How to learn  to listen to read to speak long  much ?

Want to take a language course with your significant other? Perhaps you want to travel with your friends? Or engage in a family learning activity on Saturdays? Our small group learning is the perfect learning option for you!
Want your tutors undivided attention? More time to practice and produce? You feel "stuck" or "lost"? You need flexibility? You are curious about language learning and committed to achieving fluency? Try our 1-2-1 method!
We have over 13 years combined of qualifications and experience teaching Spanish at universities and language schools across Europe.
We are immensely dedicated to our craft, Spanish language, culture and education. We teach Spanish through a carefully planned out and well-tested method that has brought desired results to all our students.
We are multilingual and we understand what it takes to learn a language.
We are completely committed to helping our students reach their goals. We teach teach people from all around the world, from different backgrounds and of diverse learning abilities.
We are proud of our professionalism and ethics. Besides our high expertise, skills and well-developed knowledge, we offer honesty, hard work and continuous support even outside lesson time.
Romance Language Centre was established in the United Kingdom in 2021 with the goal of offering quality language education based on understanding, in contrast to the global trend of crash courses that promise unrealistic outcomes for the sake of profit.
Our method offers high standard education about linguistic concepts, grammar and culture, all while developing the 4 main skills that lead to proficiency: speaking, reading, listening & writing.
Over the years, we have observed language learning bring out a healthy and fun competitiveness between siblings, empower individuals, bring couples closer, allow friends to travel across the world, and we have seen complete strangers become friends through a shared love for Spanish. 
Do you find yourself going through and wasting money on crash language courses that award you degrees and guarantee that you will climb the proficiency scale in a matter of 6-12 weeks if not less? Are you never quite able to speak, write, understand or read at awarded level independently nor do you feel confident as a foreign language user?
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METHODOLOGY

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Learning how to learn and develop long term memory

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Clear structure, study plans and achievable, functional objectives

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Consistent feedback against a set of competencies

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Gradual skill development increases confidence and cognitive retention

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Constant support outside lesson time and plenty of authentic resources

Learning with understanding and developing sustainable skills

Depending on your needs and goals, lessons are structured and targeted accordingly. Your progress is tracked and measured from session to session ensuring that your work informs our approach, and that you are continuously challenged. 

We base our teachings on showing rather than telling – all steps in your learning journey will be taken by you with logic and understanding.

Every language has a specific way of representing and seeing the world. It is our job to immerse you in the native speakers’ frame of reference. With RLC, you will learn how to learn and gain a deep understanding of languages.

Our method of language teaching includes, among other things, carefully built and defined curriculum, a lot of questioning, scaffolding, interweaving, targeted balancing between comprehensible input and accurate output, prioritization of functional objectives, regular feedback, dual coding, highly visual and engaging materials, and cultural immersion. We focus on equal development of the 4 main skills – speaking, reading, writing and listening, and above all – accuracy in production

We believe that grammar is a crucial aspect of language learning, but that dry grammar rules are meaningless if not understood and applied within authentic context.

In our practice, we follow the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), an international standard for describing language ability and proficiency on a six-point scale, from A1 for beginners, up to C2 for those who have mastered a language. This does not apply to specific exam preparations (IELTS, GCSE, A levels, etc.) where other frameworks are followed.

Unless otherwise specified (target skill learning), in our sessions, we will work on  four kinds of language activities: reception (listening and reading), production (spoken and written), interaction (spoken and written), and mediation (translating and interpreting)

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO LEARN A LANGUAGE?

This depends on many things, including your native & target languages, your previous experience with language learning, your age, your motivation, hours of independent study, and your linguistic knowledge.

In today’s fast-paced world, there’s lots of emphasis on instant gratification. The world of language learning is no exception with the rise of tourist level learning, however, all the research out there, and our own decades long experience, suggests that it takes between 400 and 2200 hours of study plus a lot of practice to learn a foreign language at a proficiency (C1-C2) level.

Unfortunately, the promise of speed sells. At Romance Language Centre, speed is not a top priority. We do not want to sell unrealistic promises, but to help you achieve understanding and retention that will eventually lead to independence in use and fluency. Our students understand that, just like so many of life’s most worthwhile things, learning a language takes time and effort.

CEFR recommends that it takes approximately 200 guided learning hours for a learner to progress from one level to the next. From our experience, supported by the Cambridge University, average learner will require around 100 guided learning hours to complete A1; 180+ hours to complete A2; 250-400 guided hours to complete B1, and anywhere from 500-600 guided hours to reach B2.

Our current courses include:

128 guided learning hours to complete CEFR level A1

192 guided learning hours to complete CEFR level A2

256 guided learning hours to complete CEFR level B1

384 guided learning hours to complete CEFR level B2

CEFR CURRICULUM

Romance Language Centre’s courses are structured using the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL), internationally recognized framework used to structure study content. This allows for structure and systematization in language learning based on the natural, gradual development of linguistic competencies, from basic to mastery.

