Classes last ten weeks and are limited to eight students. Graduate level credit is available via Lewis and Clark's Graduate School of Education and Counseling.
We also offer private lessons and custom-designed, on-site courses for every type of workplace or organization.
You can also view our class schedules and register online.
Discussion Series: Personas y Lugares (People and Places)
Recommended for those who have completed Beginners Spanish II or have a good grasp of the present tense.
Discuss the people and places of Latin America and the US, from regular folks to salacious celebrities, from Portland neighborhoods to breathtaking historical sites.
Each week, students will independently read about engaging topics and discuss them in class. The focus of the course is on conversation, communication and vocabulary building—not grammar and error correction. In this way, students will begin to discuss the world around them at some length, all in Spanish. This discussion series is an excellent bridge between Beginners Spanish II and Intermediate Spanish I.
The last session will be held at a local Hispanic restaurant.
As usual at Castalia, the course is taught in small groups of up to eight students to encourage active participation.
Discussion Series: ¡Latinoamérica Total!
Recommended for those who have completed Intermediate II or studied Spanish before and have a good grasp of the topics covered in it (see course description as a reference).
Immerse yourself in Latin American cultures in this discussion series. Enjoy music, do online research, read articles and fiction, see movies, listen to radio programs and podcasts, watch videos and TV programs—all in Spanish. This dynamic course is aimed at those with good oral proficiency who want to keep their Spanish sharp while learning more about Latin America.
Sessions will consist of conversations guided by a Latin American teacher with occasional short individual presentations. The last session will be held at a local Hispanic restaurant.
As usual at Castalia, the course is taught in small groups of up to eight students to encourage active participation.
Discussion Series: México Mágico
Recommended for those who have completed Intermediate II or studied Spanish before and have a good grasp of the topics covered in it (see course description as a reference).
Immerse yourself in Mexican culture in this discussion series, from Mayan ruins to sexy Gael García Bernal's latest movie. Enjoy music, do online research, read articles and fiction, see movies, listen to radio programs and podcasts, watch videos and TV programs—all in Spanish. This dynamic course is aimed at those with good oral proficiency who want to keep their Spanish sharp while learning more about this captivating country, the crown jewel of Latin America.
Sessions will consist of conversations guided by an Latin American teacher with occasional short individual presentations. The last session will be held at a local Hispanic restaurant.
As usual at Castalia, the course is taught in small groups of up to eight students to encourage active participation.
Discussion Series: ¿Qué onda, América?
Recommended for those who have completed Intermediate II or studied Spanish before and have a good grasp of the topics covered in it (see course description as a reference).
Discuss what is going on today in both Latin America and the United States, from light-hearted gossip about singers and actors to momentous political events. This dynamic course is aimed at those with good oral proficiency who want to maintain their Spanish sharp while keeping up with the news.
Every week, students will receive in advance a link to, for instance, an article, TV segment or podcast, or instructions to do online research on their own. That way they can prepare beforehand for class discussions, which will be guided by a Latin American teacher. The last session will be held at a local Hispanic restaurant.
As usual at Castalia, the course is taught in small groups of up to eight students to encourage active participation.
Discussion Series: Argentina, Pleno Sur
Recommended for those who have completed Intermediate II or studied Spanish before and have a good grasp of the topics covered in it (see course description as a reference).
Immerse yourself in Argentinean culture in this discussion series, from sexy tango figures to Che’s origins. Enjoy music, do online research, read articles and fiction, see movies, listen to radio programs and podcasts, watch videos and TV programs—all in the distinct, melodious Spanish from Argentina, including its famed vos. This dynamic course is aimed at those with good oral proficiency who want to keep their Spanish sharp while learning more about this fascinating South American country.
Sessions will consist of conversations guided by an Argentinean teacher with occasional short individual presentations. The last session will be held at a local Hispanic restaurant.
As usual at Castalia, the course is taught in small groups of up to eight students to encourage active participation.
Beginners Spanish I
Recommended for those with little or no previous experience with Spanish.
By the end of the course you will be able to:
. Ask and answer basic questions
. Handle typical travel interactions
. Understand the main idea when reading
. Order at a restaurant
. Talk about daily routines
. Describe places
. Listen to and understand the subject of songs
Topics covered will include:
. Greetings
. Present tense basics
. Question words (e.g., "Who?," "Where?," "How?")
