Decent qualification in Spanish

[KS10]

Hi!

Need some advice and was hoping I could get it here.

I'm a qualified French teacher. I took some time out of teaching to be with the kids and since then have done some supply work and now am working as a TA.

I'm ready to go back but they're not ready for me

I've decided it's because I don't have a second language but it may well be that my last permanent job was 9 years ago or that I last taught French 4 years ago or as my line manager asked yesterday, "Have you seen your reference?" or that ... ok, there is a slight possibility that my application was, how shall I put it, rubbish!

Anyway, I want to learn Spanish and fast. I have the textbook Suenos (couldn't do accent) and associated materials and am helping a friend's DD with the basics in Spanish and study skills which helps me too, but I need a qualification.

All advice gratefully received.


Edited post as I have just noticed one of the forum rules.

[wiltsman]

or as my line manager asked yesterday, "Have you seen your reference?"

What does that mean ?

Anyway, I want to learn Spanish and fast.

If you already know French it should be straightforward. I started learning Spanish a little while ago, and I can already read a fair amount without problem due to the cognates and grammatical similarity to French (future, conditional look similar, similar use of subjunctive (AFAICS) etc) and English (similar use of imperfect, there's a progressive present, lots of cognates, etc)

I would suggest getting a few dual language books (French-Spanish if you want to pick up on all the similarities there) and read them, then start reading simple Spanish books with a good dictionary. After you've achieved a decent level of reading (I'd guess 6 months - 1 year) spend time with a Spanish native to come up to speed orally.

but I need a qualification.

Given that I guess you don't want to get another degree, I would suggest trying to get a CEF certificate from some body that gives them out. If you're going to teach you'll probably need something fairly demanding though, like C1 (more info on CEF: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Eur ... _Languages)

[ourmaminhavana]

My husband swears by http://www.michelthomas.co.uk/default.htm,
although a year in El Salvador did it for me. 'Tis a bit drastic though

[KS10]

or as my line manager asked yesterday, "Have you seen your reference?"

What does that mean ?[/quote]


We've had quite a few people leave recently and she's always joking about ways to prevent people from leaving. Think I used the wrong emoticon.

Thanks ourmaninhavana and wiltsman. I'd almost given up hope of getting any responses.