New Intensive Eight-Week Spanish Class at CAC
By Mark Ebert, Academic Advisor
Central Arizona College will begin offering intensive 8-week Spanish classes in spring 2022. The college’s beginning Spanish class (SPA 101), which normally runs 16 weeks, will be taught in only eight weeks, from January 18 to March 10, 2022. Students will then have the option to move immediately into the second class (SPA 102), which will run from March 14 to May 12, 2022.
Karen Hindhede, Literary Arts and Languages Division Chair explains, “We implemented this intensive format as a response to the heavy fall 2021 enrollment in Spanish classes.”
CAC will continue to waive in-state tuition for the spring 2022 semester for Pinal County residents. Additionally, out of county residents are eligible for six free credits this spring. The college has seen an overwhelming community response to these incentives, and Spanish class enrollment has reached a six-year high.
“Many people have always wanted to learn Spanish, and the free tuition has been just the motivation for them to register,” Hindhede said. “We expect the demand for Spanish to continue in the spring. The intensive format enables more students to be eligible to begin second-year Spanish in fall 2022 and move closer to fluency.”
The intensive Spanish classes will be offered online, a format which the division initiated in 2017. Pronunciation is checked using periodic synchronous online meetings with the instructor. Intensive classes are ideal for beginners, as well as those who need refreshment perhaps from high school classes previously completed.
Michael Owens, Spanish Faculty member explained, “After four semesters of Spanish at CAC, a student can expect to be able to handle successfully a variety of communicative tasks in straightforward social situations as well as converse and respond to a variety of topics. The speaker can participate and manage predictable and concrete exchanges necessary for survival in Spanish-speaking cultures such as personal information related to self, family, home, daily activities, interests and personal preferences, as well as physical and social needs (food, shopping, travel, and lodging). Speakers are also capable of asking a variety of questions when necessary to obtain simple information to satisfy basic needs, such as directions, prices, and services.” He added, “Speakers can also narrate events using a variety of tenses (past, present and future) and comment on such events. Beyond survival in the Spanish-speaking culture the student will be able to discuss and inquire about topics such as technology, the work force, city life, more complex family structures, natural resources, politics and hypothesize about the future.”
Spring registration will begin October 11, 2021. To enroll or register for classes visit www.centralaz.edu.
