What are the characteristics of Spanish as a Foreign Language?
Learning Spanish in Spain is usually more attractive than learning it in language schools or at the Instituto Cervantes , but how can you learn Spanish as a foreign language in Spain?
Language skills are easier in children.
A well organized course: What are the characteristics of Spanish as a Foreign Language?
A teacher of Spanish as a foreign language must undergo a university training before teaching ELE and before even starting to teach the first class, they must have certain information to be able to prepare it:
The duration of the course;
the level of the students (initial, intermediate, advanced);
the age of the students;
the origin (what is the mother tongue of the students);
the objectives;
the material conditions;
the number of students.
In general, the communicative approach is preferred because more time is given to speaking from the first class thanks to the different exercises.
The ELE is framed within the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and must achieve a balance between the five skills that must be worked on:
written comprehension,
oral comprehension,
written expression,
continuous oral expression,
oral expression in interaction.
Of course, the goal of the teacher is to advance students through fun exercises, but also to create group cohesion that encourages and encourages students to work.
Progress in ELE classes
On the first day, the teacher must evaluate the level of each student in order to adapt and prepare their classes in relation to the results: first, because they do not know the students; second, because students can come from different classes and levels; and finally, because it is a good way to really know the abilities of the students.
Progress in your level of Spanish may take longer than you expected, but this progress is individual and independent of the group, so the teacher will carry out a personalized and individualized monitoring of each student.
Also, keep in mind that the progression is not linear, but there are ups and downs. The classes will be more or less easy depending on the students and their abilities.
Spanish as a foreign language classes are different from Spanish classes at high school or university
In Spanish classes for high school or university students, the focus will be on grammar, vocabulary, spelling and critical thinking training. However, in French classes for foreigners, the focus will be on learning to speak a language. The classes and exercises will aim to learn to function in everyday life in order to better integrate in Spain.
In conclusion…
ELE teaching focuses on learning Spanish by foreigners ( Spanish for foreigners ), either in Spain or anywhere else in the world.
To begin with, it is possible to learn Spanish online by studying some typical expressions, such as courtesy formulas.
Working in Spain for a foreigner is different depending on whether they are an EEA citizen or not. Each case will have to be studied.
Progress in your level of Spanish , as in any language, will depend on the motivation of each student, but also on their abilities.