Speaking-Spanish Workshops

"The personalized, individual instruction is ideal a perfect job of involving the student in creating his/her own program and adapting materials and instructions to his/her actual needs so profitably." --From a former CIRIMEX student

SPEAKING SPANISH is a two-week U.S. diocesan-level program for non-Spanish speaking prelates, pastors, presiders, homilists and deacons and perhaps others who read liturgies and other rites in Spanish.

Do you recall trying to understand a non-English speaker trying to speak to you in English? What interfered with your understanding? Mispronounced vowels and consonants? Misplaced accents? Misleading word sequences? Confused phrasing? Cadence? All of the above? This is the experience of millions of Spanish speakers attending Spanish language liturgies.

Speaking Spanish workshops do not attempt to teach the Spanish language in two weeks, rather they are designed to teach one how to sound like a Spanish speaker while reading or speaking Spanish. You will learn how to activate the Spanish-speaking muscles, how to pronounce Spanish vowels and consonants, where to place the accents, how to articulate so as to be fully understood by listeners who speak only Spanish. All programs are conducted in English September through May at dates and U.S. venues selected by the participants. Group size is limited to five persons. One-on-one lesson time is divided evenly among participants. The price is $1,500 per group. There is a group registration fee of $50 plus travel expenses and room and board for an experienced native Spanish-speaking linguist/instructor. When a scheduled workshop immediately precedes or follows another scheduled workshop, the travel costs for the instructor are shared by the two. Please inquire and/or apply at the Iowa business office.