottom of the page to find the class schedule & registration section. ¡Gracias!
Vámonos Spanish Center uses the immersion method and offers group classes for adults. Immersion is the quickest and most effective way to learn a new language! This means little to no English will be spoken by your instructor. Not to worry, we make it very comprehensible.
Courses run for 9-weeks, and sessions are 90 minutes long once a week.
Missed classes cannot be made up, and 3 missed classes may equate to repeating the course. Please note credit is not given for missed classes and cannot be made up in future quarters.
There is a maximum of 10 students per class, and a minimum of 6 students needed. Spots are filled on a first come, first served basis so register asap to guarantee your spot. If the minimum number of students isn't met, your class may need to be cancelled; you will be notified if this happens, and other options will be suggested.
COURSE INFO
TUITION
$395 (+ 3% PayPal fee) for 13.5 hours of instruction. Curriculum included as well as several resources for homework and additional practice. [9-weeks long]
Video courses - $295 (+ 2% PayPal fee) for a 9-week course. Each week students will watch a pre-recorded video, to be used in conjunction with the included curriculum (as well as several resources for homework and additional practice). Students will also meet weekly with an assigned buddy to practice the material. Finally, all students will meet for a weekly live zoom class for 45 minutes with their instructor, to ask questions and practice the material in breakout rooms.
Please note all refunds are subject to a 5% non-refundable fee and cannot be given within 1 week of the start date, unless your spot can be filled by a waitlisted student. Refunds/credits are not given after the course starts, unless extreme unforeseen circumstances occur, in which case we will discuss possibilities, though that is up to our discretion. ¡Gracias!
LOCATION
Classes may be online (via zoom) or in-person. Please refer to the schedule.
In-person classes will be held at Olé Café, located at 5421 Meridian Ave N, 98103. Click here to learn more about it.
CURRICULUM
Vámonos Spanish Center (VSC) uses exclusive curriculum written by the founder and lead teacher of VSC, Amanda Reichert. Each course has a packet that includes all of the lessons and material covered in the 9-week course. Curriculum will be sent digitally at the start of the course; students should print their packet (unless using a laptop/ipad, however it is easier to have it on a separate device than what you are connecting to Zoom with). If you are unable to print materials, please add a "printed packet" to your cart when completing registration below, so that we can print a copy for you. Pickup will be done at Olé Café. We also utilize several other tools to make you successful including extra practice options via dropbox, and a great app to practice vocabulary with pictures (tiny cards). You'll receive an overview email with this info before the start of the quarter.
EVALUATION
VSC doesn't use traditional methods (ie tests and quizzes) to evaluate your level; rather, we are constantly evaluating students individually during class, so by the end of the session we have a read on each persons strengths and weaknesses; if we feel you are unready to move on to the next level, for your own benefit we will suggest either repeating the course, or taking a supplemental class to work on specific skills. If you miss 3 or more classes, it is unlikely that you will be able to continue on to the next level and for your benefit we will ask you to repeat the course.
VSC PROGRAM OVERVIEW
All levels include activities to practice listening, speaking, reading and writing. In each level students "travel" to a different Spanish-speaking region within the curriculum, so that students also learn about different hispanic cultures. Classes are 90 minutes long, and some homework is assigned each week. Please note that at Vámonos Spanish Center, we focus more on speaking and listening as most students' goals are to be able to communicate with native speakers; students should practice reading/writing at home during the week with assigned homework. *If you are not an auditory learner, then it will be helpful for you to take notes during class, or write out examples so that you can SEE them written while hearing them.
PLEASE NOTE THAT CLASS OFFERINGS WILL VARY PER QUARTER
YEAR 1
101- Introductions, important phrases, date, time, weather, clothing, regular verb conjugation, question words, places and frequency.
102-Describing people with adjectives, occupations, expressing likes/dislikes, intro to past tense, family members, talking about our schedules (when we do different activities, and what stores sell and where we buy products.
103-Emphasis on conversation. Irregular present verb conjugation, ordering in a restaurant, prepositions, present progressive tense, animals, passive voice, expressing opinions of love/like/hate, ser vs estar, direct objects.
YEAR 4
401- Review of all verb tenses (especially subjunctive & 'perfect' tenses), por vs para, direct & indirect objects, comparison with 'tan' and 'tanto', reflexive verbs, quantitive adjectives (bastante, suficiente, algunos, tanto, ningún), prefixes/suffixes, and cardinal numbers and directions.
YEAR 2
201- Preterit tense, informal commands, comparing clothing items, expressing likes/dislikes, conditional, reflexive verbs, parts of the house and furniture, ailments, 'tener' expressions.
