Introduction to Spanish 

Introductory Spanish classes are open to all current LCS members. Membership must be active to enroll and must remain active for the duration of each class. Classes are designed for individuals without any Spanish language background. The instructor will introduce learners to Spanish pronunciation, some vocabulary and social protocols. Class sizes are kept to a maximum of 12 students with a minimum of four students.

When:

First three Tuesdays of each month

Time:

12:00 noon - 1:30 p.m. in the Gazebo

Cost:

$350 MXN (includes IVA) per month

Registration:

Register and pay on-line (Click blue button) or in the LCS Service Office

Materials:

The instructor will provide handouts

Spanish in Action (Español en Acción)

Spanish in Action classes are open to all current LCS members. Again, membership must be active to enroll and must remain active for the duration of each class.

In 2020, LCS updated its Spanish language curriculum by beginning a transition to a new program known as Spanish in Action (Español en Acción). Maestra Alicia Ordóñez is the developer of this course for LCS. She has 40 years of experience in teaching Spanish as a Second Language. She was a teacher and head of the department of Spanish as a second language at the Autonomous University of Guadalajara (UAG). She has been office administrator, and Spanish Department Head of International Language Center, San Antonio, TX. She has taught Spanish to executives of Mitsubishi and other Japanese companies. She is the creator of the courses and materials that the UAG uses in its Spanish classes.

In 2021, the LCS will offer six terms of seven weeks each during the calendar year. Two 2-hour class sessions will be scheduled each week of the term. Courses at four levels of difficulty will be available. Each course will have two parts to keep the course content manageable.

Spanish in Action Details

• Spanish language classes are open to all current LCS members. Membership must be active to enroll and must remain active for the duration of each class.
• Class sizes are kept to a maximum of 10 students so the instructor can offer individual attention. A minimum of 4 students are required for a 7-week session to be scheduled.
Future Sessions


Spanish in Action 1-A	Mon, Thu	9:15 - 11:15	April 5 - May 20, Gazebo
Spanish in Action 1-B	Mon, Thu	11:45 - 1:45	April 5 - May 20, Gazebo
Spanish in Action 2-A	Tue, Fri	9:15 - 11:15	April 6 - May 21, Wilkes
Spanish in Action 2-B	Tue, Fri	11:45 - 1:45	April 6 - May 21, Wilkes

Tuition

• Spanish in Action: $1,300 MXN (includes IVA). Tuition is due at the time of enrollment.
  Payment can be made on-line.
• The class is limited to a maximum of 10 students.
• A full refund will be made available if the instructor is advised that the student is withdrawing, prior to the student attending the second class 
• Exceptions to the above will be considered by the Spanish program manager on a case by case basis spanishprogram@lakechapalasociety.com

Class Materials

• The cost of the Spanish in Action workbook is $450 pesos. Email directoreducacion@lakechapalasociety.com for details on how to obtain these materials. Other materials may be recommended/suggested, but not required.
• Materials are available for purchase at the LCS. Prices are subject to change. In the case of a student withdrawing from class, no refund will be available for any/all materials purchased.

Spanish A La Carta

This is a new online program from LCS for its members, learners and practitioners of Spanish. Our offer includes advanced and intermediate level conversation sessions. Sessions with specific grammar topics and sessions to improve listening comprehension and pronunciation. For some classes, some material will be sent over email prior to the class for you to read so that your participation is smooth and you can get the most out of it. Spanish A La Carta classes are open to all current LCS members. Again, membership must be active to enroll and must remain active for the duration of each class.

Each program will consist of 2 or more ZOOM sessions of about 70 minutes each. The cost for each package varies, depending on the number of sessions.Students may enroll on-line and pay the tuition using a banckcard.
Class sizes for all packages are limited to 9 persons.

Spanish A La Carta Sessions in February - March

• Everyday situations: A Doctor's Appointment.
  Being in a new country not only implies a new language and a different culture, it is also necessary to learn how public services operate. The most important (and most unexpected) thing is our health, so in these two classes we will study what it takes to make an appointment with the doctor and start a conversation about our health: the symptoms of our discomfort, diagnosis, prescription and treatment. In addition we will mention requirements and information related to the Mexican Public Health System.
  2-session class.
  Wednesday, February 24 & March 03.
  From 10:00 to 11:30 am.
  $200
• Report an Emergency
  You must always be informed about emergency numbers anywhere in the world. It is not possible to predict these situations but there are ways to be prepared, and language should not be a limitation to ask for help. In this two-session class you will learn about the different emergency services in the area and the numbers you can dial. We will also practice our Spanish to give directions, describe events and talk about security or health.
  
  Session 1:
  ** Tipos de emergencias - Type of emergencies.
  ** Vocabulario de las emergencias - Vocabulary for emergencies.
  ** Números de atención - What numbers to call.
  ** Servicios de emergencias - Emergency services.
  ** Vocabulario - Vocabulary
  ** SE involuntario y pasado - involuntary and past “SE”
  ** Conversaciones - Conversation
  Session 2:
  ** Dar direcciones – To give directions to the emergency services.
  ** Voc. de la ciudad – Vocabularies for the city in emergencies.
  ** ESTAR y HAY – Estar and Hay verbs
  ** Protocolo de la llamada – Call protocol
  ** Distinguir la situación – to distinguish the situation
  ** Los simulacros – The simulation protocols for emergencies
  2-session class.
  Wednesday, March 10 & 17.
  From 10:00 to 11:15 am.
  $200
• Use of the Prepositions: en, a, de, desde.
  Prepositions help us to connect words in our language and, in addition, they complete the meaning of what we say. The questions "¿cuándo trabajas?" and "¿desde cuándo trabajas?" have a different meaning only because of the preposition "desde". It is important to keep in mind that not all prepositions in Spanish have the same functions as prepositions in English, so it is very important to practice the uses. In these two classes we will practice with four of them: A - EN, DE - DESDE. Through exercises and games, you will be able to identify their functions and use them appropriately in a sentence.
  
