Classes Being Offered Spring Session 2012

Spanish Beginning 1

Stresses simple conversation and vocabulary for everyday use. By the end of the course, students will be able to express themselves in the present tense and conjugate ar, er, ir and irregular verbs. Assumes no prior exposure to Spanish. Placement testing is not required for Beginning 1 classes - just register!
*Also take the Beginning 1 Speaking Lab - people who attend class twice a week are more likely to succeed!

Tuesdays in Minneapolis 6:30 - 8:30 pm / March 27 - June 5 (no class 4/3)
Wednesdays at Wilder Center 6:30 - 8:30 pm / March 28 - June 6 (no class 4/4)

Spanish Beginning 1 - Speaking Lab

Each week students will have intensive speaking practice using the concepts from their Beginning 1 class - with games, role playing, flash cards and other activities. This is a new offering that we are adding to our Beginning 1 curriculum, to give our students more time learning to speak Spanish. This class is designed to be a supplement to our other classes, adding another 1 1/2 hours each week to review and reinforce beginning Spanish and present tense verbs. Placement testing is not required for Beginning 1 classes - just register! *Open to currently registered Beginning 1 students.

Saturdays in Minneapolis 9:00 - 10:30 am / March 31 - June 9 (no class 4/7 or 5/26)

Spanish Beginning 2

Develops vocabulary, expands on the present tense, and introduces basic past tense and reflexive verbs. Topics include immigration, expression of emotion, travel, and aspects of Spanish-speaking culture. The prerequisite for the class is familiarity with Spanish, including the present tense.
*Also take the Beginning 2 Speaking Lab - people who attend class twice a week are more likely to succeed!

Wednesdays in Minneapolis 6:30 - 8:30 pm / March 28 - June 6 (no class 4/4)
Thursdays at Wilder Center 6:30 - 8:30 pm / March 29 - June 7 (no class 4/5)

Spanish Beginning 2 - Speaking Lab

Each week students will have intensive speaking practice using the concepts from their Beginning 2 class - with games, role playing, flash cards and other activities. This is a new offering that we are adding to our Beginning 2 curriculum, to give our students more time learning to speak Spanish. This class is designed to be a supplement to our other classes, adding another 1 1/2 hours each week to review and reinforce present tense verbs, expand vocabulary and practice the preterit tense verbs. *Open to currently registered Beginning 2 students.

Saturdays in Minneapolis 10:45am-12:15pm / March 31 - June 9 (no class 4/7 or 5/26)

Spanish Beginning 3

Covers the imperfect tense, indirect and direct object pronouns, present perfect tense and the future tense. By the end of the course, students will be able to understand a variety of expressions, vocabulary, and cultural aspects of the language. Prerequisites for the class include basic vocabulary, present tense verbs and familiarity with preterit tense.
*Also take the Beginning 3 Speaking Lab - people who attend class twice a week are more likely to succeed!

Mondays in Minneapolis 6:30 - 8:30 pm / March 26 - June 11 (no class 4/2 or 5/28)
Tuesdays at Wilder Center 6:30 - 8:30 pm / March 27 - June 5 (no class 4/3)

Spanish Beginning 3 - Speaking Lab

Each week students will have intensive speaking practice using the concepts from their Beginning 3 class - with games, role playing, conversation and other activities. This is an exciting new offering that we are adding to our Spanish Beginning 3 curriculum, to give our students more time to hone their speaking skills. This class is designed to be a supplement to our other classes and will review and reinforce preterit, imperfect and future verb tenses plus work on evolving conversation skills and pronunciation. *Open to currently registered Beginning 3 students.

Saturdays in Minneapolis 12:30 - 2:00 pm / March 31 - June 9 (no class 4/7 or 5/26)

Spanish Intermediate 1

Develops a sophisticated understanding of the differences between preterit and imperfect verb tenses, the use of por and para, and formal and informal commands. The class emphasizes pronunciation, vocabulary and reading. By the end of the course students should be able to read, write and converse in Spanish.

