12 Months to Fluency in Spanish

1.)  INTRODUCTION TO PROGRAM

Flu-ent (flú:әnt) adj. having or showing ease of command of speaking in public, writing, using a foreign language etc. [from Latin fluere, to flow].

Is it possible to learn Spanish as an adult with a full-time job?  …  Yes it is! 

Do you possess Passion and Desire?    
Do you want to be Intellectually and Emotionally Stimulated?
Do you long to attain your goal of Fluency in Spanish?

Over fifteen years of personal success, experience and study; over five years of design and consideration; two years in Mexico; and over a year of proven teaching experience have produced this exciting course designed specifically for native English speakers whose goal is to master Spanish!

Up until now a course like this has not existed anywhere near Central Massachusetts!!  High schools, colleges and even private language schools have not catered to the individual whose goal is fluency in the way this program does.  Far too often in traditional classes, the goal of mastering a second language is somewhere off in the hazy future several years away –if indeed learning a foreign language is possible at all. 

But now, Bridges Language Institute shatters that old trend by presenting 12 Months to Fluency in Spanish, a program that offers those who work, are in school full-time, or are retired the opportunity to acquire fluency in Spanish in just over 12 months!  This class meets mostly Tuesday and Thursday evenings.  Please see the Calendar, which is item 15 below, for more details on the schedule.

Space is limited to 12 people.  So, inquire today and sign-up soon!

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2.)  WHAT IS 12 MONTHS TO FLUENCY IN SPANISH?

This 12-month course takes people with some or no background in Spanish all the way through to fluency where they will easily be able to read, write, understand and speak Spanish in any daily situation. 

This course is designed for people who:

• Work 8–5:30, Mon–Fri, Full-time jobs; are retired; are in school full-time. 
• Are serious about learning Spanish and committed to their goal of fluency.
• Want to learn Spanish for personal or professional reasons. 
• Believe they deserve to live out their aspiration of fluency.
• Are passionate about life and language.

Sign up for this career-advancing and one-of-a-kind class!

Is it really possible to learn a second language well enough to put it on your resume or to converse at ease with your friends & in-laws without constantly relying on someone else to get your back and interpret for you?  Yes it is!  Only 12 students will be allowed to sign up for this unique class.  So, get the information you need to make a decision and reserve your spot as soon as you can.  You deserve it!    

Think about this… An infant has no context or basis to work from, and he or she can pick up a language, understand it and speak it within 2 – 3 years.  Well, as adults with fully-developed minds, we surely can take advantage of the fact that we already have mastered one language and then apply that to master a second or third language!  It takes work and commitment, but it can be done!

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3.)  WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
 
Any person who desires to speak Spanish fluently is eligible for this class.  No previous study is required.  This class is great for spouses or friends who both desire to learn Spanish!

This program is designed to take a class of 6–12 people from ground zero all the way through to fluency where they can easily read, write, understand and speak Spanish in any daily situation.  Unlike some products on the market who give false hope of mastering a second language in a matter of weeks, Bridges Language Institute ensures that fluency is realistic and attainable by taking advantage of the whole calendar year.  Check out the Calendar section below for more details on the time commitment.  Most classes are on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. 

If you have a background in Spanish, it is possible to test out of certain levels and thus be allowed to enter part-way through the course.  The cost or value of the course will be pro-rated appropriately.  Call (978-549-8224) or email (ss1@bridgeslanguage.com) Steve St. Laurent to arrange a test date.  You deserve it!

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4.)  PRE-REQUISITES

No previous study is required to enroll in this class.  If you know some Spanish, you may be able to test out of the first few months.  Call to set up a test date. 

The only pre-requisites are that you must desire to learn Spanish fluently; you must believe you deserve to achieve this goal in your life; and you must make this class a priority for 2007!

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5.)  WHAT IS THE COST?    or rather    WHAT IS THE VALUE?

