Level 5: subjunctive, conditional and imperative

Level 5 has been extremely frustrating. Getting to the finish line of Spanish grammar comes at the expense of both comprehension and vocabulary building. I have taken all the other levels (passed those exams with very high marks) and did take two years of Spanish some years ago, so I am not new to the language. (I also have higher degrees in English and used to be a writing teacher; grammar is something I am very familiar with). However, I find this course completely overwhelming to the point of tears. Like, I literally laid down and wept after the first class because it was just too much. Learning all the forms of the subjunctive AND the conditional AND the imperative is JUST TOO MUCH for a 10-week class. Let us learn the present subjunctive over several weeks and THEN introduce the past subjunctive. Work on building vocabulary along the way (building vocabulary seems to stop at Level 3). That is more than enough for one level. Put the conditional and imperative in a separate class. It is impossible to learn all the irregular forms of the present subjunctive even in ONE week. We need more repetition at this level. I am just exhausted thinking about this class after writing this review. I am going to have to find another way to learn advanced Spanish grammar while also building vocabulary because I am certain after I finish this class that I will not have much to show for it.

Learning a lot.

I love the challenge of this level and the instructor's clear (and patient) explanations. I have tried to learn the subjunctive on my own before and have never made much progress, so this feels like a big leap to finally understanding the grammar and using it conversationally. I look forward to my classes with Berges every week.

I thoroughly enjoyed my class with Yuli Casallas. She is a truly kind and passionate instructor who takes the time to explain concepts in both English and Spanish, ensuring every student understands. Her interactive teaching style keeps the class engaged, and honestly time flies every session.

Have very much enjoyed this class. I feel that we have covered a lot of material in a short time period, which has been great. Maria is a great teacher, and I enjoy the structure of the class. Highly recommend.

At level 5 the subject matter gets fairly complex. I enjoy classes with Nelson, but some of the other teachers were not, in my opinion, doing the class in a progressive, organized way. It sometimes felt more like a discussion with students reading bulletpoints for the lesson. There weren't enough exercises (during class) in some cases. Classes also included students who probably were not ready for that level, which tended to slow things down. That said, I enjoyed Nelson's class, although not so much some of th eother teachers

Level 5 is moderately challenging. I like how varied the activities are, and how the tareas are really multifaceted exercises building on the lesson experience. The reminder to execute activities in writing, rather than on a computer, makes good pedagogical sense. The 90-minute duration of the online lessons is ideal: it gives all participants the opportunity to exercise and respond, and it allows the professor the time needed to cover all the material. Is there a level 6 I can sign up for? (I just can’t get enough!)

Too much material in one course. Way too much to remember at once.