What is Hespánica?
Hespánica is a language learning school specialized in the teaching of Spanish as a foreign language. In Hespánica you can study and learn Spanish. The distinctive feature of this school is that it operates only online.
How does Hespánica work?
In order to take a Spanish lesson or a course, you need to register in the course and pay for it in our website. During the purchase process you can choose the day and the time of your classes. If you know a little Spanish, you can (if you want to) take an oral and written test to determine your level.
Once you have finished the purchase process you will receive a confirmation e-mail. In that email you will find a link with a user name and a password that will enable you to enter the virtual classroom on the corresponding day by clicking in that link. In the classroom you will be with your instructor, and if you are in a group course, you will also be with your classmates. Your instructor is a real person and a highly trained tutor, who will teach you as if you were in any other language learning school. You will be able to see him and talk to him freely.
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What equipment do I need to study in Hespánica?
You need a computer with a sound card, a microphone (we recommend you to use one with a headset) and a broadband Internet connection (ADSL, DSL or cable). The use of a webcam, so your instructor can see you, is optional (instructors always have a webcam so you can see them).
What is the difference between Hespánica and the other online language courses?
The difference with other language learning proposals is that Hespánica is a real Spanish learning school, where you will learn with real instructors. Many Internet sites only offer self-study courses, which include exercises or assignments that students have to follow without any help, just repeating meaningless phrases or exercises; and, therefore, they do not learn the language. Hespánica is not a software, and you will not be studying alone. You will always have a professional instructor who will program and plan your classes carefully, and he or she will supervise you during your language learning progress.
Why is it better to study with an instructor?
The instructor is a fundamental guide in the learning process. He or she is a person who knows the difficulties of learning a language. He or she is a professional who knows when and how to introduce the tools and contents to the students. A typical problem that you have when you study with a software is that you have to follow a fixed direction. Many times it is very difficult to distinguish which are the important contents and which are not. If you do not have an instructor, you do not know who to turn to if you do not understand something. You do not have someone who can introduce the ideas that are difficult for you in another way. The instructors can notice your mistakes and help you to correct them. With the instructor you do not waste time wondering “What am I doing wrong?” because he or she is already there to tell you. And, above all, you do not have to found your conversation on an empty and meaningless repetition. When you talk to somebody, the dialogue becomes creative. Communication and creativity; thinking and reasoning are the sources of progress when you study a foreign language. Without an instructor it is impossible to have a creative, meaningful communication, which is the most effective way to learn any language, not just Spanish.
How is the Virtual Classroom of Hespánica?
The Virtual Classroom of Hespánica is a very easy to use software that recreates the real classrooms where classes are regularly given. The difference with other websites is that we do not use a massive and free software (like Skype or other instant messengers) when we meet with our students. Our Virtual Classroom is a professional program especially designed for studying and learning, which will allow you to:
- See, listen to and talk with your instructor through a high quality videoconference.
- Exchange visual contents with your instructor through a whiteboard.
- See slideshows.
- Share programs (like a word processor).
- Share a web browser your instructor. You will not waste your time trying to discover what your instructor is showing you because you will see in your monitor (without your intervention) just what the instructor wants to show you. And vice versa.
In addition, your instructor will have tools that allow him to plan the courses and to have a detailed record of the lessons, so that he knows the contents taught and the ones that have not been taught yet. In Hespánica we do not improvise. We program and design your course carefully; the contents are logically ordered to improve the learning of the students.
Do I need any specific material for each class?
We recommend you to prepare the material as if you were in a typical lesson. If it is convenient for you to write the notes on the computer, you can do so; otherwise, if you prefer to write them on a notebook, you should have one as well as a pen or pencil and any other material that you normally use when you study.
What material do you use? Do students use textbooks in Hespánica?
The learning material is very varied. Thanks to the advantages that the Internet and the use of a computer have, in Hespánica there are many multimedia activities (like doing written exercises, working with images, audio and video, analyzing web pages, etc.). However, we may also use textbooks. In every case, Hespánica will always provide you with the necessary material that you will need to work in class.
I speak a little Spanish, how does Hespánica determine my level?
To determine it is not always easy. In the level description you will find detailed information that will help you to estimate your knowledge. When you decide to enroll in a course, we will ask you the Spanish level that you have. Besides, if you want to, you can take the placement test (oral and written). In that way, the instructors will determine your knowledge of Spanish.
Do you have an oral placement test? How does it work?
It is very simple. Once the written level is determined, you can take the oral exam, which consists in two or three questions. You will follow the instructions, which will be according to your level (for instance to describe an image, to talk about your holidays, etc.), and you will answer them speaking through your microphone; the answers will be recorded in our server.
What kinds of courses are in Hespánica?
You can sign up for individual courses or small group courses. The size of the group courses will not exceed three students, which implies that you will have a lot of opportunities to practice speaking and to participate during the class. Furthermore, you will be able to talk with your classmates and benefit from this conversational interaction. In Hespánica there also are specifically designed courses to meet the particular needs of the students. If you want to learn Spanish for business use, you can enroll in a “Business Spanish Course”, or if you work in the health care field, you can sign up for the “Medical Spanish Course”.
How does the cancellation policy for individual classes work?
The individual classes can be cancelled, and then the student can make up the class that he missed in another moment if the student notifies the instructor with at least 24 hours in advance.