. Family members
. Gender basics (feminine and masculine words in Spanish)
. Time, days and months
. Basic vocabulary
. Numbers up to 100
. Pronunciation basics
Beginners Spanish II
Recommended for those who have completed Beginners Spanish I or studied Spanish before and have a good grasp of the basics (see course description as a reference).
By the end of the course you will be able to:
. Talk about plans
. Express desires, needs and obligations
. Re-tell movies, stories, etc.
. Talk about differences between individuals, groups and places
. Read and understand articles
Topics covered will include:
. Introduction to the future tense
. Describing activities (e.g., "He is looking at the painting")
. Making comparisons
. Expanding vocabulary: The 100 most important verbs
. The difference between "ser" and "estar"
. Auxiliary verbs (e.g., "I want," "she needs")
. Reflexive pronouns (e.g., "I dress myself")
. Formal and informal "you"
. Very large numbers
. Pronunciation: Beyond the basics
Intermediate Spanish I
Recommended for those who have completed Beginners Spanish II and attended the discussion series “Personas y Lugares” (People and Places), or studied Spanish before and can speak at that level (see course descriptions as a reference).
By the end of the course you will be able to:
. Narrate simple stories and events
. Describe organizations and processes
. Follow and give directions
. Read and understand complex articles
Topics covered will include:
. Introduction to the past tense: Preterit and imperfect
. Commands (informal "you")
. Introduction to irregular verbs in the preterit
. Gender: Beyond the basics
. Pronouns: Direct and indirect objects
. Introduction to stress and accent marks
Intermediate Spanish II
Recommended for those who have completed Intermediate Spanish I or studied Spanish before and have a good grasp of the topics covered in it (see course description as a reference).
By the end of the course you will be able to:
. Narrate complex stories and events
. Talk about hypothetical situations
. Read more advanced texts
. Express emotions
. Follow and give directions using different levels of formality
. Analyze films
Topics covered will include:
. Past tense: Intensive practice of the preterit and imperfect
. Conditional mood
. Intensive practice of irregular verbs in the preterit
. Commands (formal "you")
. Vocabulary of emotion
. Irregular verbs "ser," "estar" and "ir" in different tenses
. Primary uses of "se"
. Pronouns: Intensive practice of reflexive, direct and indirect objects
Intermediate Spanish III
Recommended for those who have completed Beginners Spanish II and attended a discussion series (other than “Personas y Lugares”), or studied Spanish before and can speak at that level (see course descriptions as a reference).
By the end of the course you will be able to:
. Narrate highly complex stories and events
. Read whole books
. Listen to and understand podcasts, radio news and recorded stories
. Acquire an understanding of art, culture and history of Spanish-speaking countries
Topics covered will include:
. Compound tenses
. "True" future tense
. The verb "haber" in simple tenses
. Use of "para" and "por"
Advanced Spanish I
Recommended for those who have completed Intermediate Spanish III or studied Spanish before and have a good grasp of the topics covered in it (see course description as a reference).
By the end of the course you will be able to:
. Debate complex topics
. Analyze literature, films, history and current events
. Acquire deeper understanding of art, culture and history of Spanish-speaking countries
Topics covered will include:
. Subjunctive mood in the present tense
. Location of prepositions
. The verb "haber" in compound tenses
. Pronouns: Introduction to pronominal verbs
Advanced Spanish II
Recommended for those who have completed Advanced Spanish I or studied Spanish before and have a good grasp of the topics covered in it (see course description as a reference).
By the end of the course you will be able to:
. Read, write and speak in Spanish at a level approaching fluency
. Use all moods and tenses of the Spanish language
. Debate literature, films, history and current events in depth
. Continue to deepen your understanding of art, culture and history of Spanish-speaking countries
Topics covered will include:
. Subjunctive mood: Past tense, introduction to compound tenses
. Intensive practice of pronominal verbs
. All uses of "se"
. Referred dialogues (e.g., "He told me she said 'yes'")
. The verb "haber" in the subjunctive mood
. Analysis of some grammar "odds and ends"
