Castalia Language Center

SPANISH CLASSES IN PORTLAND, OREGON

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On-site Occupational Courses

At Castalia Language Center, we provide on-site Spanish language courses to companies and agencies that need to reach their Spanish-speaking employees, clients, or customers more effectively. Unlike traditional academic courses, our classes are customized to serve our clients' specific communication needs. We are committed to producing tangible results for them, such as improvement in teamwork and productivity, better customer service, or larger market share.

According to the Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, the Portland area—Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas and Clark counties—experienced a 191% expansion in its Hispanic population in the last ten years. As a result, it is now the largest ethnic minority in Oregon, comprising 11% of the state's residents. Hispanics represent over $3.2 billion dollars in buying power in the Portland/Willamette area alone, and as their numbers grow, so does the need to facilitate their access to services.

Does your organization want to communicate better with this fast-growing population? Then Castalia Language Center is the company that can help you achieve this goal!

Assessment

We meet with you before starting the classes to define your objectives: Some companies just wish to greet and exchange basic information with their employees and customers; other organizations want to communicate with their clients at a near-fluent level. We then design the program that will best meet your needs.

Teaching Methods and Atmosphere

Unlike traditional academic courses, our students do not struggle through never-ending lists of verb conjugations or fine grammar points. Instead we focus on vocabulary and expressions relevant to the workplace, and center classroom activities on authentic materials and real-life situations. In other words, learning about Spanish does not take precedence over acquiring the ability to use Spanish.

We believe that a new language should be introduced in a comfortable, relaxed environment, and that a sense of humor, intuition and risk-taking are valuable tools in the learning process.

Cost

Courses are billed at $120 per hour for up to eight students, with an extra fee of $12 per hour for each additional person. Courses should be paid in advance.

Since the classes are designed to encourage active participation, we recommend that no more than 8 to 10 people attend.

The duration of the course is 20 hours minimum. Classes are usually held once a week, two hours at a time, for 10 consecutive weeks.

A 20-hour course is adequate to teach those with no prior knowledge of Spanish how to communicate at a basic level. Courses with higher proficiency goals are necessarily longer.

No textbook is necessary, and training materials are provided at no extra cost.

Consultation

It would be a pleasure to meet with you to understand your organization's needs and discuss a training plan. Please contact us to set up an appointment. And thank you for your interest!