SPANISH

Have your employees wanted or needed to learn Spanish, but not had the opportunity? Or, have your employees already taken Spanish at the college level, yet still find themselves unable / reluctant to speak in Spanish with their Latin American counterparts? Then, you’ll want to speak with us!

What is our philosophy?
What is the training like?
What about total immersion?  How much Spanish is spoken in class ?
Are the instructors native speakers?
Does frequent travel interfere with the training?
What do our clients say?

What is our philosophy?

People learn to speak Spanish by . . . speaking Spanish!

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What is the training like?

Our focus is conversational. Grammar is only presented as it is needed for effective communication. There is a strong emphasis on correct pronunciation. Vocabulary relevant to business travelers is used.

There are frequent discussions of Latin American culture, to enable businesspeople to interact appropriately with their Spanish-speaking peers.  Two members of IMI's staff recently returned from Monterrey, Mexico, where they researched current business practices.  Findings from this investigation will be especially helpful if your people will be traveling / relocating to Monterrey.

The class is entertaining, while the non-threatening atmosphere encourages participants to “just say it”. Our participants report a much-increased comfort level during their Latin American business trips.

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What about total immersion? How much Spanish is spoken in class?

We do not believe that total immersion is effective in most circumstances. Most companies cannot afford the time commitment necessary to allow the total immersion method to work.

Additionally, adults bring specific skills that can be brought to bear on their language learning. These skills include the abilities:

• to reason

• to generalize rules

• to read and write

• to seek out opportunities for practice.

 Therefore, our classes are conducted in a mix of Spanish and English. Participants spend the majority of each class actually conversing with each other in Spanish.

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 Are the instructors native speakers?

Our instructors are Americans who speak with native-level fluency. This provides several advantages:

• They are language teachers, who know how to explain and practice the skills needed in order to speak the language.

• They understand the time and effort required to learn the vocabulary and grammatical structures.

• They create relevant drills that allow participants to internalize the structures presented.

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Does frequent travel interfere with the training?

Far from being a hindrance to your learning ability, we have found that frequent travel to Latin American countries during the course of your Spanish study will serve to reinforce lessons presented in class.

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What do our clients say?

• “I am surprised how well I am retaining and using Spanish. I write all e-mails with some Spanglish. . . I feel I am not just a pushy American – I am an “amigo” to the team. I know that means a lot to them.”

• “An understating of the culture and the way they do business was a tremendous help in improving communications and reducing frustrations.”

• “I feel much more comfortable with discussion in Spanish, and I understand 30-40% of all the words spoken. I am also able to have “mini-chats” with everyone about how his or her day is going.”

• “You tailored the class to our needs, which meant a lot to me.”

Alcoa Wheel & Forged Products

• “Marianne is a SUPERIOR instructor!” (from Manager of Training)

• “So many foreign language classes do not focus on speaking. This class did and that enabled me to pick up things I will use immediately.”

• “Greeting (Mexican) co-workers has been a big plus and brought operator cohesion to the group.”

Associated Enterprises

• “Ms. Canario is an amazing instructor! She has brought a wide experience of Latin America.”

• “Marianne is a gifted teacher and it has been a pleasure to be in her class.”

Various tutorial students

• “Ms. Canario made the class a pure delight! She was always encouraging. I would highly recommend this class to everyone!"

• “Marianne built a good foundation of pronunciation, and skills grew from there. She’s so encouraging! The group activity was awkward at first, but it was a big help!”

• “Marianne made it easy to interact with others without being nervous or embarrassed. . . I looked forward to going to class.”

• “Explanations were excellent and precise. . . Partner work allowed time to teach and learn from each other. . . Mrs. Canario is an excellent instructor and I look forward to future classes.

EMH Regional Medical Center

Contact us to discuss your specific needs.

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