Online Spring 2022 Adult Spanish Classes

Adult Spanish – I am still teaching my private classes ONLINE for Spring 2022. Join us on Zoom from wherever you are! To register, please email me at pfressidrobo @ hotmail.com by February 25, 2022. The information about the classes is below.

Note: My classes through the Caldwell School of Continuing Education are IN-PERSON, you can register online; see the link below. Please don´t delay, as they are making decisions soon as to which classes will run.

Teaching Method

I use stories, conversation, gestures, and other activities to teach Spanish. Students have ample opportunity to listen (very important!) to acquire new vocabulary and sentence structures. I give quick grammatical explanations, if needed. We practice verb endings/tenses always in context. My approach leads students to acquire and use the language. It´s a lot of fun . . . and it works!

Spring 2022 Classes

My private classes (6 – 12 students) – Early Bird Discount $20 off if received by Feb. 16, 2022.

Spanish 1 – If you are interested in a new Beginning Spanish 1 class, please let me know. If I have enough students, I will open a section on Thursday mornings, 9:30-11:00 AM.

Spanish 2 – Monday afternoons at 4:00 – 5:30 PM, 14 weeks, starts 3/7/22, $278.00, does not incl text. Early Bird price is $258.00.

Spanish 3 – Tuesday mornings at 9:30 – 11:00 AM, 15 weeks, starts 3/8/22, $295, does not include text. Early Bird price is $275.00.

Spanish 4 – Monday mornings at 9:30 – 11:00 AM, 14 weeks, starts 3/7/22, $278.00, does not incl text. Early Bird price is $258.00.

            How to Register:

To register for my private, small-group classes, please email me at pfressidrobo @ hotmail.com by February 25, 2022.

Caldwell/West Caldwell School of Continuing Education (NJ)

Spanish 1 – Tuesdays at 6:00 – 7:15 PM, 10 weeks, starts 3/24/22, $125.00, does not incl text ($30)

Spanish 2 – Tuesdays at 7:30 – 8:45 PM, 10 weeks, starts 3/24/22, $125.00, does not incl text ($30)

            How to Register:

To see the Continuing Education booklet, go to Continuing Education / Course Registration (cwcboe.org). You can print out a form to mail in your registration, or register online at through My School Bucks. The link is at the beginning of the page, or here: MySchoolBucks .

Note: These night classes are IN-PERSON.

Livingston Spanish Conversation Meetup

What if you want to speak Spanish but can’t find a conversation class, or can’t commit to a regular schedule? Or if you are taking a class and want extra practice? Well, I recently started a local Meetup group to address your situation. Called the Livingston Spanish Conversation Meetup, this group will hold meetings for both beginners and intermediate level Spanish students in Livingston, NJ.

Monday evenings – advanced beginner/intermediate level conversation

Thursday evenings – beginning level conversation

In the beginning classes, you will learn and practice basic conversation, and play games, such as Fluxx en español. Vocabulary and grammatical structures will be taught, as needed.

In the advanced beginner/intermediate class, we will engage in conversation related to current topics, a Spanish article, a story, or anything of interest to participants. Explanations and review of grammatical points will be given as needed.

I am offering 90-minute sessions (in a restaurant or in a private home.) It is free to join Meetup and to join the Livingston Spanish Conversation Meetup. Once you sign up, you can RSVP for future meetings/classes. There is a fee of $10.00 per person per class. To sign up, please go to http://www.meetup.com/Livingston-Spanish-Conversation-Meetup .

Five Ways Spanish Tutoring Can Help Your Child

Ironically, the ultimate goal of private tutoring (as a supplement to classroom instruction) is for a student to not need tutoring anymore! As a tutor, I work to develop in a student the necessary skills and strategies for him or her to become an independent learner. Keeping this in mind, here are five ways that tutoring can help.

Targeted Explanations – Working one-on-one, a professional tutor can easily assess where a student needs more elucidation and can bring it about in a way that is geared specifically to that student. Whether I find a simple misunderstanding or a larger gap in knowledge, my sessions with a student can make the difference between falling further behind and succeeding.

Extra Practice – In many subjects, extra practice is often the missing link in mastery. But in learning a second language in particular, this goes further than just extra practice in vocabulary, grammar, or study skills. I try to include Spanish conversation in every session, whether or not it is “needed” for a homework assignment or upcoming test. In this way, I hope that my student will enjoy experiencing Spanish, which makes everything else that much easier.

A New Voice – Unlike a teacher or parent, a tutor is not expected to give grades or critique behavior. I take full advantage of this neutral role and unique opportunity to encourage students to try new strategies and to do their best.

Confidence Building – Self-confidence is gained through increasing mastery of a subject and the development of learning strategies. I always encourage my students to not only see their progress in improving grades, but to realize they’re on the road to independent learning.

Tips for Studying – Most tutors have a wealth of knowledge in how to learn, study, and take tests. I often give suggestions on how to best utilize class time, as well as how to develop strategies for self-study. For example, I emphasize showing a student how to develop mnemonic aids for remembering vocabulary, verb conjugations, and grammatical concepts.

All in all, I hope that my tutoring helps a student to see Spanish not as a mechanical exercise, but as a fun, exciting ticket to another culture!

Professional Tutor – Tricia Idrobo

New Web Address for Amistad Spanish Instruction, Livingston, NJ

 

 

 

 

As of this week, Amistad Spanish Instruction has a new (shorter) address for its blog and website.

It is: https://amistadspanish.wordpress.com   Please make a note of this.

Note: If you ever end up at the defunct address, just take out the word “Instruction” from the web address, and it should redirect to the right place.

