Tag Archive for: Spanish classes in San Diego

Student advancement – Sean to B3!

My name is:
Sean

My new level is:
B3

Approximately how much time do you dedicate to working on your Spanish outside of class?
3-5 horas

On average, how many times per week do you take classes @ Pura Buena Onda?
1 – 2 classes a la semana

What role has Pura Buena Onda played in helping you improve your Spanish & advance to the next level?
“PBO ha sido absolutamente fundamental  para mejorar mi español. Me da la oportunidad practicar hablando con otros hispanohablantes y la motivación continuar aprendiendo para que yo pueda expresarme mejor cada clase. No podría haberlo hecho sin la ayuda de PBO.
PBO has been absolutely fundamental en improving my spanish. It gives me the opportunity to practice speaking with other spanish speakers and the motivation to keep learning so that I can express myself better every class. I could not have done it with PBO’s help. ”

What are some of your favorite resources?
“Me encanta Twitter porque puedo encontrar un montón de hispanohablantes y leer muchos hilos en español. También sigo a noticieros en Twitter para mantenerme al día de las noticias en español. Llevo escuchando el podcast Conclusiones (de CNN) recietemente. Aún quiero mirar mas programas y leer más libros en español.
I love Twitter because i can find a bunch of spanish speakers and read many threads in spanish. I also follow the news on twitter to help keep myself up to date on spanish news. I’ve been listening to the podcast Conclusiones (by CNN). I still want to watch more shows and read more books in spanish.”

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?
“Todo el mundo debería aprender otros idiomas, especialmente la gente en los estados unidos, en que mucha gente sólo habla su lengua nativa.
Everybody should learn other languages, especially people in the United States, where many people only speak their first language.”

¡Gracias Sean!

¡Felicidades a Sean por avanzar al nivel B3! ¡Bien hecho! We are so happy to have you in our online Spanish classes!

Student Advancement – Penny to C1!

My name is:

Penny
My new level is:
C1
Approximately how much time do you dedicate to working on your Spanish outside of class?
I try to practice or listen to some Spanish every day, but the bulk of it is on Sundays when I lead our Spanish-language worship service and preach every other week.
On average, how many times per week do you take classes @ Pura Buena Onda?
Once
What role has Pura Buena Onda played in helping you improve your Spanish & advance to the next level?
PBO has been everything! Having the weekly class and the homework keeps me moving forward.
What are some of your favorite resources?
I enjoy the daily Facebook question, even if I don’t always write a response. Adri is an incredibly gifted and creative teacher, and the conversations in her class are very enriching. I listen to the Hoy Hablamos podcast regularly and watch occasional TV shows and TED talks.
Is there anything else you would like to share with us?
I remember my first classes very clearly from 4 1/2 years ago: I was almost a total beginner and I was really scared to actually speak Spanish. Susana was my first teacher and she was very kind and patient. I am thrilled to have reached the advanced level. PBO offers exactly the kind of encouragement that adult learners need.

Thank you Penny!

¡Felicidades a Penny por avanzar al nivel C1! ¡Bien hecho! We are so happy to have you in our online Spanish classes!

Student Level advancement – Paula to A2!

My name is:

Paula 

My new level is:

A2

Approximately how much time do you dedicate to working on your Spanish outside of class?

I work about 30 minutes per day on homework and I try to think in Spanish as much as possible throughout the day.

On average, how many times per week do you take classes @ Pura Buena Onda?

I take classes once a week but more often would be better.

What role has Pura Buena Onda played in helping you improve your Spanish & advance to the next level?

I’ve spent many years learning grammar in a classroom setting and i knew that i needed more practice speaking. The teachers at PBO are amazing, they work together so well and provide feedback, and have helped me with my confidence to speak. So happy that my Spanish speaking ability is improving.

What are some of your favorite resources?

For fun I follow PBO on Instagram and now the blog, but mostly the teachers and fellow students are my favorite resources.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

Congrats on 13 years!! So glad i found you when I did!

 

Thank you Paula!

¡Felicidades a Paula por avanzar al nivel A2! ¡Bien hecho! We are so happy to have you in our online Spanish classes!

Student Level Advancement – Quan to A2!

My name is:

Quan 

My new level is:

A2

Approximately how much time do you dedicate to working on your Spanish outside of class?

0

On average, how many times per week do you take classes @ Pura Buena Onda?

1

What role has Pura Buena Onda played in helping you improve your Spanish & advance to the next level?

Listening and responding to questions.

What are some of your favorite resources?

wordreference, google translate

 

Thank you Quan!

¡Felicidades a Quan por avanzar al nivel A2! ¡Bien hecho! We are so happy to have you in our online Spanish classes!

Student Advancement – Jenna to B1!

My name is:

Jenna
My new level is:
B1
Approximately how much time do you dedicate to working on your Spanish outside of class?
30 minutes to one hour daily
On average, how many times per week do you take classes @ Pura Buena Onda?
One
What role has Pura Buena Onda played in helping you improve your Spanish & advance to the next level?
PBO has helped me immensely! The classes have given me the confidence to speak more and to practice with my Spanish-speaking friends. All the teachers are so helpful and supportive.
What are some of your favorite resources?
Quizlet, CoffeeBreak Spanish, Duolingo Podcasts, and I also use the verb workbooks
Is there anything else you would like to share with us?
Classes are so much fun and I have really enjoyed getting to know my classmates.

Thank you Jenna!

¡Felicidades a Jenna por avanzar al nivel B1! ¡Bien hecho! We are so happy to have you in our online Spanish classes!

Student Advancement – Missy to C1

My name is:

Missy 

My new level is:

C1

Approximately how much time do you dedicate to working on your Spanish outside of class?

