Useful information about our Spanish school for foreigners.
Spanish courses
- Intensive.
- Semi-intensive.
- Extensive.
- Cultural immersion.
- Spanish and selectivity.
- Conversation classes.
- Spanish for business.
- Spanish by Skype.
- D.E.L.E. Preparation
Learning Objectives
The objectives for the students of Spanish vary depending on their level. The School's teachers, therefore, aim to improve the students’ linguistic capabilities in the four basic skills:
- Speaking.
- Writing.
- Listening.
- Reading.
Course content
The contents, classified into different sections, are presented in a way that enables each group of students to use the approach and pace that suits their needs best, fostering flexibility and semicustomized learning. The school offers its students the chance to learn and develop their Spanish, starting from the very basics up to the proficiency level.
Programming has been carried out on the basis of common reference levels in accordance to the Common European Framework of Reference.
Teaching Methodology
The School is committed to a communicative methodology. However, the methodology changes according to the particularities of each group.
At level A (initial), our teachers use strategies that enable them to coordinate and manage the communication with and among the students. Tools and techniques such as question decks or dramatizations are used.
In level B (intermediate) the student has enough knowledge of Spanish to manage most communicative situations. Some of the strategies used are brainstorming, expert groups, question decks and dramatizations.
In level C (advanced) the speaker is able to manage any common communicative situation although still has to enhance his or her performance in more specialized contexts. In addition to the strategies proposed for the previous levels, we offer the students the possibility to stage a trial in which they can play different roles.
Teaching Materials
The Escuela de Español para extranjeros provides students with the appropriate teaching material for the correct use of their courses, as well as their own activities created by the School's teachers. For those students who contract at least one month of group classes or 10 one-to-one classes, the material is free of charge. The books for all levels have been created by our teaching team and are adapted to the MECR and the Curriculum Plan of the Cervantes Institute.
Furthermore, teachers regularly use multimedia content during the lessons to ensure students get acquainted with Spanish and Spanish culture.
Seniority of the School in ELE Training
The Luis Vives School was founded in September 1999.
It started by offering services from different areas of non-regulated teaching, such as developing Spanish courses for foreigners.
From September 1999 to June 2003, these Spanish courses for foreigners were developed by the name of Linguamater. From 2003 to 2008, the School stopped teaching Spanish and committed to other goals, such as helping students to access university and vocational training schools.
As of July 2008, the teaching of Spanish as a foreign language was resumed and the courses were taught until February 2012, by the name of Centro de Estudios Luis Vives—Luis Vives School.
Ever since February 2012, the School has been teaching Spanish by the name of Luis Vives - Escuela de Español.
Calendar of school days
Where do our students come from? How many are they?
Each year, between 50 and 100 students take our Spanish for foreigners course, distributed evenly throughout all the year.
We get students from all over the world, but these are some of them:
- European countries.
- United States of America.
- South Korea.
- Russia.
- Morocco.
- Brazil.
The students are mixed in every class, which improves the dynamics of the group and the integration of the students.
Length of the Lessons
The standard length of the classes is 50 minutes . Occasionally and with previous agreement between the School and the students, the length may be modified.
Placement Test and Student Distribution
Prior to the start of each course, students take a placement test to determine the level of the course they will attend. This placement test is totally free, does not involve any obligation for the student and does not count as teaching hours.
Composition of Classes
In order to create each group, only the level accredited in the placement test is taken into account. In other words, there will be no classification or discrimination of any kind based on nationality, age, sex or religion.
The only exception to the aforementioned rule will be those classes designed specifically for previously arranged groups ( such as classes for companies or for groups of students on a temporary visit to Madrid) in which case the classes will be organized according to the specific needs of each group.
Assessment Tests
In each course there will be at least one assessment test at the end of the course.
Moreover, the teachers will design the assessment exams that they deem necessary and convenient in order to reach the goals of each course.
Certificates of Attendance
Certificates issued by the Luis Vives School are free of charge, have no official status and are valid indefinitely unless clearly indicated on the certificate.
About Study Visas
The registration certificates issued by Luis Vives Escuela de Español (Luis Vives School of Spanish) are free of charge and valid for the student to obtain a student visa. The process to apply for the visa will be carried out by the student at the Spanish Consulate of the country of residence or other competent official authorities. In the exceptional case that the visa is denied, for any reason, the student must send evidence of this to Luis Vives Escuela de Español. In such cases, the student will be able to take advantage of the conditions of cancellation and return included in the contract of studies.
Extracurricular activities
All the courses of the Spanish school for foreigners include, at no additional cost for the students, the following extracurricular activities related to the academic project of the School:
- Visits to places of cultural interest (on working Fridays, with a minimum of two visits per month).
- Language exchanges with students of the School whose mother tongue is Spanish (these take place on days previously chosen for this purpose, with a minimum of one exchange per calendar quarter).
- Conferences about Spanish culture: history, art and geography. At least one conference per quarter will be held.
Apart from those activities mentioned in the previous section, the School organizes other activities for its Spanish students. Some of them can be seen at this link.
All the information regarding the cost and schedule of these activities is given to the students right before they sign up for them. These costs will be exactly the same as each activity’s official fee. The School does not receive, directly or indirectly, any commission for these activities, neither from its owners nor from the students.
The extracurricular activities organised or suggested by the School have no general medical, physiological or cultural limitations.
Each student must know his or her own restrictions and take them into account under his or her own responsibility in the specific activity in which he or she participates. Thus, for example, if a student cannot ingest products derived from pork because of medical or religious reasons and decides to participate in the activity known as ‘Tapeo por Madrid’ in which this type of products are offered, he or she is must be careful not to consume such products.
Quality Surveys
At the end of the course, each student will be offered the chance to answer an anonymous survey in which they can explicit their level of satisfaction with the services offered by the School. These surveys are systematically analyzed by the School in order to improve the courses it offers to its students.