SpanishNet College of Boynton Beach, FL and the Deaver Foundation have announced a cooperative agreement to offer grants for Spanish language courses to US teachers and other school employees, as well as for nurses and related healthcare providers, to help those who need to communicate with the growing Hispanic population about crucial subjects such as education and health.
As a first step, SpanishNet College has already initiated a pilot program for a group of teachers in Forsyth County, NC that was positively reviewed by its students. Because the course is online, students were able to study regardless of time and place.
SpanishNet College has conducted classes online for the past 10 years and has developed methods of course delivery that satisfy training needs in areas such as: required weekly participation; concentrated study; Web-based research for the most current information on the subject; regular interaction with the professor and nationwide classmates in a small online classroom setting; and evaluation of knowledge acquisition.
Asynchronous study allows students in different time zones to interact with their professors and fellow students when convenient. For the special course covered by the Deaver Foundation grants, 16 hours of "virtual classroom" time were planned per course, when students all log in simultaneously and class is conducted using text, live audio and, where possible, video streaming. Students receive one-on-one attention through the course.
The school offers a regular program of courses targeted to healthcare providers who need to communicate to patients in Spanish. The variety of medical and hospital subjects and ample list of healthcare terms allows basic communication and understanding, and aims to strengthen the student's knowledge of the language. The comprehensive course is now offered in two 8-week consecutive periods to provide enough information and vocabulary to allow a more comfortable and effective professional environment when dealing with Spanish-speaking individuals.
Basic, general courses and advanced classes for more experienced Spanish speakers are also available. The first special course started in October 2005, with three, 2-month course segments, and will conclude in April 2006. The grants provided by the Deaver Foundation for this first special course require students to pay as little as $225 for 6 months of Spanish classes.
For more information, please contact Elba Fernandez at 561-738- 6061 or e-mail [email protected].