Here are some popular posts that you may be looking for:

Learn Spanish – Apps and Online Programs

Selecting a Spanish Dictionary

Online Spanish Dictionaries and Apps

When to Use a Spanish Picture Dictionary

 

 

Learn Spanish–Apps and Online Programs

It is so exciting to see all the fantastic online programs and apps for learning languages nowadays! Rather than overwhelm you with a directory of a thousand items, I start with a short list below. I will review these one by one in future posts. You may want to check them out and select one or two programs that fit your needs. I recommend these as a complement to your Spanish classes and conversation, not instead of them!

Free online programs and apps to learn Spanish: (Some only offer the beginning lessons free and thereafter you can pay.)

Duo Lingo       https://www.duolingo.com – match pictures with phrases; translate in both directions

Mind Snacks   https://www.mindsnacks.com – learn vocabulary through games

L Lingo           http://www.l-lingo.com – match pictures with oral and written phrases

Mango             http://www.mangolanguages.com  your library may offer this online language course free

Software and CD’s to learn Spanish:

Rosetta Stone  www.rosettastone.com

Pimsleur          http://www.pimsleur.com

Drive and Learn Spanish  Uses catchy tunes and rhythms to teach vocabulary and useful expressions (audio CD)

Videos for learning Spanish:

Yabla              https://spanish.yabla.com – sign up for free and watch hundreds of videos with Spanish and English subtitles to help you along

Destinos          http://www.learner.org/series/destinos    learn Spanish as you watch this novela and do exercises

Mi Vida Loca – www.bbc.co.uk/languages/spanish/mividaloca fun, interactive story to learn Spanish

 

Quick Translation–Online Spanish Dictionaries and Apps

When you want to translate a word or phrase quickly, you can rely on these websites, which also have apps.

Google Translate       https://translate.google.com  – Quick and easy, it also has an audio icon to hear pronunciation. You can put in entire sentences or paragraphs, but be careful—the translations may need revision. If you put in a search for Google Translate online, a box will come up for translation without having to go to the website.

SpanishDict                www.spanishdict.com  – Good for quick translation, occasionally gives examples of of how the words are used; it also features oral pronunciation and entire verb conjugations if the word you looked up is a verb. You can put in entire sentences or paragraphs, but be careful—the translations may need revision.

Word Reference        http://www.wordreference.com – Good for quick translation of individual words—will not do sentences. Gives examples of how the words are used and idiomatic expressions with the word. For intermediate and advanced students there are also interesting forums to learn the nuances of words or the differences in word usage between Spanish-speaking countries.

 

When to Use a Spanish Picture Dictionary

If you are studying Spanish, you may find a picture dictionary is helpful, in addition to a regular Spanish/English dictionary. Picture dictionaries are organized by topics, not alphabetically. They are handy when you want to look up more than one item in the same category, such as foods, and have the advantage of illustrating words you may not know, like what an elm tree looks like, for instance. There is an alphabetical index in the back.

          

There are many good, basic picture dictionaries. The one I am most familiar with is the Oxford Picture Dictionary English/Spanish. Some topics covered are everyday language, people, housing, food, clothing, health, community, transportation, work, areas of study, plants, animals and recreation. It is about 300 pages long—not a small book!

Some picture dictionaries are made for children but are also suitable for adult learners. DK First Picture Dictionary: Spanish offers phonetic pronunciation and McGraw Hill’s Spanish Picture Dictionary also includes it in the back of the book. If you know how to pronounce the letters in Spanish, you shouldn’t need the phonetic pronunciation, and there are many other well-illustrated Spanish picture dictionaries.

 

 In addition, there are even more detailed and technical picture dictionaries, such as Merriam-Webster Spanish-English Visual Dictionary. (1,152 pages) The difference is that the above basic picture dictionaries, for example, will offer two pages with the names and structures of common flowers, and the detailed one will give twenty pages of every flower imaginable and detailed drawings and labels of each structure, such all the parts of a seed. For beginners, the basic one is more than enough.

 

Livingston Spanish Tutoring and Instruction

Looking for a Spanish tutor who is effective and understanding? I am a NJ certified teacher of Spanish with many years of experience teaching middle school, high school and adult students. I will come to your home and provide extra help or supplementary instruction in Spanish.  For more information and rates, click here

Middle school and High school students –

Help with homework

Extra help with lessons or before tests

National Spanish Exam preparation

Spanish SAT subject test preparation

AP Spanish test preparation

Adults

Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced Spanish individual instruction

Spanish for travel

extra help for college students

Preparation for Praxis II Spanish exam

Learn Spanish – Classes start September 15, 2014

Practicing Spanish in pairs or with the whole class is very important

Do you want to learn Spanish for travel? For work? To speak to family or friends? Here’s your chance to learn conversational Spanish in Livingston in a small group setting, at a comfortable pace.

Morning classes now available starting September 15, 2014.

Or Create-Your-Own Class!

Click here for more information on classes or tutoring.

Spanish Instruction in Livingston, NJ

Tutoring, Small Group Classes, Workplace Spanish, Family Spanish, Spanish for  Senior Citizens

Learn conversational Spanish in a relaxed, encouraging atmosphere. We use stories, fun activities, and conversation to learn Spanish for travel or to talk to people in the community. Instructor: Tricia Idrobo, NJ Certified Teacher of Spanish  Click here for more information. For Fall 2014 schedule of classes and registration form, click here.  We serve Livingston, NJ, East Hanover, Florham Park, South Orange, West Orange, Roseland, the Caldwells, and surrounding areas.