202- Indirect objects, imperfect tense, past participles, diminutives, formal commands, written accent marks, possessive adjectives.
203- Emphasis on conversation. Review of verb tenses. Future tense, present perfect, subjunctive tense, hotel vocabulary, parts of the car, por vs para, prefixes and suffixes, parts of speech, "if" clauses.
YEAR 3
301- Emphasis on speaking and verb tenses; Review of all tenses covered so far. We'll learn about El Caribe while practicing the comparison of objects or places, using participles as adjectives, pluscuamperfecto del subjuntivo tense. We will read and discuss a novel based in Spain, learn about the future perfect, and practice the subjunctive tense while learning about Equatorial Guinea.
302- Emphasis on speaking and verb conjugation; we will explore Mexican & Central American culture while reviewing the use of direct and indirect objects, el condicional perfecto (+ cláusulas de si), practice our debating skills and review the subjunctive tense. We will also watch a movie in Spanish, practice using SER vs ESTAR and review adjective placement.
303- We will return to Sudamérica, and practice verb tenses with 'haber', read a novel and watch a telenovela. Emphasis on listening comprehension as well as increasing vocabulary.
SUPPLEMENTAL (ENFOQUE) CLASSES
ENFOQUE (Focus) DE LECTURA- (For students who have completed 202 or higher) We will read several novels written for students, and with each book we will work on conversation skills, discussing components of each book, learn strategies to improve vocabulary, practice verb conjugation and identifying verb tenses, write summaries/essays/character maps and more! (Books vary by quarter)
ENFOQUE (Focus) DE CONVERSACIÓN- (For students who have completed 201 or higher) What do most of us need practice in? Conversation! This is the class to do just that; we will do so while increasing vocabulary, using strategies to help get your point across, practicing spontaneous speech and learning filler words/phrases to keep the conversation going. You will gain more confidence in your skills and increase your fluency during this class.
ENFOQUE (Focus) DE VERBOS I- (For students who have completed 201 or higher) Verb conjugation is one of the most important "nuts and bolts" to learning to speak the language well. In this class we will review verb tenses, practice conjugating through many different activities, and learn songs to help with irregulars. After this "focus" class, you will feel more confident about your understanding of which tense to use (and why), and conjugating will feel easier. TENSES COVERED: presente (progresivo y perfecto también), imperativo (mandatos), pretérito, imperfecto, condicional y futuro.
ENFOQUE (Focus) DE VERBOS II *AVANZADO*- (For students who have completed 203 or higher) Verb conjugation is one of the most important "nuts and bolts" to learning to speak the language well. In this class we will review verb tenses, practice conjugating through many different activities, and learn songs to help with irregulars. After this "focus" class, you will feel more confident about your understanding of which tense to use (and why), and conjugating will feel easier. TENSES COVERED: el subjuntivo (presente, imperfecto, pretérito perfecto, pluscuamperfecto), futuro perfecto, condicional perfecto, pluscuamperfecto.
ENFOQUE (Focus) DE PRONUNCIACIÓN- (For students who have completed 201 or higher) As you continue to learn Spanish, it's also important to work on other components of language learning, the most important being pronunciation. In this class we will not only cover the "rules" of pronunciation, but also do many activities to work on correct pronunciation so that you are never misunderstood or embarrassed!
ENFOQUE (Focus) DE VOCABULARIO- (For students who have completed 103 or higher) Verbs + vocabulary = speaking Spanish! Without learning new vocabulary, your speaking abilities will plateau, and you won't be able to do what we all hope to when learning a new language... communicate and converse with others! In this "focus" class, you will learn fun strategies for acquiring new vocabulary, and practice with content, so by the end of the class, you'll not only know HOW to study/learn new words, but will have 50+ new ones under your belt!
*Registration is now closed.
If there is a class with spots available that fits your level, we may be able to have you join (classes start 4/22). Please sign up here for a placement call. ¡Gracias!
SPRING QUARTER 2024 (9-WEEKS) 4/22-6/28
*About our video courses: students will watch a pre-recorded video lesson each week and use in conjunction with their course packets for the weekly lesson; they will also be assigned a practice buddy and will meet with this person each week to practice the material. The scheduled weekly class (above) will be live on zoom, and will provide students a chance to ask their teacher questions, and to practice with other students in breakout rooms. Max 16 students per group.
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Upon registering, you'll receive a confirmation email via PayPal, but not from VSC specifically. You won't receive any direct communication from us until the week before classes start. At that time we will email you with pertinent course information and materials. If the minimum number of students is not met (5) once enrollment closes, we will email you with other options, including a refund.
NEED US TO PRINT YOUR PACKET? (If you can't at home and won't be using an ipad) CLICK HERE -> TO PURCHASE A COPY.
