Basic Company Information:
Company Legal and Operating Name:
Think in Spanish @ Hola Amigos! Inc
Company Contact Information:
Diosdado Corrales
Phone: (305) 553-7299
Cell: (305) 431-4534
Company Email: diosdadocorrales@thinkinspanish.com
thinkinspanish@aol.com
Website URL: http://www.thinkinspanish.com
Primary Business Activity: Services
Company Description
Our company helps everyone who is really interested in learning Spanish as a second language to get the language skills based on the communicative approach, to develop and consolidate the most frequent structures of Spanish language, to introduce students to Spanish and Latin American culture providing the practice of oral, listening, comprehension and writing skills that make them to apply by themselves the communication skills with confidence.
We offer translation services, Spanish classes and tutorial not only for people who learn Spanish as a second language, but also for native Spanish speakers born in North America, who are interested in improving their mother tongue, including computer skills (Word processor) grammar, spelling and proofreading.
Our Courses
Teaching Spanish as a second language - Teaching Spanish as a second language using "communicative" approach not only face to face, but also through internet.
Providing Credit Spanish courses for non-native teachers of Spanish - Teaching credit Spanish courses approved by Ontario College of Teachers for Professional Learning Program (from March 26, 2003 until March 26, 2006)
Tutorials for University students - Providing tutorials to people who are learning Spanish in University courses (face to face and through internet)
Spanish Proofreading - Providing Spanish proofreading and spelling for publishing purpose and other kind of documentation.
Courses and tutorials for Spanish speakers - Providing courses and tutorials for native Spanish speakers born in North America, which include Spanish grammar, spelling, proofreading, literature and Hispanic culture.
Courses and tutorials for children (Spanish speakers and Non-native) - Providing courses and tutorials for native Spanish speaking children (and non-native kids who take Spanish as a second language in primary school) born in North America, which include Spanish grammar, spelling, proofreading, computer skills (Word processor), literature and Hispanic culture.
Training native Spanish speakers for teaching profession - Providing training for native Spanish speakers interested in teaching Spanish with the methods and skills in the teaching of Spanish as second language, and in the teaching of Spanish as native language for people born in North America (face to face and through internet)
Translating from English/Russian/French into Spanish and vice versa - All kind of translations from English and/or Russian and/or French into Spanish and vice versa (In house and trough internet)
MY STUDENTS' OPINIONS
"I am a university teacher (York University in Toronto, Canada) and I am a past winner of the prestigious Ontario Confederation of University Teachers award for excellence in teaching. In the year I was awarded, I was one of seven University teachers across the province who was so recognized. I say this only to establish my credentials as someone who knows something about good teaching.
Although my position as faculty member allows me to take university level Spanish on campus for no fee, I chose to take beginning and intermediate Spanish from Diosdado. I did this after sitting in one of the University Spanish classes, and one of Diosdado's. It was a good decision.
The best teachers - in any subject - engage the students and excite their interest in the subject matter, inspire them to work and help them to learn. Diosdado Corrales is this type of teacher. His knowledge and enthusiam are equalled by his flexibility as a teacher. Every class is planned for content, but within that plan, takes its own direction. It is impossible to sit in one of his classes in a state of desinterest or inattention. It is impossible to go away without having learned something, without having spoken at least a few words of Spanish, without feeling hopeful that one can learn the language. He accomodates all learning styles, from massive note takers to people who just come and talk. He manages to involve everyone without embarrassing anyone.
The energy he brings to teach class is remarkable. He manages to individualize instruction although the classes may involve a dozen people. His organization of the courses is superb, and the way he creates a different homework assignment to reflect each different class is excellent. He uses fax and email communication more effectively and any colleague I can think of at my own college. I think he should be teaching in a Toronto area university, and hope someday he will be doing that.
Did I learn anything? I'm now living in Costa Rica. I get along very well in Spanish, and my Costa Rican friends tell me my Spanish is good, and so is my accent. I have learned some more Spanish in the six months I have been here, but I learned even more studing with Diosdado. Without the background he provided, I don't think I would have learned anything here."
Letty Anderson, Intermediate (letty2295@racsa.co.cr)
"Spanish classes with Diosdado are a pleasure. Classes are always lively and engaging. The material is varied, ranging from novellas, to plays and television series. Diosdado is receptive to questions, attentive to each and everyone's needs, and always positive."
Salima Fazal Karim, Advanced (salima@iname.com)
"Diosdado has established an excellent method for adquiring rapid fluency in Spanish. His classroom reminds me very much of the Spanish immersion I experienced in Central America. Teaching methods that focus simply on building vocabulary can leave the student communicating only at a rudimentary level in Spanish. Diosdado's approach is to give the student a comprehensive understanding of the language's gramatical structure. With a sophisticated gramatical template in place early on, the student is able to express complex ideas even while they are expanding their vocabulary".
