Propsective students always ask "What sets you apart from the rest?" Based on our students who have had previous language learning experiences, these are the some of the pointers that set us apart:
- Approved by the Illinois Board of Education The Spanish Language Center has been approved by the Illinois State Board of Education as a provider of continuing education since the year 2006. This approval authorizes us to officially award certificates for CPDU (continuing professional development units) and CEU (continuing education units) upon request.
- Three Locations: Downtown, Lakeview, and Palatine For your convenience we have three locations throughout the Chicago area. Downtown and Lakeview are easily accessible by public transit. Our Palatine location is accross the street from Palatine's Public Library.
- Free Tutoring Available If you sign up for any of our group classes, you are entitled to free tutoring to further explain any topic covered in class with which you may have difficulty.
- You may take your group class again if you are not ready for the next level If you would like to move on to the next group level, but you and/or your instructor feel that you are not ready , y ou may take your group class again at no additional cost: GRATIS!
- All instructors are thoroughly trained The Spanish Language Center exclusively uses the Cortez Method to teach all its classes. All teachers are thoroughly trained to teach with this method. Classes are therefore consistent, well planned and clearly expalined by qualified instructors. Students probably find this to be the biggest plus of our school.
- Materials are included in tuition The cost for the hard copies of the books used in class range between $35 and $50 in value. All students have the option of not paying for it by getting downloadable versions.
- Online Blackboard As soon as you register for a class with us, you gain access to a personalized online blackboard page for your class. This page will facilitate and simplify communication wtih the administration, your instructor and other students.
- Maximized learning experience with small groups Due to the nature of our class scheduling with groups starting every other week, we keep group sizes very small. This allows for plenty of class participation and a more personalized interaction with your instructor. Group size averge 3 students.
- Workbooks and Study Materials We use all three books from the Cortez Method. These books cover all levels: Intro up to Advanced. Students find the books to be very helpful as they cover precisely what is covered per course and provide hundreds of exercises for practice. We have been highly complimented on the method and its contents.
- Move from on level to the next immediately As soon as you finish your class , we will have a class option ready for your continuation. Even if the same day and/or time do es n't work, we will create a class for you. We want you to learn and we will support your interest and effort by providing the classes that you need.
- Scheduling flexibility If a group class falls on a holiday or if the group as a whole wants to reschedule for any reason, we will work with your group. If an individual student cannot make a class, we will offer him or her a makeup with his instructor at his/her earliest convenience (a class fee is required for the makeup to cover for the instructor's time).
- Reasonable tuition One of our students was quoted saying, "You get university level education at a fraction of the cost!" The objective of all our efforts is to make the Spanish learning experience as effective, fun and affordable as possible.
- Free Assessment for proper placement We have heard more than one student complainiing about past experiences at other "language schools" where students of different levels are all packed into the same class and then asked to smile for a picture on the first day of class to post online.With us, unless you are registered for the Intro level, you WILL have to be assessed in order to be properly placed with the right group. We make the assessment process very simple for you, we will have an instructor assess your level over the phone so that you don't have to come to our facility.