  Session 1: EN vs A
  Session 2: DE - DESDE
  
  2-session class.
  Wednesday, March 24 and 31.
  From 10:00 to 11:10 pm.
  $200
  
• Numbers and Dates
  One of the most common interactions between non-Spanish speakers and the local community happens in stores and service offices. Usually, there's no need to exchange much dialogue, but the challenge is to correctly identify - by listening - the total amount to pay. Perhaps this is a good time to dust off your math book and practice with us in this two-session class. You will be able to express quantities and recognize dates too, as well as the format used in Mexico and some time expressions as well.
  
  Session 1: Numbers, figures, at the store (¿Cuánto es?) and say the time.
  Session 2: Date format (days, months) and temporal expressions such as "in the morning", "last week, etc.
  
  2-session class.
  Wednesday, March 24 and 31.
  From 12:00 to 1:10 pm.
  $200
  

Class Location
The Wilkes Education Center (WEC)
Galeana 18, Ajijic

Hours
Monday to Saturday
Class times vary throughout the day

Contact Us
Phone:  (376) 766-1140
Email:  spanishprogram@lakechapalasociety.com

Spanish in Action / Course Syllabus

Level 1-A
During the course, four language skills will be worked on: reading comprehension, listening comprehension, oral expression, and written expression. Grammar structures and vocabularies are taught in a practical and communicative way, as well as authentic and fun.
The final objective of this course is: the student will be able to express himself in the following situations with the present and future tenses.
*  Communicate basic needs: food, shopping, space.
*  Talk about your mood and those of others.
*  Give and ask for the time.
*  Express obligation.
*  Describe everyday objects, people and routines.
*  Handle things properly and with confidence in a restaurant or in the city.

Grammatical Structures.
*  Personal subject pronouns.
*  Verb "ser" in the present tense.
*  Interrogative words.
*  Verb "estar" in the present.
*  Present tense of the regular verbs
*  Contrast of the verbs "ser and estar".
*  Particle “hay” (There is, there are).
*  Verb "tener" in the present tense.
*  Verbs "poder" and "querer" in the present tense.
*  Possessive and demonstrative adjectives.

Vocabulary.
*  Useful phrases.
*  Characteristics and qualities.
*  The family and the house.
*  Numbers, date and time.
*  Fruits and vegetables.

Dialogues.
*  Greetings.
*  Speaking of the family.
*  Discuss your house
*  How much does it cost?
*  In the market.

Materials:
Required: Workbook 1

Level 1-B
Grammatical Structures.
*  Verb "tener que" in the present tense.
*  Verbs "gustar", "caer bien / mal" and "doler" in the present tense.
*  Present progressive.
*  Verb "ir" in the present tense.
*  Future tense (colloquial): "ir a + verb in infinitive".
*  Irregular verbs in the present.
*  Irregular verbs by adding “g”, “ig”, “z” and “y” in the present tense.
*  Special verbs in the present tense.
*  Direct object pronouns.
*  Indirect object names.

Vocabulary.
*  The restaurant and meals.
*  The body.
*  The clothes.
*  The doctor and medications.
*  The city.

Dialogues.
*  At the restaurant.
*  At the department store.
*  At the doctor.
*  At the pharmacy.
*  Walking in the city.

Materials:
Required: Workbook 1

Level 2-A
Grammatical Structures.
*  Gerund and continuous present tense.
*  Past tense of the verbs: ser, ir and dar.
*  Past tense of regular verbs.
*  Past tense of regular verbs due to spelling changeDirect and indirect object complement pronouns.

Vocabulary.
*  La ciudad. (The city)
*  Direcciones en la ciudad. (Addresses in the city)
*  El banco. (The bank)
*  Hablando por teléfono. (Speaking on the phone)
Dialogues.
*  ¿Qué estás haciendo? (What are you doing?)
*  Cambiando un cheque en el banco. (Cashing a check at the bank.)
*  Hablando con un ejecutivo en el banco. (Talking to an executive at the bank.)
*  Diálogos breves por teléfono. (Short dialogues on the phone)
*  Pidiendo información por teléfono. (Asking for information by phone.)
*  Hablando al Laboratorio clínico. (Speaking to the Clinical Laboratory)

Materials:
Required: Workbook 2

Level 2-B
Grammatical Structures.
*  Pronouns and reflexive verbs.
*  Past tense of irregular verbs by vowel change.
*  Past tense of irregular verbs due to a change in their root.
*  Prepositions "por y para".

Vocabulary.
*  Higiene personal. (Personal hygiene.)
*  The hotel.
*  Vacations. Travel and entertainment.
*  The hospital.
Dialogues.
*  Registrándose en el hotel. (Checking in at the hotel.)
*  Diálogos cortos en el hotel. (Short dialogues at the hotel.)
*  Hablando de nuestras vacaciones. (Talking about our vacation.)
*  Llegando al hospital a Urgencias 1 y 2. (Arriving at the hospital in ER 1 and 2.)
*  Diálogo por teléfono: “Cambiando de doctor”. (Dialogue on the phone: "Changing doctors")
*  Pidiendo una consulta en el hospital por teléfono. (Asking for an appointment at the hospital by phone.)

Materials:
Required: Workbook 2