• What is the cost of achieving your goal of fluency?
• What is the cost of writing “Speaks Spanish” on your resume?
• What is the cost for over 260 hours of class time with an instructor who is a Leominster native and has already lived his dream of attaining fluency in Spanish and is passionate about seeing you live yours?
• What is the cost for a private language institute’s specially-designed curriculum that brings in native Spanish speakers from over five Spanish-speaking countries, that includes live phone conversations to Spanish speakers overseas during class, that provides a meal at every class lasting three hours or more, and that culminates the year of study with a trip to a Spanish-speaking country? 
• What is the cost for a business and an instructor that desire to not only excellently provide the service they offer you, but who also desire to positively impact you and your family by including them in certain special classes and to make sure they are a part of you accomplishing your dream? 
• What is the cost of finally being able to speak Spanish with your family and friends?
• What is the cost of being able to teach your children or grandchildren Spanish?

Bridges Language Institute prefers to apply the question “What is the value?” instead of “What is the cost?” to all of the above questions. 

The value of this program is exceedingly great.  A special bond will be formed among the students, the instructors and their families.  This is a serious endeavor and Bridges Language Institute will seek to make it a very enjoyable, profitable and memorable experience for you and your family. 

If you are serious about learning Spanish, click on the Itemized Breakdown of Costs & Discounts.  You deserve it!  The cost of the course breaks down to less than $15/hr.

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6.)  WHO IS THE INSTRUCTOR?

There is one primary instructor for 12 Months to Fluency in Spanis.  His name is Steven St. Laurent.  He is the Founder of Bridges Language Institute.  It is Steve St. Laurent who will be by your side for the duration of this course, and he will see you through to fluency!  Also he and his wife, Cathy, will lead you during the trip to Mexico at the end of the program. 

In addition to Mr. St. Laurent, native Spanish-speakers from at least six Spanish-speaking countries will be brought in as guest instructors throughout the course of the program. 

Mr. St. Laurent has taught custom Spanish classes designed by him for the Albuquerque Public School System, Julie Country Day School and Workers Credit Union.  Mr. St. Laurent’s teaching experience also extends beyond the Spanish language because he has taught English and Math for Leominster Public Schools and ESL (English as a Second Language) classes at Bridges Language Institute.  Additionally, during Mr. St. Laurent’s second year living in Mexico (2001-2002), he created and taught a one-day corporate training for the third largest cement company in the world, CEMEX (Cementos Mexicanos) based in Monterrey, Nuevo León, México.  These trainings were entirely in Spanish.  Finally, St. Leo’s Elementary School in Leominster has hired Bridges Language Institute and Steven St. Laurent as a sub-contractor on a part-time basis to choose the curriculum and be the Spanish teacher to its sixth, seventh and eighth graders for the 2006–2007 school year.

Please see the “Meet/Contact Us” link on this website to view a more detailed biography of Steve St. Laurent as well as the other teachers and staff of Bridges Language Institute who you will surely meet during the course of 12 Months to Fluency in Spanish!

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7.)  LOCATION

The class will take place in the Leominster/Fitchburg area.  The exact location will be announced by December 2006.  It will be a comfortable venue (such as a very nice conference room).  In the past Bridges Language Institute has held its classes at The Meeting Place, Suite 300, at the Longview Corporate Center (the same building where the Registry of Motor Vehicles is located in Leominster).  This is an upscale conference room. 

Typically, Bridges Language Institute takes their customized classes and trainings on-site to businesses such as Workers Credit Union, Julie Country Day School, St. Leo’s Elementary School and Mt. Wachusett Community College.  12 Months to Fluency in Spanish is a special class open to the general public and we will maintain our level of excellence by securing a quality and comfortable venue.  Several venues in the Leominster/Fitchburg area are currently being considered.

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8.)  MATERIALS

The following is a list of course materials that will be given to each student at strategic times throughout the program.  Each student will keep all of the materials in the following list.

Please note:  Do not purchase any of the items above.  They will be purchased for you and provided to you at planned and specific times during the course. 

The following is a list of additional materials that each student will not keep, but rather will share with other classmates.  The students will not have to pay for the following items unless they decide to purchase them separately.     

Supplemental Materials:
     1.)  Short stories in Spanish.
     2.)  Magazines in Spanish.
     3.)  Newspapers in Spanish.
     4.)  CDs and Music in Spanish.
     5.)  Television/Movies in Spanish.
     6.)  Movies on Culture.
     7.)  Examining Spanish and English Bible Translations.
     8.)  Mi Primer Diccionario, “My First Dictionary”. 
     9.)  ¿Eres tú mi mamá?  (Dr. Seuss in Spanish), “Are You My Mother?”

