Description

We organize intensive courses of Spanish as a foreign language throughout the year, on the first and third Mondays of every month, aimed at Spanish students of all ages. Our intensive courses are organized according to our students’ levels and ages, in order to create homogeneous groups with specialized teachers and tutors. The courses aim at helping students achieve the learning objectives linked to the levels A1-C1 that are specified in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages ​​(CEFR).

The courses include 20 classes a week, with four daily sessions of 55 minutes each. The courses last for one or two weeks.

Classes are organized so that students can achieve learning objectives of each of the levels of Spanish language proficiency (A1-C1). The class sessions are organized around communication tasks, which are carried out inside and outside the classroom, in the urban and natural environment of the city of Soria, in which students have to use language resources (grammar, vocabulary), and carry out oral and / or written comprehension, expression, interaction and mediation activities. Some of the tasks include preparing a radio program, interviewing someone from the community, delivering a brief presentation about the characteristics of Soria, and explaining similarities and differences between the landscape of the city and its surroundings and the students’ hometown, among others.

The courses include conversation, press and culture workshops, and require the students to work with audio-visual materials and films or film clips in Spanish.

Recipients

Spanish learners of all levels (A1-C1) and all ages, who attend courses at other educational institutions or who learn Spanish independently and want to reinforce their level of Spanish or work on specific aspects (oral or written expression, oral or written comprehension, oral or written interaction, oral or written mediation, grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary, etc.).

Students and learners who understand that a learning experience in Spain can help them achieve learning objectives and get to know the culture and ways of life of a city and a community where it is easy to participate, establish relationships and observe cultural patterns.

Elements of the program

It includes:

In terms of education and training:

• Initial interview before beginning the classes and learning needs questionnaire that will help us create the groups and customize the course and class program.
• 40 class sessions, with 20 class sessions per week. Each session lasts 55 minutes.
• Final task: to interview a person from Soria’s cultural life. Students will have the opportunity to get closer to the life of the city.

In terms of the stay:

• Accommodation available with host families or shared flats, individual apartments, hotels, etc. You can find information on prices at the bottom of this page.
• Free Wi-Fi throughout the CIAM building.
• Access to the CIAM library.
• Free access to the video library of CIAM, to the library of the student dormitory (which is in the same complex), and to the public library.
• Free access to the computer rooms of the center.
• Free access to the gym of the student dormitory.
• Guide to the cultural program of the city and province;
• Orientation about sports in the city: paddle tennis, swimming, kayaking …
• Accident insurance.
• Emergency telephone number 24 hours a day.

Optional:

• The program “Spanish in the community and volunteering” available to complement the class sessions. It can take place on the evening. Please contact us for information on prices.
• Weekend trips to important places in Soria.
• Individual classes: optionally, CIAM offers the possibility to turn the course into a super-intensive course by complementing the classes with 10 hours of private lessons (2 additional sessions per day).
• Tandem program of language exchange: Spanish – English, Spanish – German and Spanish – Italian.

Objectives

We have designed programs for general Spanish courses and levels (A1-C1), which are the foundations of all our programs. However, the general and specific objectives of each course are specified once the group is created, based on the needs analysis.

You can find a number of general objectives below, which are organized depending on the level:

A1

• To interact in a simple way and with a very limited repertoire of language resources if there is help from the interlocutor.
• To understand very short and simple written texts with a clear structure.
• To be able to meet immediate needs related to specific and predictable everyday communicative situations.

A2

• To express oneself in an understandable and clear way in simple contexts.
• To interact in basic everyday communicative situations.
• To be able to properly use basic social conventions in order to communicate in an understandable way in everyday situations.
• To understand short and simple texts and even journalistic texts.

B1

• To get along with reasonable correction and flexibility in everyday situations of certain complexity.
• To use a varied but simple lexicon and structures relatively fluently and correctly.
• To describe experiences, wishes, complaints and plans.
• To understand and produce relatively complex texts on everyday topics and short official documents.

B2

• To communicate fluently and precisely, adopting the proper register and level of formality, to express arguments and nuances appropriate to the situation.
• To get along in social situations without difficulties, expressing oneself with fluency, precision and spontaneity.
• To understand and produce texts on concrete and abstract topics, and discuss them.

C1

• To get along in all types of communicative situations, even when they require talking about abstract and complex issues.
• To communicate fluently and spontaneously even in complex communicative situations using an extensive and precise lexicon and a wide and varied repertoire of linguistic resources.
• To produce clear, well-structured and detailed texts on topics of a certain complexity.

Methodology

The course is mainly practical and experiential. The sessions are organized following dynamics and activities that involve the participants experientially, both inside and outside the classroom. We always hold a class session outdoors every day, in the gardens of the Convento de la Merced or other places in the city, because the community and the city environment are the perfect location to use Spanish.

Reflection and inquiry about the work done are the essential tools used to build knowledge and guide the students’ learning experiences.

The teachers

The teachers of our language and culture courses are in charge of planning and developing the classes of our programs. You can check their professional profiles here.

Final evaluation

At the end of the course, students take a test to assess whether they have achieved the learning objectives. The evaluation system consists of the following tests:

• Tests to evaluate the communicative skills of the students (comprehension, expression, interaction and oral and written mediation) and a short task to review the grammar and vocabulary studied in the course.
• Analysis of the learning process. The monitoring and participation of the students in the activities carried out inside and outside the classroom is highly valued. To do so, teachers go over the students’ learning diaries.

Certificate

At the end of the program and after completing the final evaluation tasks, students will receive a certificate that will state the number of hours of training and participation in the activities, the objectives and contents of the course and the final grade obtained. In the event that a student does not do the formal evaluation tests, they will be able to receive a certificate of attendance, which will state the number of teaching hours taken and the activities carried out.

Enrollment

Registration is applied for online through our website, and payments are made with a credit or debit card through a transfer.

Important info

Minimum number of weeks	One
Minimum and maximum number of students in a class	5-10 *A minimum number of 5 students is required to form a group.
When can I start the course?	The first and third Monday of each month.
Levels	A1, A2, B1, B2, C1
Duration of class sessions	55 minutes
Certificate	Certificate of attendance or achievement
Payment method	In advance (pre-booking and reservation)

Price

General intensive Spanish course (one week)	Every first and third Monday of each month	240 €
General intensive Spanish course (two weeks)	Every first and third Monday of each month	440 €

Price of additional services

10 hours of individual classes	Optional	300 €
Immersion experiences: Spanish in the community and volunteering (two weeks)	Optional	240 €
Accommodation with a host family	In a single room, in a full-board basis, and just one student per family	30 € per day
Accommodation in the student dormitory – one week (limited availability)	In a shared double room and in a full-board basis	25 € per day
Accommodation in the student dormitory – two weeks (limited availability)	In a shared double room and in a full-board basis	350 € 14 days
Accommodation in the student dormitory – one or two weeks (limited availability)	In a single room and in a full-board basis	35 € per day
Weekend trip	Optional	Contact us for price

Conditions of registration, payment, cancellation and visas

For more information on the conditions of registration, payment, cancellation and visas, click here.

In the event that there is not a sufficient number of students in an intensive course, CIAM may cancel the program and return students the entire amount of money paid.