10-15 hours per week

On average, how many times per week do you take classes @ Pura Buena Onda?

Recently 2

What role has Pura Buena Onda played in helping you improve your Spanish & advance to the next level?

PBO has played the most important role in my journey. From the beginning, they made it more comfortable to start speaking which was the hardest part and from then on, everyone has been patient and encouraging along the way and has offered multiple different types of opportunities to improve. The teachers are incredible and the community that Caro has built is the best part. I have an amazing group of friends to learn and practice with because of PBO. 

What are some of your favorite resources?

I’ve been into listening to a lot of podcasts lately, I started with News In Slow Spanish a few years ago but now try to listen to Buenos Días America most weekdays. I also love No Hay Tos, Platicando, and Hoy Hablamos and have made it a recent goal to listen to all available episodes of Radioambulante. Netflix has so many good shows in Spanish (my favorites include La Casa de Papel, Gran Hotel, Las Chicas del Cable, El Internado, there are many more). The McGraw Hill books are great if you are a nerd like me. 

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

PBO has changed my life and I can’t thank them enough. I would never have imagined 4-5 years ago that I could now have a coherent conversation with someone in Spanish and love the process so much! 

Thank you Missy!

¡Felicidades a Missy por avanzar al nivel B2! ¡Bien hecho! We are so happy to have you in our online Spanish classes!

Student Advancement – Sean to B2

My name is:

Sean

My new level is:

B2

Approximately how much time do you dedicate to working on your Spanish outside of class?

~6 hours a week

On average, how many times per week do you take classes @ Pura Buena Onda?

1

What role has Pura Buena Onda played in helping you improve your Spanish & advance to the next level?

PBO is the main reason I have improved at all since I started learning Spanish

What are some of your favorite resources?

es.thefreedictionary.com, spanishdict.com, Youtube, Twitter, BBC Mundo, Yahoo Noticias en Español, Netflix, Books, Podcasts, Music

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

Incorporating Spanish into many aspects of my life has really helped me out. Instead of just setting aside “study” time for Spanish, I make it a part of my routines, so that more things that I hear, watch, and read are in Spanish and keep me learning about the language. 

Thank you Sean!

¡Felicidades a Sean por avanzar al nivel B2! ¡Bien hecho! We are so happy to have you in our online Spanish classes!

Student Advancement – Margaret to A3

My name is:

Margaret 

My new level is:

A3

Approximately how much time do you dedicate to working on your Spanish outside of class?

one hour or more per day

On average, how many times per week do you take classes @ Pura Buena Onda?

1 group class but am thinking of adding a semi-private twice a month

What role has Pura Buena Onda played in helping you improve your Spanish & advance to the next level?

I have been working on moving beyond the present tense and tourist Spanish since last fall. When I first started, I realized that I could barely form even simple sentences even though I understood quite a bit more. My classes have allowed at least some things to become semi-automatic.

What are some of your favorite resources?

Duolingo Spanish Podcasts, Coffee Break Spanish, Notes in Spanish, Breaking Out of Beginner’s Spanish by Joseph Keenan, SpanishDict.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

It’s great to have a safe way to take classes during the pandemic.

Thank you Margaret!

¡Felicidades a Margaret por avanzar al nivel A3! ¡Bien hecho! We are so happy to have you in our online Spanish classes!

Student Advancement: Cassandra to A3

My name is:

Cassandra

My new level is:

A3

Approximately how much time do you dedicate to working on your Spanish outside of class?

30 minutes every day

On average, how many times per week do you take classes @ Pura Buena Onda?

1-2 times

What role has Pura Buena Onda played in helping you improve your Spanish & advance to the next level?

It’s everything!! Nothing better than conversation. I love how interactive the teachers are.

What are some of your favorite resources?

Babbel, books

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

Thank you for everything!

¡Felicidades a Cassandra por avanzar al nivel A3! ¡Bien hecho! We are so happy to have you in our online Spanish classes!

“La conversación del día” on Facebook

¡Hola a todo el mundo!

Did you know that every single day of the year Pura Buena Onda has an interactive question of the day? La conversación del día on Facebook is a fantastic way to practice your Spanish. Let’s look at five reasons why you may want to dedicate 5 minutes a day to this:

 

1 – Usually, students read and talk a lot in Spanish. Writing is another important skill, but we rarely practice it. With our question of the day, you can practice your Spanish writing skills.

FYI. There are 4 skills when it comes to learning a language: reading, speaking, writing and listening. Writing and speaking are what I call “active skills”. Those skills demand more from us. We need to use our brain and put sentences together. That’s why it’s good to write and speak in order to learn Spanish.

 

2 – You can do it every day or whenever you like. It’s not like a 60 or 90 minute class. You choose the time you want to spend with it. You can also choose the length of your text, or what you want to write.

 

3 – Writing is an active skill, but unlike speaking, you have more time; time to think how you put sentences together. You can look for words in the dictionary. You decide if you want an elaborated sentence or a simple one. It’s still an active skill, but not as demanding as speaking.

 

4 – A teacher will correct one or two mistakes on the following day. This will enable you to find mistakes that you often make. You’ll learn what you might need to work on in order to improve. Just make sure you answer la conversación del día on Facebook on the day it’s posted, if you want to be corrected.

 

5 – It’s a good way to make sure you’re practicing your Spanish even on the busiest day. You don’t need much time and you can do it on your phone. It’s easy and convenient, so you can turn it into a consistent habit.

 

Now that you know what you know, I hope that you will try to answer la conversación del día on our Facebook page. Let us know what you think about it :)

 

Have a good week and see you next time!

 

Octavi