Cultural aspects of Mexico and Latin America will be a continual part of the curriculum through book work and through other activities such as discussions on movies that we will see.  Please view the Syllabus section below to see a breakdown of the hours we will spend on each of the above materials. 

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9.)  ACTIVITIES

The following list mentions some activities that will benefit you greatly beyond the book work: 
     1.)  4 “Daily Situations” Review Sessions.
     2.)  8 “Fluency Review & Oral Practice” Sessions.
     3.)  4 “Essay-Writing Exercise” Sessions.
     4.)  3 Phone calls to residents in Spanish-speaking countries during class.
     5.)  6 Invited Guests to class (Native Spanish-speakers).
     6.)  4 Music Workshops:  “Examining Lyrics of your Favorite Songs in Spanish.”
     7.)  Optional Field Trips to Restaurants, Functions & Dances (to be announced).
     8.)  3 “Cultural Aspects” Video Sessions.
     9.)  7 Book Sessions (We will read a book in Spanish!)
   10.)  6 “Bringing-it-Together” Practice Sessions.
   11.)  Trip to Mexico!

See the Syllabus section below to view a breakdown of the hours we will spend on each of the above activities. 

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10.)  HOMEWORK LOAD

Students should expect to spend a minimum average of 30 minutes to 1 hour of study/homework time between each class.  The assignments will be varied.  At times the homework will entail reviewing and studying the various audio CD’s that come as part of the course material.  This will make it fun and easy as you can study and review while you drive, shower or make dinner.  Other times the homework will require written and reading assignments.  Still, a minimum average of 30 minutes to 1 hour is all that will be needed between classes. 

If you have a light week at work, then you may enjoy and desire to spend more time studying (this is encouraged).  During some other weeks of the year, you may not study at all between classes.  This is acceptable and expected (once in a while) as this class is designed for people who have full-time jobs and families as their priorities.  That is why (as you will see in the CALENDAR / SYLLABUS section below) we have programmed in 13 review sessions as part of the course.  These are high-lighted in fuchsia or hot pink on the Calendar. 

These review sessions are intended to be used just like office hours or discussion sections in college courses.  No new material will be presented in these 2-hour review sessions, so if you miss them you will not fall behind.  We highly encourage attending these sessions as they will provide a fun and bonding environment as well as a great reinforcement tool for your learning. 

Bridges Language Institute believes that you should work hard when you work, and you should enjoy your free time when you have it.  There are 13 weeks in which there are no Spanish classes throughout 2007.  Although some assignments will be given during these weeks, the assignments will not be larger than the homework assigned from class to class.  Six of the 13 vacation weeks are scattered throughout June, July and August.  It is hoped that students will plan their vacations for 2007 around their Spanish-class calendar.  There are no Spanish classes on all the major holidays and school vacations, so there is plenty of opportunity to plan vacations.  And if you have to take a vacation during a week that we have class, then you can simply follow the syllabus and take advantage of the 13 review sessions to make up the work and ensure you learn the material presented.

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11.)  DETAILS ON TRIP TO MEXICO

This trip is not obligatory, but we highly urge each student to attend this trip and to make it a top priority in their planning over the next year and a half.  Remember this course is designed to accommodate professionals and students who work full time.  That is why we have planned the trip in January 2008.  This gives people two calendar years to plan ahead and allow sufficient vacation time to accumulate or carry over to January 2008.  There are a myriad of reasons for going on this trip.  The most important ones are: 

• The instructor will frequently make references to the Mexico trip.
• The anticipation and focus the trip gives you to study hard knowing that you will have the opportunity to put your Spanish to the test cannot be underestimated. 
• Bridges Language Institute is convinced based on personal experience and empirical data that after having formally and intensely studied a language, to then go and immerse yourself for two full weeks, will make a marked and significant improvement in your command of the language in the areas of understanding and speaking.
• Bridges Language Institute will sponsor and pay for the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Test ($143 per test) for each student who participates in the trip.  See the CERTIFICATION / GRADUATES section below for more details on the ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) test.     

