Letra Hispánica
School of Spanish language and hispanic cultures.

Letra Hispánica is committed to:

• Providing high quality undergraduate programs in Spanish language and cultures.
• Providing excellence in teaching and learning, striving for continual improvement and responding to changes in our current world.
• Creating a safe and humane envir
• Ensuring that students develop problem solving abilities and skills, critical and creative thinking abilities, effective communication skills, and global awareness.
• Ensuring that students may explore their capabilities and interests and may develop their full intellectual and human potential.
• Opening the minds of students through different world perspectives and fostering understanding among different cultures through knowledge and cultural immersion.
• Promoting respect of ideas and rejoicing in discovery.
• Recognizing the value of such experiences in fostering global understanding and peaceful cooperation among nations in an increasingly interdependent and rapidly changing world.
• Enhancing intercultural engagement within Salamanca community and maintaining an active group of learners engaged in community service through volunteer projects.

Letra Hispánica Foreign Language Teaching Methodology

• In Letra Hispánica we integrate the Communicative methodology with the best aspects of other approaches.
• The Communicative Approach is based on the theory that language is acquired in a process whereby the information, which goes into our short memory storage, needs to be stimulated in order to be transferred into the long memory storage.
• In a communicative class the material is presented and practiced with creative, task-based learning activities. These communicative type activities stimulate a transference whereby the information goes from the short memory storage to the long memory storage.
• This approach ensures and encourages your active involvement in the learning process and puts greater emphasis on development of communicative, as opposed to merely linguistic, competence.
• You participate in discussions, role plays, problem solving exercises and small group activities. Small groups classes ensure extensive and individualized practice using Spanish. Our teachers encourage accuracy and language development through constructive feedback.
• We also pay great attention to reading and writing, in addition to listening and speaking, by exploring the significant differences between spoken and written languages.
• From The Natural Approach, which believes language acquisition can take place through constant exposure to real and natural language through communicative activities in a relaxed atmosphere, Letra Hispánica is specially interested in the insight it has provided about the importance of the psychological factors and attitudes of students in the process of learning.
• Our professors take into account the differences in learning styles of each student in order to incorporate diverse teaching techniques in the class and ensure that you are provided the opportunity to learn to the best of your ability. Therefore, your active participation is very much encouraged.
• Classes are lively and creative. You learn in a friendly atmosphere in class and also outside of class, talking to professors, collaborators and friends of Letra. The goal of extracurricular activities is to get you closely involved in real life situations, so that you can develop, at the same time, social interaction skills.
• Tertulias (gatherings in a coffee place to chat) and Intercambios (meeting Spanish students to exchange language practice) have this same purpose. Other cultural activities, such as the Cineforum or Humanities classes (i.e. Art, Civilization, History and Literature) will increase your knowledge and passion for Spanish culture.
• Finally, in our Voluntariado (Volunteer Program) if you choose to do so, you will be involved in projects which help some under-privileged sections of the community. This will also give you the opportunity to learn about Spanish society from a different point of view.

Academics and Credits

• Classes descriptions and Syllabi
• Length
• Levels
• Credits
• 2010 Calendar
• Weekly Schedule (Samples)
• Prices, Deadline and registration

Lodging facilities
Students stay with a host family carefully selected by experts.
Other lodging modalities: apartment, shared flat.

About Salamanca
Friendly Salamanca: With a population of 170,000, it's a safe and peaceful city. You can placidly travel through the city from edge to edge in 30 minutes. The people are open and friendly to travelers. From the words of Cervantes, who knew the city well, "Salamanca enchants the will because once you have experienced its placid character, you have to go back".

Close Salamanca: 200 km from Madrid and 100 km from Portugal. Near Salamanca you will find other important cultural sites, "Human Heritage cities" (Ávila, Cáceres, Segovia and Toledo) and also natural spots with incalculable value, like the region of the Arribes del Duero, and the Sierra de Francia.

Collegiate Salamanca: Salamanca, in the past called "the castilian Athens" and "the little Rome", has three universities with more than 40,000 students. The public university was founded in 1218. This tradition has been vividly maintained for you can find many libraries, theaters, cinemas and art exhibitions. Students have also many opportunities for leisure in the bars, cafes, pubs, discotheques, restaurants, gyms, and other sporting events.

Salamanca, by night: The city does not close at night because student activity is always alive. In the early hours of daylight one can continue the "movida" in bars and clubs, listening to "la tuna" on the terrace or tranquilly walking along the illuminated monuments.

Monumental Salamanca: Declared "Human Heritage City" by UNESCO,  Salamanca possesses a variety of historic buildings unique in the world.  The rock of Villamayor with its unmistakable hues, has given origin to the famous expression, "Salamanca, ciudad dorada."  Of special interest are the magnificent Plaza Mayor, the two cathedrals and innumerable convents, palaces, and churches.

Humanist Salamanca: From the "Cantigas de Alfonso X el Sabio", passing through the famous author of the first Spanish grammar, Nebrija and authors Fray Luis de León, Fernando de Rojas, Garcilaso, the anonymous author of Lazarillo, Góngora, Espronceda, to Unamuno, Carmen Martín Gaite and Torrente Ballester, among many others, Salamanca has always been closely related to Spanish language, philosophy and literature.

Salamanca, center of culture: Declared "European Capital of Culture for the year 2002", today Salamanca is experiencing a great flourishing of activities and cultural artistic offerings in a renovated and cosmopolitan atmosphere.

Letra Hispánica

Letra Hispánica is an Institute of Spanish language and culture located in the well-known street "calle Libreros" in the very centre of Salamanca, near the famous site of the Old University. Our teaching philosophy is based on the old motto "enseñar deleitando" ("to teach so that learning is enjoyable"). We want each student to acquire not only a theoretical but also a practical knowledge.

We base our excellence in the effectiveness of our teaching methodology and in our students' success. Dedication and enthusiasm are our principles. Classes in Letra Hispánica are taught by native Spanish professors with University degrees, Master's, PhD's, and many years of experience in teaching foreigners.