Jacqueline Bent. Intermediate Level (jacqui_bent@yahoo.com)
"Every student who is fortunate enough to find Diosdado and attend his courses is blessed with the opportunity to learn Spanish in an open, friendly environment with one of the most enthusiastic language instructors in the world! No matter how exhausted he may be, Diosdado always shows his most lively self in the classroom and keeps each student alert by asking random questions and keeping the lesson topics interesting. I have never been more impressed by a language instructor and never felt more comfortable asking "silly" questions that are always embarrassing to ask. In the year and a half I have been taking lessons with Diosdado, I have never seen him without a smile on his face and admire his teaching abilities enormously!".
C. J. Lamb, Advanced (clamb@chass.utoronto.ca)
"Diosdado's use of the communicative teaching method really helped me to assimilate the Spanish I was learning. Following my classes with him I began to think in Spanish instead of just translating from English. He really made learning Spanish fun!"
Lane Buie, Advanced (elgranjack@hotmail.com)
"Over the years I have enrolled in various courses at different institutions (university and private organizations) and found that the time spent with Diosdado as my teacher far surpassed the quality and effectiveness of other courses. His enthusiasm, his materials and his personable methods of teaching (not to mention his patience) are superior. He is the next best thing to being in a Spanish speaking country itself!"
Lynette Thoman, Intermediate (jargon@idirect.com)
"My wife and I attended a number of Spanish language courses both in Toronto and Mexico. We found Diosdado's teaching methods, his concentration and enthusiasm superior to any of them. We greatly enjoy classes and are making good progress. We shall be happy to confirm it to anyone who whish to seek more information".
Alex Hacker, Advanced Level (alex.hacker@sympatico.ca)
"After a visit to Cuba, my interest in Spanish (in which I had been fairly fluent but not used for 25 years) was rekindled. I enrolled in Diosdado's course and found his methods excellent, the classroom environment friendly and vibrant, with everyone involved and alert. Diosdado has enormous patience and enthusiasm for teaching, which give all his students equal opportunity for rapid learning. His classes are always fun and the topics always varied. His capacity for inspiration and communication is enormous".
Jean Crankshaw, Intermediate Level (jeannie@netaccess.on.ca)
"I think the challange in any class - and I've taken quite a few in my years - is to balance the need to get the students speaking and participating without intimidating or embarrassing them. I think Diosdado did a fabulous job of meeting that challange. The ultimate test of this is whether any of the weaker students leave before the session is over, and I don't recall any of them doing so. Diosdado's energy level and sense of humour kept all of us involved and participating through the sessions".
Ken McEvoy, Begginer 2 (kenm@benetech.com)
"Diosdado's interactive method of teaching makes learning Spanish fun and easy. He is always alert to his students needs, has the ability to sense when a student is experiencing difficulty, and will go out of his way to ensure the student understands. To the student's advantage, Diosdado will customize courses for the student's interest. I tip my hat to Diosdado and say thank you for everything. Gracias por todo!!!".
Ed Pridham, Intermediate Level (ed@thedocks.com)
"It is with pride and pleasure that I am able to offer my comments on the teaching ability of Diosdado Corrales. Hopefully, this letter, coupled with other letters and messages from present and former students will indeed do Mr. Corrales justice. It seems scarcely neccesary for me to embellish this letter, for his teaching methods speak quite eloquently for themselves. However, a few comments may be necessary to provide a fully equipped understanding of the unique way by which Mr. Corrales teaches Spanish.
It is very evident that Mr. Corrales tends to thoroughness and completeness in his classes. His love for the language and his dedication to teaching it to others in a friendly, warm and fun way have made his courses rank among the top I have ever taken. To make his students feel at ease, he enjoys telling the occasional joke to which he adds much emphasis through his gestures and his overall love for his students. By and large his students, past and present, like and appreciate this approach.
He is knowledgeable and very enthusiastic about this subject, and he conveys both qualities to his students. Everyone I have met who takes a course with Mr. Corrales is more than willing to recommend it to others. This indicates a high level of satisfaction by itself.
Another point about Mr. Corrales is especially worth emphasizing. He is widely regarded as approachable and helpful, more than willing to go the second and third mile in assisting students. Teaching does not stop in the classroom; for a good many students it continues far beyond. His homework is derived from conversations had in class, giving his students both a feeling of involvement and a better understanding of what his objectives are. Simply put, he teaches in such a way that his students respect and admire the beauty of the language. And admire the language and the teacher we do".