Again the trip is not obligatory, but it is expected that most – if not all the students – will participate in this adventure.  Your command of the language will be significantly improved because of our time spent in Mexico.  This trip is not primarily designed for leisure or relaxation, but rather has as its core the goal of advancing fluency as much as possible for its participants.  Therefore spouses, family members and friends who are not enrolled in the course would not benefit from or enjoy this trip as much as the 12 Months to Fluency students will.  The trip will be comprised of about 80% learning days and about 20% leisure days.  Speaking English during the learning days will be strongly discouraged.  We will have a small number of free days with no strict schedule or itinerary so that you may shop for souvenirs, relax, or do anything else you might have your heart set on.  For the rest of the time, we will be making some of the most unique memories and greatest intellectual advances you will ever achieve in your life! 

About 80% of the venues we visit will be places that are not heavily traveled by the foreigner.  During the learning days, each student will have certain pre-determined tasks to accomplish such as negotiating the price of several taxi cabs to transport the whole group, negotiating a tour of an ancient ruin, or ordering dinner and paying the bill!  We will go to street markets, museums, ruins, and churches.  We will go to the main plazas and off-the-beaten path.  We will be in the city and in the country.  In each situation and with each passing day, you will be more and more amazed at how your command of the Spanish language grows and becomes cemented in you!  Each learning day will end with a breakdown session lead by Steve St. Laurent.  Much care will be taken to prevent burn out and –again– there will be a handful of leisure days in which you can rest, visit a sight that is not on our itinerary, or return to a place or museum where you wanted to spend more time.    

On this trip you will eat and interact with the locals in a way few Americans ever do.  You will even enter into the residences of the locals and “hang out” with them, affording you the opportunity to learn from them and converse comfortably with these special people.  Many of the locals that will receive us into their homes are personal friends of Steve St. Laurent from his two years of living, working and studying in central and northern Mexico.  This trip will be a memorable and even life-changing experience.  We are sure you will want to return to this diverse and mysterious country with over 100 million people just to the south of us!         

The details of the trip and the itinerary are not booked at this moment because we must wait until enrollment is secure and until we establish a fixed number of people who will be going on the trip.  More details on this trip will be posted on this website by 12/5/06 and our goal is to begin to book flights by 3/5/07. 

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11a.)  DOCUMENTATION
                         
Bridges Language Institute and your instructor will provide guidance and prep sessions to ensure each student possesses all the necessary paperwork to enter Mexico.  More info will be posted here regarding documentation by 12/5/06. 

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11b.)  HEALTH CONCERNS

Bridges Language Institute will provide guidance, prep sessions and website links to ensure that each student is aware of the suggested vaccinations and health risks associated with travel to a Mexico.  More information will be posted here regarding vaccinations and health concerns by 12/5/06. 

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11c.)  READING LIST
                       
Throughout the program we will be discussing cultural aspects specific to Mexico and the Spanish-speaking world.  The following is a small list of some great reading material on Mexico:

• http://www.venaqueretaro.com/

  This website is maintained by Secretary of Tourism for the State of Querétaro, one of the places we will be visiting on our trip to Mexico.  Querétaro is one of the safest, cleanest, most historic, and architecturally most beautiful cities in all of Mexico.  The website is outstanding, and it can be viewed in English or in Spanish!  It is great practice to switch back and forth between the English and Spanish.  Click on it and read about the history, location of the city, and more!!  Incidentally, Querétaro is not one of the most visited cities by foreigners either.  That’s good for us!

• Lonely Planet Guide Book on Mexico

  This is the best guide book out there if you want to travel economically, see a lot of places off-the-beaten path, and really get to know another country or region of your own country.  You can go to any book store and they will have a copy of the Lonely Planet’s Guide to Mexico.  You can sit down in the book store with a beverage and breeze through parts of this great guide book.  Also, Steve St. Laurent can lend his copy to you.  The first 45 pages of this guide book give a phenomenal and concise synopsis of Mexico:  from history and religion to climate and politics, it’s all there in the first 45 pages!  And this book has great color photos of many places in Mexico as well.

• The Mexicans:  A Personal Portrait of the People, Patrick Oster.  New York:  William Murrow, 1989. 

