Course Levels & Methodology
Beginner: This curriculum has been designed for individuals with no functional ability in the target language. This course covers a two week period, and then students will move into our regular Introductory curriculum. Students will cover 4-5 functions from a different theme each day. The purpose of this course is to give students a foundation upon which they can begin to communicate at an introductory level.

Introductory: This curriculum has been designed for individuals who have a very limited knowledge of the target language and can express only some memorized words and phrases, using limited grammatical structures. Students generally cover one theme per week.

The Introductory curriculum is organized into 8 themes: Introductions; In the Restaurant; The Family & Friends; Daily Activities; Around Town; Going on Vacation; Going Shopping; and Health & Fitness. Within each theme, students will practice all 4 language skills, in order to reinforce the functions at this level. Grammar, vocabulary, key phrases and pronunciation will be incorporated into each unit.

Basic: This curriculum has been designed for those individuals who are capable of using simple structures and have a general, limited vocabulary. The Basic curriculum is written with higher level functions than the Introductory level, which utilizes slightly more complex grammatical structures. Students generally cover 1-2 themes each week, depending upon the ability of the students.

The 8 themes are: Meeting & Greeting People; The Family; The Workplace & Leisure Activities; Going on Vacation; Food & Clothing; Entertainment; Health & Fitness; and Today's Society. The focus is on building fluency, starting with what the students already know, and building upon this knowledge to develop full confidence in performing the functions. Grammar, vocabulary, key phrases, pronunciation and culture are incorporated into each unit. Students at the high Basic level may be recommended to cover the Intermediate curriculum based upon ability and need.

Intermediate: This curriculum has been designed for individuals who can already communicate in a variety of contexts and situations, but who need to speak with greater grammatical accuracy, use more difficult vocabulary and phrases, and improve their pronunciation and general fluency to feel confident in their communication skills.

Students will be given a theme per week, from the following list, based upon their interests and needs: Education, Work & Leisure Activites; Travel & Vacations; Around Town & Going Shopping; Art, Music & Literature; Daily Activities & Food; Health & Ecology; Customs & Traditions; Problems in Society; Much more culture is incorporated into this program, and comparisons are made between Puerto Rico and the United States, as well as with other Latin countries.

Advanced: This curriculum has been designed for individuals with an almost native-like mastery of the language. Students will have different topics to choose from such as: Origins of the Hispanic Culture; Religion in the Hispanic World; Aspects of the Family in the Hispanic Society; Men and Women in the Hispanic Society; Customs and Beliefs; The Economy of the Hispanic Society; Education in the Hispanic World; and Hispanic Presence in the United States.

Methodology
Our school uses the Communicative Approach to language instruction. This approach ensures that students are regularly applying what they learn in realistic situations. A common problem in the grammar-centered approach is that, while students may learn the rules of language usage, they are often unable to actually use the language in natural interaction.

By incorporating the "Steps to Mastery" in every class, students will move from the preview of new information, to structured, less-structured, and then open activities. This will ensure students sufficient practice to master the functions in the curriculum.

Our unique, functional-based curriculum focuses on the actual communicative tasks that learners need to accomplish in real-life situations. The grammar, vocabulary, key phrases and pronunciation are "tools" to help students perform the functions more fluently and accurately in the target language. In the classroom, students are involved in stimulating, interactive conversation that challenges them to use these tools to accomplish real-life tasks for business, travel or social situations.

The goal of the program is to be able to communicate effectively in a variety of contexts using all four language skills: speaking, listening, reading and writing. Games, role plays, problem-solving tasks, cooperative activities, discussions, interactive presentations, and outside curricular excursions are all incorporated into a creative and dynamic language learning environment. The program also integrates a multi-cultural understanding of native speakers of English, using authentic materials such as books, music, videos and cassettes.

A Needs Assessment Form will be given to private students, so we can customize the course for their individual needs. Group students will fill out this form during the orientation so that participants can choose the themes and functions that are of immediate need or interest to them.