Cameron Couch, Beginner 2 (cam_canada@hotmail.com)
"I participated in Diosdado's course from April to May '99. Most of his handouts were very useful and still I will refer to them from time to time. I recognize that people will ask questions to obtain answers; however, I found that too much questioning and recounting of stories was a bit overwhelming for me. Perhaps, the class that I was in, had more experienced language students. This beginner class seemed much more than that. Anyways, I would preferred some handouts with hand drawn pictures and anable the class participants to make up a story/or stories about the people/objects in the pictures based on the previous lessons.
I also would prefer no table in the room; thereby encouraging class participants to really talk to one another. Discussions about where to go in Toronto and how to get there; how to prepare a meal; preparing for vacation; a day at work; preparing for a party; going out to dinner; making purchases... might have been interesting topics to play with. Sometimes the homework was too much.
In saying all this, I am glad that I took Diosdado's class, which gave me agood basis for furthering my knowledge of the spanish language. Diosdado is a good and challenging instructor and certainly will not be forgotten.
Jennifer Haughton, Beginner 1 (jennifer@sidefx.com)
"I have studied Spanish with quite a few different teachers, and Diosdado is my all-time favourite. His enthusiasm for language, for teaching, for his students and for life is phenomenal and contageous. He is patient to a fault, supportive, and fun. I have no idea how he manages to get us to enjoy grammatical excercises, but he does -- week after week. By the end of my first class, I dropped my criteria to find a teacher with the same accent as that of my ancestors -- Diosdado was obviously a teacher too good to miss!".
Consuelo Castillo, Advanced (Consuelo_Castillo@manulife.com)
"Diosdado is adaptive, creative and endlessly flexible in respecting the students' needs and uniqueness. He is a born teacher with years and years of linguistic understanding and professional aptitude. I learned the grammar instantly and after a few classes with Diosdado, I was speaking confidently. Diosdado makes the language come alive. Now I am reading Spanish literature and learning the culture. I can relate stories, express thoughts and communicate my opinions with confidence in the language. Sometimes native Spanish-speaking people ask me how I learned to speak their language. I consider that a compliment, thanks to the efficiency of my professor's teaching style. Learning Spanish is my best hobby because I enjoy every single class, even if I don't do my homework".
Celeste Reinhart, Advanced (celeste.reinhart@sympatico.ca)
"I have always wanted to learn Spanish and finally made the effort to fulfill this goal by taking Spanish lessons with Diosdado at the beginning of this year. He has put together his own materials and is an expert at applying these materials in his teaching methods. There is no doubt that Diosdado is an excellent teacher, but what separates him from most others is his genuine interest in the success of his students."
Josh Gerstein, Begginer 1 (joshua.gerstein@utoronto.ca)
"Diosdado is an outstanding teacher whose love for teaching is readily apparent and whose enthusiasm at seeing his pupils learn is genuine. His communicative approach is innovative and highly effective. Diosdado is a true professional: hard working, organized, intelligent and learned."
Brenda Yates, Advanced (brenda.yates@sympatico.ca)
"I studied in a lot of schools in Spain and Mexico also in Toronto. I had a couple of good teachers but I must confess that Diosdado is an excellent one.
I was interested in the difference of usage about the words that use in South American countries and Spain. He explained it to us.
He has everything I needed. I never felt that I was boring in his class.
You should try!".
Tomoko Suzuki, Advanced (tmkszk@hotmail.com)
"I have studied spanish at the university level as well as at the college level and I have never learned or improved as much as I have with Diosdado Corrales. His teaching methods are unparalleled and he has opened many doors for me into the world of Spanish culture. One of the things that I found most useful about his classes was the fact that not only was "textbook" Spanish taught but also I learned a great deal of Spanish expressions which continue to assist me today. Books, videos, emails are just a few of the tools he uses to teach so you are constantly being challenged from a variety of sources. I would definitely recommend Diosdado Corrales to anyone who is serious about learning Spanish".
Davin Ewart, Intermediate-Advanced (bfs45@hotmail.com)
SOME EVALUATIONS FROM CANADA-MEXICO CULTURAL EXCHANGE'S STUDENTS
"Diosdado has a gift for teaching... He is very clear, patient and understanding... very pleasant manner too...".
"Diosdado is excellent at involving everyone in the class."
"Diosdado is a fabulous instructor who fully utilizes the communicative approach. He engages each and every student in the room and the two hours fly by. We are all learning a lot and feel very comfortable".
"...Diosdado is always interested in learning of his students, great expereience... (C.K.)"
"...very dynamic, excellent teacher!!!... good pace, good participation..."
"Courses with Diosdado are very enjoyable, the exercises are not tedious and repetitious..."
"I have enjoyed Diosdado's course. I find it fast moving + informative. The progression of the information seems logical and the manner of instruction is humorous + enjoyable. (K.C.)"
CONTACT THEM
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