Are foreign languages important?
A foreign language is one of the top skills in the 21st century, along with reading, writing, and math. Learning a language actually helps students speak and comprehend their own language better. It is not only good to be able to communicate with others outside of English language circles, but learning a foreign language gives appreciation and understanding of people living in other parts of the world. Most schools in South America are required by law to incorporate languages into their curriculum starting in Kindergarden. Many European and Asian students graduate from high school speaking more than one foreign language with a high level of fluency. The US has been somewhat unique in the world in that we expect others to speak English, and unfortunately we are far behind in this area of education compared to other countries.
Does my State government require it?
Surprisingly very few States require a foreign language as a requirement to graduate from high school. The National Council of State Supervisors for Languages (NCSSFL) has prepared a very helpful list of requirements per State and a series of other very informative reports. At the same time, most schools recognize the importance of languages as a life skill, as well as a prerequisite for college entrance. Learning a foreign language is not only a smart educational decision, it is also a moral responsibility to recognize and respect people of other cultures and languages.
Do you have a structured study plan equivalent to the K-12 curriculum?
Yes, we have courses for grades K (age 6) though 12 (age 18). All students learn at different paces, learning styles, and interest levels. We recommend getting started to see how your child responds the best and then let us work with you to develop a personalized learning plan. We monitor the progress of each student individually to help them meet their learning goals. We have students who take courses for enjoyment and personal interest, for credit, AP and SAT preparation, as well as to prepare for study and work abroad. Schools are also interested in our classroom-style offerings such as Virtual Field trips.
Are you accredited?
We are currently not accredited although we are happy to speak with you in advance to gain acceptance of your course work. In most cases schools and state certified teachers use our materials within the context of their curriculum plan or assign credit for courses as they would an independent study. We are working diligently to gain pre-approval of courses based on our school needs and we appreciate your on-going feedback in this area.
Should schools recommend personal tutors as the best option?
Personal tutors are a great idea if you have access to them and have the money. Many parents find that they spend more time organizing logistics than their children spend in the sessions. Furthermore families sacrifice privacy when tutors come to their house. Qualified, native-speaking, personal tutors can start around $25 per hour on Craigslist. In contrast we can provide the same experience virtually for a fraction of that price. This is a personal decision, but we are here to support your learning whether or not you choose to work with a personal tutor.
What kind of results can I expect compared to traditional classroom courses?
Average teacher-to-student ratio is about 20-to-1 in public schools. With recent budget cuts and reduced school hours that ratio may even be higher. That means that for 1 hour of instruction your child might receive about 3 minutes of personal attention, most likely less if he/she is faster or slower than average. Language learning is highly interactive. We like to equate it to learning to play the piano - would you want to learning the piano with 19 other students in the classroom? We limit our class sizes to 5 students and offer personal 1-on-1 sessions. Our students who also take traditional public school Spanish are almost always at the top of their class. We have Jr High students taking the equivalent of university-level courses due to the efficiency of learning directly from native speakers in a focused virtual format. We recommend that schools work with InterLingo for supplemental offerings in parallel with their existing Spanish curriculum.
Can I afford it?
Our courses start at as little as $5.50 per session and increase in price for classroom settings. Our courses are competitive and in many cases less expensive what you would pay for private music or dance lessons, and far below typical college prep courses. Personal tutors and community college courses are good, but you can easily spend more money on transportation and materials alone before you spend a penny on the actual course. We assume you have an Internet connection and standard computer equipment, and we provide everything else. There are no additional fees for course materials, rescheduling, or off-line support.
How can the quality be good at these low prices?
We are a small company with very low overhead. The owners work side-by-side with the material designers and instructors providing the service. All services are provided in virtual format, meaning there is no printing, postage, or transportation costs involved in the delivery of these services. You may choose to print the materials at your own expense if you wish. We advertise through high impact, low cost channels and rely on word-of-mouth and referrals from satisfied customers. It is unlikely that you will see million-dollar ads for InterLingo Spanish during the Superbowl or other mainstream media. The cost of high-quality, native-speaking instructors and designers is much lower in Colombia than what you will be able to find in the US.
There are many online options to learn Spanish, how are you different?
Most of the online learning programs are actually companies selling books, DVDs, and computer software. Some schools and universities offer asynchronous courses where you download assignments and materials and email them to teachers who email back the results. Sometimes they also offer interactive chat sessions. More recently there have been a number of companies offering a platform for independent instructors to sell personal sessions using Internet video chat, or synchronous sessions. It is your responsibility to read reviews of those instructors and figure out if the materials they use, if any, are appropriate for students. In contrast, we offer complete courses and programs via the leading Internet video conference technology available with all infrastructure constantly monitored for quality. Our course materials have been carefully designed through input from language professionals, pilot students, and people living and studying abroad for extended periods of time. All instructors have been carefully screened and selected for their ability to teach Spanish to students via this new medium. We take seriously our roll as a leader in Spanish language programs via Internet video conference technology.