Thursdays in Minneapolis 6:30 - 8:30 pm / March 29 - June 7 (no class 4/5)

Spanish Intermediate 2

Introduces and expands upon present subjunctive tense. Students will learn how and when to use the subjunctive in adverb, adjective and noun clauses. The instructor will incorporate grammar lessons with cultural themes and background to give students a broader understanding of Latin American issues. During the course, students will be expected to work on advanced grammar. Students who register for this class should converse, read and write with ease in Spanish.

Tuesdays in Minneapolis 6:30 - 8:30 pm / March 27 - June 5 (no class 4/3)

Spanish Intermediate 3

Develops knowledge of past subjunctive, conditional tense and relative pronouns. The course includes various exercises in reading, writing and conversation to develop a complete understanding of the proper use of all grammar forms. Students who register for this class should converse, read and write with ease in Spanish.

Wednesdays in Minneapolis 6:30 - 8:30 pm / March 28 - June 6 (no class 4/4)

Advanced Spanish: Oral and Written Presentation

Come and learn how to use Spanish in the work place! In this class we will cover the finer points of the language that you need to master for more formal speech including adverbs, prepositions, and articles and the proper use of accents in formal writing. There will be composition study and conversation, but also professional writing for business letters and professional oral presentations using Power Point.

*All students registering for this class must complete placement testing before registering. This class is designed for more advanced Spanish students - students should have completed our Intermediate 2 class or test into a similar level.

Thursdays in Minneapolis 6:30 - 8:30 pm / March 29 - June 7 (no class 4/5)

Other Classes We Offer

Music and Grammar Workshop: Ser & Estar

This is the first class in a sequence of workshops that will be focused on complex topics. These workshops combine grammatical uses while the students enjoy listening to songs and discussing the social and political ideology of artists from Guatemala and Cuba. The Ser & Estar Workshop is open to students who have completed Spanish Beginning 1 or test into the Beginning 2 level or above.

Music and Grammar Workshop: Past Tense - Preterit & Imperfect

This is the second class in a sequence of workshops that will be focused on complex topics. These workshops combine grammatical uses while the students enjoy listening to songs and discussing the social and political ideology of artists from Guatemala and Cuba. The Preterit & Imperfect Workshop is open to students who have completed Spanish Beginning 3 or test into the Intermediate 1 level or above.

Spanish Conversation: Latin American Legends

A course with grammatical and historical focus based on the reading and discussion of several Latin American legends, representative of the Pre-Hispanic and Colonial periods in addition to the beginning of the Twentieth Century. This class is designed to practice past tenses while learning and discussing Literature and History. Students are expected to have an advanced level of speaking - verbal placement testing either in person or via phone is required before registering.

Spanish Conversation: Un Panorama de Escritores Latino Americanos / A Landscape of Latin American Writers

An upper level course for students already at a high level of speaking, this Latin American literature course will highlight some favorite writers from around Latin America. Ample time will be given to examine and discuss the different styles of writing and the subject matter of each piece, while also weaving in the finer points of grammar at a more advanced level.

Spanish Conversation: Cultura Contemporánea de América Latina

This class will examine the roots of contemporary Latin American culture and highlight traditional cultural topics and issues in daily life in the Spanish-speaking world. Short articles and videos will be the basis for discussion on these topics, with a focus on vocabulary expansion and structured conversation exercises both as a large group and in pairs.

Latino Immigration, Public Policy Issues and Community Service

In this class students will become more familiar with the relationship between the global economic system, emigration from Latin-America, federal immigration reform, human rights issues, and Latino contributions to U.S. culture and economy.

This course combines classroom discussion, volunteer service with the Latino community, and visits to Minneapolis organizations involved in advocacy work, education and business. This dynamic format challenges students to deepen their understandings of some complex issues in our community.