According to the CEFR, language abilities are measured on a six-point scale, from beginner A1 to master C2

LEVEL A1 SYLLABUS

  • ask for and give information about your profession, address, phone number, and nationality
  • introduce yourself
  • describe your town
  • talk about family and friends’ appearance and personality
  • navigate around a shop where goods are on display
  • conjugate regular verbs in Present tense
  • use the verb(s) “to be”
  • understand common question words
  • recognize the grammatical gender
  • use numbers from 0 to 100
  • write simple dialogues 
  • talk about your likes & dislikes 
  • talk about your daily routine
  • convey information about the weather & seasons
  • describe your house
  • conjugate stem-changing verbs in Present Tense
  • use the verb “to like” with indirect object pronouns 
  • convey frequency
  • use common quantifiers 
  • talk about your job and free time
  • talk about your holidays 
  • express opinions
  • conjugate and use the Present Perfect Tense
  • use simple future 
  • convey obligation and ask for permission
  • successfully employ correct prepositions
  • talk about what you did that day  
  • conjugate and use the Imperative
  • revision

CULTURAL CONTENT AT A1

  • Spanish names and surnames
  • difference between usted/Usted/tú 
  • Spanish Royal family 
  • Christmas and Epiphany customs in Hispanic countries 
  • stereotypes, customs, and time 
  • Hispanic gastronomy (Spain, Mexico, Guatemala, etc.)
  • ir de tapas culture 
  • el botellón
  • life of the Spanish youth
  • superstition and myths in Galicia and Asturias
  • climate in Spain and Latin America
  • Madrid and its citizens
  • Spain’s autonomous communities and different stereotypes within Spain
  • Mexico: Día de los Muertos
  • tourism in Andalusia, Peru, Honduras, Mexico and Argentina
  • literature: Gonzalo Ballester and Julio Cortázar 
  • music: Selena & David Bisbal
  • films: Volver & Las Brujas de Zugarramurdi

LEVEL A2 SYLLABUS

  • locate people and places 
  • identify and use direct object pronouns 
  • communicate in a supermarket and a restaurant
  • communicate with a doctor about your health problems
  • use Present Perfect to talk about experiences and recent events
  • learn about the Past Tense and its morphology
  • use common time expressions
  • verbal periphrasis 
  • buy clothes and describe what people are wearing
  • express gratitude
  • have phone conversations, arrange dates and learn about the media
  • describe and narrate past actions and anecdotes 
  • talk about other people’s lives
  • give information about your CV
  • express surprise, disappointment and boredom
  • confidently use Present Perfect and Past Tense in contrast
  • make comparisons and give permission 
  • ask for information about transport
  • give opinions about past events
  • describe people and places in the past
  • talk about circumstances surrounding an event
  • effectively use Possessive, Direct & Indirect Object Pronouns
  • use common expressions to convey frequency
  • learn about the use and morphology of the Imperfect Tense
  • talk about duration of actions in the past
  • contrast Present Perfect/Past Simple/Imperfect
  • use the Future Simple and Conditional 
  • learn to express politeness and to give advice
  • revision

CULTURAL CONTENT AT A2

  • nightlife in Spain
  • talking to Spanish people & using body language
  • tourism in Cuba 
  • TV & radio in Spain
  • immigration in Spain 
  • Spanish weddings
  • Spanish families and women’s role
  • development of Spanish schools
  • civilizations of the Hispanic world and the Pre-Columbian era: the Mayas, the Incas, the Iberians, the Celts, the Greeks & the Aztecs  
  • heritage of the Romani people in Spain
  • Spanish Civil War
  • art: Francisco de Goya
  • biographies: Miguel de Cervantes, Pablo Picasso, Isabel Allende, Pilar Miró
  • literature: Pablo Neruda, Ana María Matute, Federico García Lorca, Antonio Machado, Lope de Vega, Mario Benedetti
  • Spanish films: Ocho apellidos vascos & El laberinto del fauno
  • music: Pablo Alborán & Canelita

LEVEL B1 SYLLABUS

  • tell stories in the past and confidently express the duration of actions in all scenarios 
  • convey probability in the present, past and future 
  • expand the vocabulary of human anatomy, sports and hobbies
  • learn about the morphology and use of the Pluperfect Tense
  • situate past actions on a timeline 
  • become familiar with the sequence of tenses and their temporal relationship
  • give instructions, recommendations, advice and orders
  • describe people’s personality and talk about relationships
  • express shame, happiness, fear, etc.
  • introduce the Present Subjunctive (regular and irregular)
  • express probability in the present, past and future
  • use impersonal expressions with subjunctive
  • expand the vocabulary of social media, technology and Internet
  • effectively use affirmative and negative Imperative
  • expand the vocabulary of literature and cinematography 
  • revise indefinite adjectives and pronouns
  • learn about discourse organizing words
  • construct arguments and write small opinion essays
  • confidently tell stories using the four past tenses
  • formulate hypothesis
  • know enough about Hispanic history, culture and social customs to successfully communicate with the natives 
  • use verbs and expressions of communication, physical perception and understanding to express opinions (indicative/subjunctive) 
  • express future actions. doubts and probability in future using subjunctive
  • relative, final & causal clauses and conjunctions
  • conditional clauses and conjunctions 