  This book is a longer read.  It was written by a journalist that lived in Mexico City for several years.  Each chapter records Mexican life from the point of view of a local that the author interacted with or reported on during his time there.  Some parts are very interesting and revealing about Mexican culture while other chapters read slower.  Overall it is interesting and a good read.

• Labyrinth of Solitude and The Other Mexico, Octavio Paz.  New York: Grove, 1985.

  These two acclaimed works are published together in this edition.  Octavio Paz won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1990, which secured his position not only as the pride of Mexico, but also all throughout the Spanish-speaking and non-Spanish-speaking world as one of the greatest writers in history.  He was born in 1914 in Mexico and died in 1998.  Labyrinth of Solitude was published first in 1950 and has now been translated into many languages.  It talks about Mexico’s quest for identity addressing such topics as political corruption, and Native Americans’ relationships with Europeans in Mexico.  The Other Mexico is a stirring look into a very specific and tragic event in Mexican history that happened on October 2, 1968 during the Olympics.

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11d.)  LIABILITY

Bridges Language Institute will require that each student sign a release form relinquishing Bridges and its agents from any liability associated with the trip.  That form will be posted here by 12/5/06.

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11e.)  COST    or rather    VALUE
                       
The value of this trip is exceedingly great.  Although the trip is not obligatory, Bridges Language Institute and your instructor will place just as much emphasis on the trip as they do on the year of course work.  Consider this:  There are 261 hours of class time in 12 Months to Fluency in Spanish - 2007.  Now, if we do not count the two travel days or sleeping time while in Mexico (assume 8 hours per night), then you will still spend a total of 208 hours (13 days x 16 hours) immersed in the Spanish language on this Mexico trip!  And if you take into account the focus and expertise that Steven St. Laurent will give you before, during and after the time in Mexico; the value of this trip is indispensable! 

The cost of the Mexico trip is separate from the cost of the course. An itemized price breakdown will be available when the exact details of the trip are decided.  We will post as much information as possible by 12/5/06.  A good estimate for the price of this trip is to compare it to any other two-week trip overseas.

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11f.)  PAYMENT

More details on payment will be made available when the trip itinerary is secured.
At that time an itemized price breakdown will be made available to each student.  Payment will be made to Bridges Language Institute as we will make all the travel plans and book all the flights.  You will be able to earn frequent flyer miles through the airline selected by Bridges Language Institute.  It will most likely be Delta Airlines.

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11g.)  WHAT IF I CANNOT GET THE TIME OFF?

We believe there is still hope if your job does not normally allow you to take vacation time during the first two weeks of January 2008 (the time our Mexico trip is scheduled).  For example, a teacher normally would not have two-weeks available at the beginning of January.

Please let us know about such a situation because we believe that if you explain that you are planning over a year in advance, and if you tell your boss (or superintendent) that you are paying out of your own pocket and investing into something that will –without a doubt– yield measured positive results for your job; then we believe that you have a very good chance that they will grant you permission to live your dream and better yourself personally and professionally.  No one is indispensable, especially for two weeks!  We would be happy to meet with your boss or superintendent to support you and help discuss the matter as you ask for permission to participate in this trip. 

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12.)  CERTIFICATION / GRADUATES

Bridges Language Institute is serious about ensuring that its students acquire a functional knowledge of the Spanish language.  Therefore, Bridges Language Institute will pay for the ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) Oral Proficiency Test for each student who completes the course and attends the two-week trip to Mexico.  The test costs $143 per student. 

ACTFL is a world-renowned language proficiency testing and rating system recognized by many institutions as the measure of competency and fluency in a foreign (or second) language.  Thousands of oral language proficiency tests using the ACTFL method are conducted each year for major corporations, government agencies, universities, and academic institutions.  The test and rating guidelines are the products of more than forty years of work within the U.S. government and academia. The assessment program is recognized by the Interagency Language Roundtable and the American Council on Education. 

The ACTFL tests are conducted orally over the phone for about 30 minutes by a company called Language Testing International.  Language Testing International is a testing agency that is trained and certified by ACTFL to conduct its tests.  They use a rating system that subdivides the following categories into a total of 10 rank levels:  Novice, Intermediate, Advanced and Superior.  Your instructor, Steven St. Laurent has taken this test and will help you prepare for it. 

