SW1 Spanish uses the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) method, also known as the ‘communicative approach’. This means teaching Spanish through communication and interaction rather than concentrating on learning lists of Spanish vocabulary or grammar rules. As well as being more enjoyable it is shown to be more effective and helps sustain motivation.

Through the communicative approach, one to one tuition students learn and practice speaking Spanish through the interaction with teacher. In group lessons the students interact in Spanish with the teacher and fellow students. From the very first lesson, students will be speaking Spanish in realistic situations.

For the communicative approach to be effective students need to learn the Spanish grammar structures & vocabulary they will be using for the activity. The teacher will guide the students through this to ensure they have the fundamental knowledge they need for the interactive situations.

It is important that the student is exposed to as many real-life Spanish speaking situations as possible. This is achieved using audio, video and written materials. The use of real-life Spanish language materials, rather than those prepared specifically for language courses, is shown to be very effective in building vocabulary and understanding of grammar.

A lot of time is dedicated to class preparation so that the teacher can provide a wide range of fun and engaging activities that will encourage students to learn and practice speaking Spanish in real-life scenarios.

 
Reading and writing is also a really important part of teaching Spanish. It helps to strengthen understanding of Spanish grammar and language structures and is an excellent way to consolidate what has been learned in the class. 

Finally, the most important element of an effective Spanish class is a happy, engaged and motivated student. Everyone is different and has their own learning style. An effective teacher will spend time getting to know the student, understanding their needs and goals and adapting the lessons to make sure the learner enjoys the experience and progresses at the right speed.

 

Every student is unique and so a dedicated lesson plan is developed for every client. You can see example lesson plans for beginner and advanced Spanish learners here.

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