CULTURAL CONTENT AT B1

  • El Rastro in Madrid and el regateo
  • Spanish politeness 
  • Christopher Columbus
  • Dirty War: Argentina and los desaparecidos
  • Spanish from America: history and present
  • Spanish universities and education system
  • cinema’s secrets: Crónica de una muerte anunciada
  • advertisement in Spain
  • el Quetzal
  • Panamá, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica
  • the job market in Spain
  • Roman heritage in Spain: Murcia
  • biographies: Enrique Granados
  • literature: Juan José Millás, Juan Ramón Jiménez, Julio Cortázar, Gabriel García Márquez, Mario Vargas Llosa
  • architecture: Antonio Gaudí
  • films: Cien Años de Soledad, La Misión & El secreto de sus ojos
  • music: Juanes & Juan Luis Guerra

LEVEL B2 SYLLABUS

  • talk about films and music
  • talk about societal habits and way of life
  • set real conditions in present and future (present tense of subjunctive)
  • learn about the morphology of the Imperfect Subjunctive and contrast it to the Present Subjunctive
  • use the Imperfect Subjunctive in conditional clauses to express unlikely desires 
  • agree tenses: give an account of events and dialogues using indirect speech 
  • use verbal periphrasis with infinitive, gerund and participle 
  • start using verbs of change 
  • form arguments around economic crisis, immigrations and environmental issues 
  • hypothesize about past events 
  • describe important life events in detail and express feelings about these events and express reasons 
  • use connectors to form arguments 
  • expand vocabulary of music and art
  • understand and use all three conditional structures
  • introduce and practice the structure of passive voice 
  • conjugate the Present Perfect Subjunctive  
  • verbs “to be”: understand the change in meaning 
  • write advertisements
  • debate about the media 
  • use superlative 
  • begin to use colloquial expressions 
  • confidently use the passive voice, indirect speech, and the Imperfect Subjunctive
  • revise all pronouns and adjectives
  • use concessive clauses (indicative/subjunctive) to express reasons and contrasting information
  • learn to express agreement and regret
  • begin to use reduplicative structures
  • write letters of complaint 
  • use and conjugate the Pluperfect Subjunctive and the Conditional Perfect

CULTURAL CONTENT AT B2

  • modern Catalan architecture
  • Spanish health system
  • Colombia, Chile and Bolivia
  • voluntary work in Spain
  • Spanish cinema: Pedro Almodóvar
  • Latin music: Shakira, Celia Cruz, Ricardo Arjona, etc.
  • el cubismo: Pablo Picasso & Juan Gris
  • Spanish history: Second Republic
  • Spanish companies and employment
  • Museum Guggenheim
  • Hispano-American families 
  • carnival in Cádiz and Santo Domingo
  • Spanish sayings
  • Puerto Rico: el Spanglish
  • el castellano vs. el español 
  • Diego Velázquez: Las Meninas
  • literature: Antonio Molina, Luis Sepúlveda, Camilo José Cela, Isabel Allende, Almudena Grandes, Jorge Luis Borges, Rafael Alberti, Pío Baroja
  • films: La casa de los espíritus, Carlos, rey emperador & Todo sobre mi madre
  • music: Romeo Santos & La Oreja de Van Gogh

LEVEL C1 SYLLABUS

  • define complex terms
  • describe in detail: a portrait
  • differentiate between actions of process and actions of result 
  • use idiomatic expressions related to cinema and theatre 
  • learn about the historical present tense
  • use the Conditional to express the past
  • recognize nominal clauses 
  • form words by adding prefixes and suffixes 
  • give orders, advice and instructions 
  • learn about common mistakes in the everyday language
  • temporal and modal conjunctions
  • use the vocabulary of superstitions, magic and astrology 
  • idiomatic expressions related to time
  • regional variants and colloquial language
  • idiomatic expressions related to animals
  • relative clauses
  • characterize and identify people, places and objects
  • interpret unknown words & cite
  • express sensations, desires, the impossible and the possible
  • formulate hypothesis using the Future Imperfect and Conditional
  • expand knowledge of conditional clauses and different types of conditions
  • express cause and finality 
  • verbal periphrasis with infinitive, gerund and participle

CULTURAL CONTENT AT C1

  • classic Spanish theatre
  • Golden Age
  • Séneca
  • pop-art in Spain
  • Spain of the 1960s
  • La Queimada
  • the legend of María Lionza
  • two Hispanic myths: Che Guevara & Eva Perón
  • Mexico and Hernán Cortés
  • the legend of La Malinche
  • surrealism and Salvador Dalí
  • myths and legends of Latin America
  • medical improvements and societal changes
  • literature: Federico García Lorca, Jorge Luis Borges, María Luisa Bombal, Rubén Darío, Pedro Calderón de la Barca
  • films: La Llorona & Amores Perros
  • music: Camarón de la Isla & Paco de Lucía