Click on the following link to read more about the ACTFL rating scale for oral proficiency:  http://www.languagetesting.com/scale.htm  There are lengthy descriptions about each rank level.  Upon completion of the oral proficiency test, you will receive the internationally recognized ACTFL certification, which is sealed by ACTFL and states your oral proficiency level. 

Upon completing 12 Months to Fluency in Spanish, you will make up an elite group of graduates from Bridges Language Institute in whom we are well pleased.  You will be the Class of 2007!  We desire to take care of our alumni and maintain a relationship with them.  Any graduate (a student who completes the entire course and receives a graduation certificate from 12 Months to Fluency in Spanish) will be welcome to attend free-of-charge and fully participate in any of the 13 review sessions for the 2008 course.  (These are high-lighted in fuchsia or hot pink in the calendar, which is found below in the CALENDAR/SYLLABUS section.)  Also, graduates will be invited free-of-charge to attend all of the native guest-speaker classes in the 2008 course, and/or when we cover any other topic you want to brush up on.  We want to continue to provide a venue for you to practice and improve your Spanish after graduating from Bridges Language Institute. 

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13.)  CLASS TIME

The duration of most classes is either 2 or 3 hours, and they are held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.  Saturday morning sessions last either 3 or 5 hours.  A full meal will be served at every class lasting 3 hours or more.  This is a wonderful advantage for people who work or study full-time because when you arrive at the longer classes, you will be fed and will then focus better on Spanish and not worry about rushing dinner! 

There are 14 Saturday classes total including one in January 2008 (after the Mexico trip), which incidentally is the last class.  Saturday classes average out to one per month.  Please see the CALENDAR / SYLLABUS section below for a detailed breakdown of the time commitments for 12 Months to Fluency in Spanish.

Please note that there are also 5 Wednesday evening classes.  These take place during the summer and last 2 hours each.  We meet 99 times for class during the program.  For example, we meet on 41 Tuesdays throughout the year.  See Table 1 below:

Table 1

Typically during a 3-hour class, the last ½ hour is set aside solely for participant questions.  And likewise, most of the time when we have a 2-hour class, the last 15 minutes to ½ hour is set aside for questions.  This is important because when questions arise as a result of you doing homework or working hard to follow a lesson, that is when the answer to those questions will never leave you.  You will always remember them!

Please note that this is a very personalized class.  In addition to after class, you will have access to your teacher for questions via email or phone Monday through Saturday, all year long (except for vacation weeks).  Do not be shy to call or email and ask questions.  You are paying for something that is not available anywhere else.  Take maximum advantage of your teacher, his expertise and his resources!

Remember, 12 Months to Fluency in Spanish is designed especially for people who work or study full-time.  We are certain this schedule will be convenient for you and your family, as family is a huge priority for us.  Our hope is that you will plan with your family to take long weekends and vacations after considering the Spanish class schedule.  We designed it so that planning vacations and long weekends would be easy by keeping the lion’s share of the class meetings to Tuesday and Thursday evenings.  Don’t forget, we want your family to support you and to play a part in achieving your heart’s desire of fluency in Spanish! 

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14.)  SNOW DAYS / CANCELLATIONS

If there is inclement weather such as snow the night before or the day of class, an email regarding this will be sent out no later than 12 noon on the day of class.  For the Saturday morning classes, an email decision will be sent out by 8pm Friday evening.  If email is not a good means of communication for you, simply state that in the Registration Form and a phone call will be placed to you when cancellations are in question. 

Make-up classes will be handled in the following manner:  We will extend a future, regularly-scheduled class period by an appropriate number of hours.  Students will receive at least a one-week notice of the make-up.  If two classes are cancelled in the same month or if a Saturday session is cancelled, then an extra make-up day may be employed instead of extending the regularly-scheduled classes.  All make-up days are at the discretion of Bridges Language Institute.  We will do everything possible to ensure maximum attendance for make-up classes.

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15.)  CALENDAR / SYLLABUS

12 Months to Fluency in Spanish is a result of over fifteen years of personal success, experience and study; over five years of curriculum design and consideration; two years of living, working and studying in Mexico; and over a year of tried teaching experience. 

