How often do your Daytime Express Language Courses meet?

The classes meet once a week, for 60 minutes per lesson. Students will receive a total of 10 hours of language instruction over 10 weeks.

Where are the classes held?

Classes meet in a lovely parlor room in our beautiful bookstore near Union Square. (Not in a stuffy classroom with fluorescent lighting!)

Are the teachers native speakers? What kind of teaching experience do they have?

Yes, all our teachers are native speakers. Our Italian teacher is from Rome, our French teacher is from Paris, and our Spanish teacher is from Colombia, whose speakers are considered to have the clearest, most neutral accent in Latin America. We believe that a native speaker of a language is the best person to answer questions about colloquial usage and the culture, and to model correct pronunciation.

In terms of experience, all our teachers have taught for several years in New York, both at renowned language schools (including Berlitz, The Rennert School, and Parliamo Italiano) and privately. As a result, they are familiar with the typical strengths and weaknesses of Americans studying a Romance language.

How do the classes work?

Our teachers use a communicative method that emphasizes conversation and interaction. As a travel bookstore, we find that most of our clients are interested in practical usage — to be able to make conversation, order in a restaurant, and speak and understand with confidence while traveling — and not just to learn to say “The cat is on the table” (although you’ll learn that too!)

Our classes include a combination of teacher presentation and student practice and participation. Each week, the teacher will present and review a grammar or thematic topic, linking the lesson to real-life situations wherever possible. After the material is presented, the students may practice speaking in pairs or groups, followed by a review with the entire class.

In the first lesson of the Beginner Spanish class, for example, students learn the present tense of the verbs ser (to be) and vivir (to live) and some basic vocabulary by introducing themselves to the group (“Soy Clara. Soy abogada. Vivo en Brooklyn.”) After the students introduce themselves to the group in this way, they break into pairs and describe themselves to their partners using the words and concepts they have just learned. Then, they present their partner to the group. (“Clara es abogada. Vive en Brooklyn en un edificio grande.”) By the end of the lesson, they have acquired new vocabulary and have learned, among other things, how to describe themselves and to conjugate two new verbs in the first and third person.

What kind of materials are used? Is there homework?

Our classes follow a textbook, and each class usually corresponds to one chapter in the book. Students are advised to review the material on their own between classes for at least one hour per week.

The same textbook is used for all levels of our classes (we use the Ultimate Language series, which contains 40 chapters). We offer free copies of the materials needed for the 8-week course to our students, but we also offer the entire book for sale in our store ($16.99 with your 20% student discount) for students who may want to pursue further study on their own.

How do I know which level is right for me?

Our beginner classes are for absolute beginners or for people who know a bit of the language but who studied it a very long time ago or just want to start again from scratch to make sure they don’t have any gaps. Our classes move pretty quickly and, unlike many language classes people took in school, really focus on speaking and understanding so even people who have some familiarity with a language get a lot out of our beginner classes and are not bored.

Our advanced beginner classes are for people who have studied more recently, either with us or in a similar course. More advanced grammar is presented and the classes incorporate more speaking practice. Before the end of the course, each student is expected to give a short, two-minute presentation on a topic of their choice and to answer questions about it from the group. (Sounds scary but you can do it! It’s fun!)

For more detailed course descriptions, click on one of these links: Italian | French | Spanish

I just purchased a voucher from Living Social. What are the terms and how can I redeem it?

Your voucher is good for any 10-hour Daytime Express Language Course in French, Italian or Spanish for Winter 2012, or Spring 2012. You may purchase multiple vouchers as gifts but only one voucher can be used per person.

To redeem your voucher, you must first reserve a space in one of our classes. Currently we are accepting reservations for winter courses. (Click here for schedule.)

If you want to reserve a space, send an email with your name, preferred class time, and Living Social voucher number to language@idlewildbooks.com. We will reserve spaces on a first-come, first-served basis and will confirm your reservation within 24 hours.