Do we have the required equipment?
You will need a stable broadband connection, preferably using a wired connection to your computer. Most Macs and PCs with 1 GHz and 1GB of memory should work fine. A USB headset is high recommended for individuals, or USB speaker phone if participating in a classroom format. Built-in mic and speakers also work, but may cause echo and thus lower the quality of the audio and make it difficult for the instructor. Although a camera is not required, most students much prefer using them and feel "cut-off" with out them. All of the required equipment is standard, consumer-grade equipment available from regular retails or borrowed from friends and family. Let us know if you need help finding the best values on this equipment. Many classrooms are now equipped with SmartBoards, and connecting your classroom with native Spanish-speakers in South America is an excellent way to use this new technology.
How do I know my Internet connection and computer will work?
If you have a broadband connection and computer purchased within the past 5 years, most likely you will have no problems. You can do a self-diagnostic from our website, or contact us to do a quick set-up test. You will need to verify that your computer is connected with a wired ethernet cable or reinstall your Flash plug-in. Some schools may have firewalls that block the connection, which we can work with you support staff to resolve. It is very rare that our clients have problems that they can't resolve for little or no cost.
How can I be sure my students are protected while using the Internet?
A clear distinction that should be made up-front is that "Internet-based video conference" is not the same thing as "the Internet". Our video conference service simply uses the Internet service that you already have in your school as a medium over which you make the encrypted video conference connection directly with us. No unauthorized third-parties can listen in or enter the session. The analogy is similar to having a CB radio conversation verses an encrypted telephone call. The DoD and Fortune 500 executives use this same technology for their sensitive online meetings. No information about your students is ever shared with anyone without your explicit permission.
What if I don't know my school schedule or have vacations during the course?
We offer courses and services on a rolling basis throughout the year. We also allow you to schedule any of the courses purchased on classroom format. In the event that you need to miss some sessions, teachers are encouraged to contact us as we might be able to provide make-up review sessions with an alternate instructor in the case of unforeseen or emergency events. Many schools have snow days in the winter, and we work with you to make sure you get all of your session times.
I have a small group of students who would like to take the course together, how can we organize that?
Please contact us directly. We can hold a course specifically for your group and offer a time and price that is more favorable. This is a great idea and makes it more fun for the students since they can practice together between the sessions.
How and when do we pay for your services?
Schools can pay directly for services online via credit card, or we can send an invoice to your administrative offices. Schools prefer to submit to payment up-front to lock in course schedules, although clients paying by by invoice submit payment up to 30 days following delivery of services. Please contact us if you have additional questions regarding payment terms.
What if I decide it's not what we expected?
We offer a full refund within in the first 15 days of the course with no questions asked. If you need to withdraw from the course for a family or personal reason we encourage you to speak with us directly. Most of our business comes from word-of-mouth and referrals, and so it is in everyone's best interest that you are satisfied.
Who are your instructors?
Our instructors are selected from experienced staff members of InterLingo and the top-rated modern language program in Manizales, Colombia. We are very proud of the level of education and dedication that each of the instructors has for their work. Instructors view it as a privilege to be able to work with American students to share their language and culture.
What is Colombian Spanish like compared to other Spanish dialects?
Colombian Spanish is some of the purist Spanish in Latin America. Costal cities tend to cut their words short, and other countries, such as Uruguay are influenced by the neighboring language of Portuguese. Argentinians also tend to speak a more abbreviated Spanish. You will find that Latin American Spanish pronounces their “ll” and “y” as “jay”. In reality the difference in pronunciation is equivalent to different regions of North America, and unlikely make much of a difference. As a non-native speaker, your foreign accent will overwhelm any slight difference in Spanish dialect, but at the same time native speakers will respect you for learning their language regardless of your accent.
We hear so much bad news about Colombia, do I really want my kids interacting with a Colombian?
Colombia is like any other country in that there are good people and bad people. Unfortunately the mainstream media broadcasts much more of the bad news than the good news. The overwhelming majority of the families in Colombia go to work each day as their children go to school, church on Sundays, family vacations, and they enjoy a similar quality of life as in the US. Most of our instructors have children of their own and have a deep appreciation for family values. Manizales, Colombia was chosen as a location for the Language Center specifically for its high-quality Spanish, work ethic, small-town hospitality, and political stability. We encourage you and your family to learn more about Latin America and its rich culture and traditions.