This exciting course is designed specifically for native English speakers whose goal is to master Spanish!  Whether you have a full-time job, are a student, are retired, or are not working outside of the home; we welcome you to sign-up for this course. 

Click here on the calendar link to see a month-by-month schedule of classes from the beginning of this course to the end.  This is a PDF document that you can print out.  The days and times are fixed and will be adhered to as tightly as possible; however, they are subject to change per decision of Bridges Language Institute.  All students will be notified via email with sufficient notice in the event that a day, time or venue must be modified. 

Click here on the syllabus link to see a breakdown of the hours of class time allotted to each subject matter.  This is a PDF document and can be printed out.  These allotted hours may fluctuate based on how the class is grasping the material.  No one will be left behind!  Remember, please do not purchase any of the listed materials because they will be purchased for you and given to you at strategic times throughout the course of the program. 

There is plenty of time to enjoy vacations and keep up with this course work.  Please make every attempt to plan your vacation times and long weekends after you have referenced the Spanish class calendar found in the link above.  There are 13 weeks off during 2007.  Six of the 13 vacation weeks are scattered throughout the June, July and August.  There are no Spanish classes on all the major holidays and school vacations, so there is plenty of opportunity to plan vacations.  If you have to take a vacation during a week that we have class, then you can simply follow the syllabus and take advantage of one of the 13 review sessions to make up the work and to ensure you learn the material presented. 

Also, please plan ahead for our trip to Mexico in January 2008!  The trip to Mexico was purposely chosen to take place in January 2008 so that each student would have two calendar years to ensure they have enough vacation time accrued or carried over for Mexico trip.

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16.)  PAYMENT / REFUND POLICY

A non-refundable deposit of 10% of the value of the course plus the cost of materials is required to secure enrollment.  The deposit is credited toward to the total cost of the program.  Then, payment is due (must be postmarked) in four equal installments on or before the following deadlines:

   1.) December 5, 2006
   2.) March 5, 2007
   3.) June 5, 2007
   4.) Sept. 5, 2007

There are discount incentives for referring someone who signs up for the program, as well as for paying in-full before the 6/5/07 deadline.  In the same fashion, there is a penalty for missing a payment deadline.  That penalty is equal to 10% of the payment due. 

Please call (978-549-8224) or email (ss1@bridgeslanguage.com) Steve St. Laurent for details on the discounts and the pricing schedule for 12 Months to Fluency in Spanish. 

Payment may be made by check or online with a credit card via the Make Payment link.  Receipts for all payments, and invoices for the above deadlines will be furnished and signed by Bridges Language Institute.  Please make checks payable to “Bridges Language Institute”, and mail them to P.O. Box 1524 ~ Leominster, MA 01453-1524. 

Refunds will be made (minus the 10% deposit) to anyone who must withdraw before 12/5/06.  After the class begins, pro-rated or partial refunds will be considered on a case-by-case basis.  Refunds (less the 10% deposit) are possible especially if you must withdraw due to health concerns, relocation or an emergency.  In some cases you may be able to re-enroll in the following year’s class. 

The first class is on Tuesday December 12, 2006, and –as seen in the CALENDAR section above– it is the only class in 2006.  (The first payment deadline on 12/5/06 is exactly one week before the first meeting.)  This first class is an introductory session to introduce the students to each other, deliver the first materials, to get to know the professor, and to get focused and motivated for the first full week of class beginning on Tuesday January 9, 2007! 

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17.)  TESTIMONIALS

Listen to what previous Bridges Language Institute students had to say:

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18.)  REGISTRATION FORM

If you are ready to sign-up for this program, please click on the following link to view our four-page Registration Form.  It is a PDF document, and you can print it out on your computer.  In order to enroll, send this registration form back to Bridges Language Institute in the mail along with your deposit. 

Click on the Itemized Breakdown of Costs & Discounts to view those details regarding 12 Months to Fluency in Spanish - 2007.

We are at your service.  Thank you for your interest in our program!  ¡Esperamos que se meta en la clase con nosotros! 

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Bridges Language Institute
P.O. Box 1524
Leominster, MA 01453
978-549-8224