Home > Our services to... > Students > General Characteristics
Students: General Characteristics
Where the courses take place
Courses will take place in the exceptional town of Comillas, in Cantabria, in the north of Spain. Here you will learn the original Spanish language, whilst enjoying your stay in a privileged tourist resort.
Most of the Foundation’s activities will take place in the classrooms located in the spectacular Seminary building, which is the Foundation’s main headquarters. Other buildings of great historical and artistic value will also be used by the Foundation.
Teaching Methodology
There is a highly participative and dynamic approach to the courses so as to enable you to express yourself in Spanish as fast as possible. As well as learning how to communicate in Spanish, you will also discover cultural aspects concerning both Spain and Latin America.
Teaching Staff
The teaching staff at the Fundación Comillas is made up of PhD, MA and BA degree graduates, who are all experts in the area of Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language (ELE:Español como Lengua Extranjera). The Foundation also has experts in Social Sciences, History, Architecture, Literature and Art, as well as other specialized fields, and all with experience in language teaching.
Number of students per class
The number of students per group in courses run by the Foundation is an average of 6 and a maximum of 15.
One-to-one classes offer a flexible and attractive course format for an in-depth study of those topics that interest you the most.
Levels available
General Courses in Spanish Language and Hispanic Studies offered by the Fundación Comillas cover six teaching levels, organized according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages and the Cervantes Institute Curriculum Plan. Each level may be divided into two sublevels to adapt to the real level of the students.
The following are the different existing levels:
- A1 (BREAKTHROUGH)
- A2 (WAYSTAGE)
- B1 (THRESHOLD)
- B2 (VANTAGE)
- C1 (EFFECTIVE OPERATIONAL PROFICIENCY)
- C2 (MASTERY)
General Types of Courses
The General Courses in Spanish Language may vary in length. The format of a complete course contains 40 teaching sessions*.
| TYPE | Nº SESSIONS/WEEK | LENGTH** |
|---|---|---|
| Express | 40 | 1 week |
| Intensive | 20 | 2 weeks |
| Standard | 10 | 4 weeks |
| Intensive + | 20 + 5 *** | 4 weeks |
| Standard + | 10 + 5 *** | 2 weeks |
* For students wishing to do so, they may take the complete programme (160 teaching sessions) in order to reach the next level (e.g. from A1 to A2).
** The minimum length of any course is one week.
***
A1 - A2 - B1 + 5 sessions of conversation
B2 -C1 - C2 + 5 sessions of cultural studies
Immersion
As well as appreciating the high academic level of the course, you also have the possibility of staying with a local family that has been previously chosen by the Foundation with great care and attention. In this way, you will experience total immersion in the language and local culture.
