For many people the best way to learn is in a live interactive class, but it doesn’t suit everyone for various reasons. We can now offer you an excellent alternative…
Convenience. We have busy lives and can’t always fit everything in, so why not save on the travelling time to get to class by studying in the convenience of your own home. If you don’t live near the west of Sheffield, then this could be a big factor.
Student comment: “I have been looking at your supported self-study offer and really like the sound of it. I live in Hope, so getting in and out of Sheffield of an evening on public transport isn’t that easy but your course sounds just what I am looking for.”
Flexibility. We learn at different rates and have capacity for different periods of study time. A full hour class that goes at the pace of the average person in the class may not be right for all students. With self-study, you can pause the class and come back to it when you’re fresh. You can even slow down the class video if you’re finding it too fast, or speed it up for an extra challenge.
Sometimes life events get in the way, but you still want to carry on: “I’m absolutely loving the course but had to slow down a little bit with the pace because of my work.”
Study all year. Spanish with Victoria’s live classes aim to be accessible to a wide group of people by concentrating lessons during British school term-time and avoiding holiday periods. If you’re not constrained by these (we don’t all have school-age children!) then self-study can enable you to study all year round, and to start the course at a time to suit you, not restricted to September, January and April starts.
Lower cost. Self-study benefits from lower prices. We admit there is a benefit for many people from attending real live classes if they are are convenient to you, and there’s a price premium to match that experience. It follows that you should pay a lower price to from studying at home. But our aim to make this experience as true as possible to the experience of being in a live class. See below for everything you will get…
Lots of options to suit your learning style and lifestyle
For each of the 10 classes you will have each of the following:
The lesson notes in PDF format. Easy to download on any device, and to print if that’s helpful to you. Use these notes on their own, or in combination with the video, audio, and/or white board vocabulary.
Video. This is a full recording of a live lesson. Ideal for interacting and practicing speaking as if you were in the class. You can speed up or slow down the playback if the pace is not quite right for you. Add subtitles if they’re helpful for you. Stop the video and come back to it later if you need a break. Use the video in combination with the class notes and the copy of the whiteboard (see below).
Here’s a great example with a class of beginners after just 20 lessons…
Audio. Sometimes you may want to learn when you’re on the move (for example walking or driving, or flying to Spain!), or late at night and you don’t want to look at a screen. The audio of the class is ideal for this. It’s also a much smaller download, again good if relying on data on your phone. It’s also a stronger test of your listening comprehension as there’s no assistance from lip reading or the sign/body language that Victoria often uses, so maybe give the audio a try after using the video and other materials.
Vocabulary. New vocabulary that is introduced in each lesson is written on the white board. From here you can make your own lists of words that are new to you if you find lists helpful!
Example… (click image to enlarge)
HOMEWORK (Deberes)
HOMEWORK
Usually you’ll find some optional homework at the bottom of the lesson page. Choose the “with marked homework” option to get some feedback.
Listening exercise. Sometimes there are extra chances to practice your listening skills with material that there wasn’t time for in the lesson.
