Christ Church United Methodist Hosting Spanish Courses

Spanish language crash course this summer

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- Practice doesn't have to make perfect in the Spanish class that will be held at Christ Church United Methodist this summer led by Dr. Karen Smith. Participants will actually enjoy hearing each other fumble over words as they try like toddlers to speak in a new language. The idea and goal is to learn to speak Spanish as quickly as possible in 8 weeks. By the end of the eight classes, participants will be able to speak Spanish in the present tense and able to converse in a language other than their own.

Smith, a foreign language and ESL (English as a Second Language) Specialist and former bilingual coordinator for Conroe ISD, was trained by the University of Houston when U of H was teaching a program focused on rapid Spanish instruction for educators. "This course is unlike anything people have tried before," says Smith. "This is not sitting at a desk and receiving information. It is an accelerated learning program that invokes a 'whole-brain' learning style using hands-on experiences. There are no written components, no tests. Only fun."

Participants in the class can expect to enjoy a variety of activities such as games, drawing, and singing. Students in the course will assume Spanish identities. They may perform "La Bamba" in Spanish, play Spanish "Concentration", exercise while reciting numbers in Spanish, diagram and label the human body in Spanish as well as perform plays with Spanish narration. The course is designed for a person with no knowledge in Spanish.

The hope is this course will help bridge the language barrier and improve communications with our Spanish speaking neighbors on mission trips and in our local community. Reverend Deanna Young, Pastor of Spiritual Formation at Christ Church United Methodist, has a growing vision of ministering to the Spanish speaking community. "We have a growing Hispanic community and there is a growing need to be able to minister to the community as a whole. It is a matter of being hospitable and being able to interact and communicate with all members of our community," says Rev. Young.

The course is open to anyone in the community with limited class size. The course runs from July 11 - August 29 and will meet every Sunday from 12:30 - 4:30 p.m. Lunch will be provided to all participants. Child care will also be available for an additional fee. Cost for the 8 week course will be $75 for church members and $100 for non-members. Registration will be open on June 1 to church members and mid June for the community.

Watch the Christ Church Web site for updates and registration information. Christ Church United Methodist is located at 6363 Research Forest Drive in The Woodlands next door to The Woodlands High School.