SPANISH COURSES AT INTERTU EDUCATION

Although Spanish is extremely popular in the world with more than 550 million people using it as an official or co-official language, it is still classified as a rare foreign language in Vietnam. Therefore, choosing to learn this language is a distinctive direction to enter the “niche” labor market that is not highly competitive.

See also: Foreign languages

1. A brief introduction to Spanish

According to Forbes, Spanish is spoken by more than 559 million people globally, 460 million of whom speak as the first language. In addition to Spain, it is also the official language of Mexico and all countries from Central America to South America (except Portuguese-speaking Brazil, Haiti and French-speaking Guiana).

A question many young people ask before deciding to learn this language is “Is learning Spanish difficult?”

That depends on many factors, but learning a language is mainly about how determined you are and how much time you spend practicing it. In general, this is considered as a relatively easy language to learn and has a number of features as follows:

- Because of its wide distribution, Spanish also has a similar situation to English, having considerably diverse accents with intonation that varies by region.
- Like French, Spanish words are formed by two genders, masculine and feminine and belong to the Romance languages with accents used for phonetic symbols, which also makes it easier to read without the need for phonetic transcription.
- Although it uses Latin characters, many sounds in Spanish are pronounced differently. For example, “j” reads as /h/, so “José” will read /Hosé/ or “ñ” will be read as /ɲ/ (almost similar to the “nh” sound in Vietnamese).
- In interrogative and exclamatory clauses, inverted question mark (¿) and inverted exclamation mark (¡) are also placed at the beginning of a sentence instead of question mark (?) and exclamation mark (!) at the end like other languages.

2. Should learn Spanish or not?

In Vietnam, although Spanish is not yet a common language, you can still learn it and be benefited if you have a clear direction and hard-working attitude to achieve proficiency.

- Stand out in the competitive labor market: Spanish is now considered a rare language in Vietnam, which makes you outstanding in the labor market where there are already too many candidates fluent in English or Chinese.
- Jobs in tourism and hospitality industry: According to statistics from National Administration of Tourism, from 2010 to 2019, the number of tourists from Spain traveling to Vietnam has increased gradually and reached about 77,000 visitors in 2019, proving that Vietnamese tourism is gaining popularity among Spaniards. Therefore, this is also an opportunity for those who know this language well.
- Great job opportunity: Because it is a language that few people learn, it is less challenging for you to apply for jobs in Spanish businesses in Vietnam or get a job-seeking advantage when applying to multinational companies.
- Comparable remuneration: Compared to the more common languages like English or Chinese, the salary you receive is definitely more attractive when doing part-time jobs such as tour guides or translators.
- It is the third most popular language in the world: Today, the Hispanic community in the United States has grown to 13%, or more than 40 million people (according to Forbes). That is why learning this language may open up unprecedented and profitable opportunities for cooperation and business.

Although Spanish is considered a relatively easy language and it is possible to self-study, it is only at the beginner or basic level. For more difficult problems such as pronunciation, sentence structure, advanced grammar, essay writing…, you need a professional to instruct and correct mistakes. Therefore, if you want to save time and have a proper study pathway right from start, finding a reputable center is essential.

3. What Spanish courses does Intertu offer?

Spanish is increasingly popular in the Americas and around the world, that’s why students in international schools almost always choose this language for their second language course, and this is also the reason why Intertu opened Spanish language courses. Intertu offers classes for beginners to advanced in all 4 skills of listening – speaking – reading – writing that best suits your needs.

- Kids class
- DELE certification exam preparation class
- Specialized Spanish class
- Conversational Spanish – Basic – Advanced – Accelerated
- Special note: Intertu also teaches Spanish in international programs such as IGCSE, A-level, IB, AP for international school students.

4. Teaching staff at Intertu

- Native teachers have well-qualified qualifications and many years of experience in teaching Spanish both inside and outside Vietnam.
- Vietnamese teachers graduated with a major in Spanish Language or Pedagogy with outstanding academic records.

Spanish teachers at Intertu Education are meticulously selected, who have experience in teaching both in international schools and preparing for Spanish certificates.

In addition to academic knowledge, native teachers also help you understand more about the this language through stories about the people, customs, culture, cuisine, places… of the aspiring Spain.

5. Teaching method applied by Intertu teachers

Depending on the different learning levels, teachers will have appropriate methods to impart knowledge to students. Some of the ways to learn Spanish used by teachers at Intertu include:

- Alphabet, pronunciation and rhyming
- Basic principles of grammar
- Introducing good dictionaries
- Integrate grammar from basic to advanced
- Learning vocabulary though common topic
- Learn through practical illustrated activities
- Learn by discussing economic, social, cultural…
- Learning to listen and speak reflexively
- Practicing reading comprehension in Spanish
- Writing different types of text
- Learning to translate Spanish to Vietnamese and vice versa

6. Spanish curriculum used by Intertu

Depending on the different classes and learning levels, teachers will use appropriate books and materials specially compiled by Intertu’s academic team. Some of the books used by Intertu include:

- Complete Spanish Grammar
- Spanish Demystified
- Spanish Pronunciation: Theory and Practice
- PRISMA textbook set
- Schaum’s Outline of Spanish Vocabulary
- DELE exam preparation books from A1 to C1

7. Form and type of studying at Intertu

7.1. Type of studying

- Online classes: Suitable for students in the provinces or in Hanoi or who are in Ho Chi Minh City but already have a certain background in the Spanish language and want to save time traveling.
- Offline classes: Suitable for students living in HCMC who want to learn in a pure learning environment such as at the center, or students who are just learning from beginner level, they should study in an offline form for easier absorption.

7.2. Form of studying

- 1 on 1 tutoring:
  - Personalized learning path
  - Learning according to the student’s acquisition progress
  - The interaction between teachers and students is high
  - Easier to progress than a large class
  - Flexible study time

- Private tutoring:
  - Reasonable fee
  - Have classmates to accompany and interact
  - Be motivated in learning
  - Complementing each other’s knowledge
  - Have a friend to learn critical communication
  - Increase responsibility when doing group exercises

8. What is outstanding about the Spanish course at Intertu?

- 100% native teachers have professional qualifications
- The teaching method combines a variety of activities
- Diversify levels, types and ways of learning to meet students’ requirements
- Modern facilities, inspiring learning space
- Teaching Spanish in English to students from international schools
- DELE certification exam preparation

Intertu Education is currently enrolling students for communicative English, academic English, specialized English, business English, Chinese, French, Spanish. If you have any questions, please contact us directly, via email or hotline for a free consultation.