THE DAY OF THE CLASS
THE TIME OF THE CLASS
MAKE YOUR DRINK
AND HERE WE GO!
Spanish is a Romance language of the Indo-European language family that evolved from colloquial spoken Latin in the Iberian Peninsula of Europe and was taken to America. It is not easy nor difficult to learn, it is of medium difficulty for any European native language speaker. If someone has studied Latin, Italian, French, or Portuguese, will find it much easier.
All you need is:
1. An Internet connection
2. A laptop with a built-in camera, and a headset with a microphone. Many students enter their classroom via a tablet or a mobile device, but this is not very convenient.
3. Books
4. A Gmail account, the one you usually use to enter your computer and mobile phone. If you do not have one you can sign up HERE very easily.
Lessons are taught through Google Classroom, a platform that is widely used by many students worldwide, and for the ones that are unfamiliar with it, it is easy to learn. The students enter the teacher’s “classroom” and then, just with a click, the teacher and the student talk live through Google Meet. In the “classroom” the student can find all the necessary theory files, extra files, the blackboard, videos, listening activities, and many extra interactive exercises that we offer for free to our students so as to consolidate what they’ve learned after each unit. There is also the possibility of using other platforms (i.e., Skype, Zoom, etc.) if the student wishes. If you need more information, click HERE.
Online Lessons are just as effective as private tutoring since the same books and the same learning methods are used. Additionally, we have the ability to use all the optical and acoustic features and applications that the internet provides, which are not normally present and easily accessible in a classroom setting.
Of course, you will. Our students have high percentages of success in Spanish language certificate exams and these exams always have a writing part that is quite demanding. Additionally, since our students have learned to write on paper (and send their essays to the teacher to correct them in a photo) AND on the computer, they learn to use the special Spanish symbols (such as la tilde which is the written accent mark, the letter ñ, etc.) even better.
In a way they are, since the student doesn’t have the extra cost needed for a possible transportation to the place of the class. But they are not charged less from the teacher. The online classes are not chosen for being less expensive but for the opportunity provided to have a very good and experienced teacher instead of just someone that is able to come to your place or works in the neighborhood.
No. Basic computer knowledge is required, such as to know how to log in at your email account. However, when registering, every student will receive clear instructions (written and video) on how to connect and use the platform.
Just like you do it in a face-to-face private class. In addition, since we use Google Docs as a “class blackboard”, the notes stay forever in your “classroom” and you can revise or even print them any time you want.
If a student wishes us to record the class, we can do so only after his signing a consent form. As far as the groups are concerned, this is something we usually do in the case of the absence of one of the students, so as to help the students absent to catch up with the class missed. Of course, a consent form has to be signed by every student of the group.
The correction of exercises through an online lesson is similar to that of private tutoring, where the student reads aloud and the teacher corrects at that moment. Written exercises can be sent prior to the lesson or during the lesson. Through Google Docs, it is very easy for the student to write and for the teacher to correct in real time.
Either through private tutoring or online lessons, the same amount of time is needed to complete a level. The amount of time depends on how many lessons will be taught each week, the ability and diligence of the student and other factors (i.e., the native language, if they speak other Latin derived languages with similar vocabulary and grammar, etc.). After the first lesson, the teacher will provide an estimate for approximately the number of hours you will need to complete the first level.
If you have a precise deadline by which you need to obtain a language certificate (i.e., for business reasons) you can ask for an online meeting and we will talk it over.
The textbooks we use to run our lessons are the most up-to-date available on the market. These books can be ordered directly from the bookstore and will arrive within 1-2 business days.
Payment is done at the start of the month through one of the following ways:
• cash deposit to our bank account
• by credit card through our website,
• through Revolut or Pay Pal.
No. A private class is only with one student. However, 2 or 3 students at a maximum is something very close to a private class. It can also be adjusted exactly to the students’ needs as far as the pace and the way of teaching is concerned, unlike a language academy classroom that has more students and has to follow the same existing curriculum even when the students need to go a little bit slower or faster.
At first the students can form a group on their own. There must be 2 or 3 persons that are at the same level and belong to similar age groups so that lessons can be run without any issues. We also form some groups in the beginning of the year trying to result in groups with homogeneous characteristics. In such a class, the students connect to their “classroom” when they have class from different points of the globe. In the case of groups, the punctuality is of a great importance. If one of the students of the group is absent, the lesson is recorded and stored in the Google Drive so as the student is able to watch it later. (The signing of a consent form by all the students is required).
The truth is that usually the performance of a group is not exactly the same. It is reasonable since the teacher has to bear in mind the special and diverse characteristics of more than one student so as to plan the lesson. It has also been observed that when a student is not as fast as the others, the group is left a little bit behind. But there are many cases when we have groups in which the students are so interconnected and efficient as if they had attended a private class.
Most of our students is adults or above 15 years old. In many cases we have had younger students (12-15) who decided to join us and they have proved to be brilliant. However, it has to be their own decision and not their parents’. We want students that are devoted, and this is not always the case in younger ages.
Let´s get to know each other!
BOOK A MEETING