CELEFENIX - Escuela de lenguas y hostal

OUR COURSES

With regard to Spanish teaching, we offer from absolutely basic courses up to the most advanced,we have one week programs where the student learns to survive in the Spanish-speaking world, enabling him to communicate in a elementary but effective form, up to longer where the student acquires the necessary fluency to communicate in a varied range of contexts.
In all our courses the students are placed in the courses according to their level, if they already have any knowledge of the language they are evaluated by a free level test, which allows us to determine the level in which the student is, so as to meet every student specific needs.
Our courses are divided in basic, intermediate and advanced levels, taking into account different aspects of the language, grammar, pronunciation, reading and text production, conversation, etc.

•Basic Level
This course can be completed in four weeks, though the period of time can vary according to individual skills and previous knowledge of the student. This level is the indicated one for touristic travel, with which the pupil will be able to take part in simple and predictable situations, giving information about himself and expressing short phrases about basic needs.He will also be capable of describing objects and persons, of expressing tastes and preferences and of expressing simple opinions.

•Intermediate
In this level the student develops oral and written expression, using newspapers and literary important works of Latin America. The students will be able to take part also in presentations on areas of interest and to develop, major fluency and become more confident in the use of the language. The vocabulary acquired in this stage will allow him to speak fluently in daily informal situations and also in formal situations of study and work.

•Advanced Level
In this level the student will be able to talk about hypothetical or imaginary situations from the past or the future through complex sentences, both in oral and written form. His writing as well as his oral expression will be near to that of a native speaker.
In relation to foreign languages teaching for residents in the zone, we offer courses for all ages, CELEFENIX is the place where everybody can learn languages.
The courses are taught by semesters, from March until July, and from August to December; in July and February there exists the possibility of realizing intensive courses that allow to skip an entire semester.
The English courses that go from basic to upper intermediate consist of four stages in eight semesters, always existing the possibility of advancing stages by means of intensive courses during July and February and this way fulfill the training in a shorter period of time. After these courses the student can have access to advanced courses in three semesters and this way sit for international exams; for instance First Certificate in English.
In the case of Portuguese the whole course consists of six stages, also existing the possibility of realizing them in less time through intensive courses between semesters. For the same payment, apart from the regular classes we also offer extra classes , taught every Friday where different aspects of the culture of the language can be learnt ;reinforcement classes if the student and / or teacher consider it necessary.
The student can also have access to different cultural events which take place in the centre, such as seminars, cultural workshops, inmersion programs , thematic parties, etc.


METHODOLOGY

The methodology of our courses is characterized by an eclectic approach with a strong emphasis on communication. Since the beginning of the courses our students are trained in the production and comprehension of language enabling them to communicate in a simple but effective way since the very beginning, and then cultural and linguistic contexts become more sophisticated allowing students to communicate more accurately. We see the oral and written language as a cultural tool that allows us to fulfil various functions and respond to different human needs, to achieve this it is absolutely imperative to create realistic situations that offer students the opportunity to use the language in a meaningful purposeful contexts.
The emphasis on communication does not keep us away from accuracy, something that was common during the heyday of Communicative Approaches in the 70´s.
As Canale and Swain state, communicative competence involves four areas of knowledge and skills that are promoted in all our courses, which include: a) the grammatical competence, b) sociolinguistics c) discursive d) strategic competence.
The Communicative Competence includes grammar and vocabulary knowledge of the rules of word formation, pronunciation, spelling and sentence formation.
Sociolinguistics empowers people to make the necessary changes to communicate with different people in different situations.
The discourse competence allows us to combine grammatical forms and meanings to shape an oral or written text appropriate to the context.
The strategic competence refers to the domain of communication strategies that we put into action to strengthen the effectiveness of the communication and compensate for any difficulties.
This focus on the development of language skills and communication encourages us to use different methods in comprehensive language training to avoid teaching isolated skills such as the Task Based Language, Content Based Training, thematic units, methodology of projects, among others.
All activities in our courses take into account our students needs, in what has to do with motivation, interests, preferences, learning styles, types of intelligence and so on. So every student can make the most of their abilities by using the strategies that best fit to their personality and learning style.
We make use of many and varied techniques so as the student becomes able to take real profit of the challenges which he has to face by using the language and communication skills acquired. These activities include role-playing, drama, literary workshops, stories of families,project work,among others.
The materials used are carefully designed and as authentic as possible.


PRICES

Spanish

• Intensive Courses One week - 3 Lessons Per day - 15 Lessons Per week U$ 150
• Superintensive Courses One week - 4 Lessons Per day - 20 Lessons Per week U$ 200
• Intensive Four weeks U$ 500
• Superintensive Courses Four weeks U$ 700

We also have significant discounts for groups.
The price includes class materials.
No tuition is charged for registration, you do not need to pay anything until you arrive at the school.
In addition to regular classes, this payment entitles the student to participate in cultural workshops taking place in our institution, such as workshops, regional gastronomy, crafts, literary workshops, film, music and so on.
Our students have free access to Internet as well as to our library and recreational activities in the centre.
To book you only need to communicate with us via e-mail to inform us about the course you want to take, just to make the necessary arrangements in relation to the type of course and accommodation.

English and Portuguese

• Children under 7 years lessons of 45 minutes - twice a week $U 550 per month (pesos uruguayos)
• Children 8 to 12 years Lessons of 1 hour - twice a week $U 750 per month (pesos uruguayos)
• Basic and intermediate courses for youth and adults Lessons of 1 hour and 15 minutes - twice a week $U 850 per month (pesos uruguayos)
• Advanced Lessons of 2 hours - twice a week $U 1250 per month (pesos uruguayos)

Spanish-Total price Installments

• Basic and intermediate courses $ 16.000 (8 semesters) 4 of U$ 4.000
• Advanced $ 9.600 (3 semesters) 3 cuotas de U$ 3.300

English and Portuguese Total price Installments

• Basic and intermediate courses $U 20400, discount 16.000 - (6 semesters) 4 of $U 4000
• Advanced $U 15.000 discount $12.000 - (3 semesters) 4 of $U 3000

WHY SPANISH?

Spanish is now the fourth most spoken language in the world after Chinese, English and Hindi, in that order, since a 5.7 per 100 of the world's population is Spanish-speaker.
Spanish, in turn, is the official language of 21 countries so learning it allows us access to their cultural heritage.
Demographically the Spanish represents one of the largest linguistic areas in the world: in addition to the Spanish territory within the European continent, most of the American continent speaks Spanish.
Spanish courses in the field of business, economics and tourism have doubled in the past 10 years in the world.
Approximately 330 million people speak Spanish as their first language, about 100 million study it as a second language.
Spanish is one of the official languages of the United Nations, the European Union and other international organisms.
It is estimated that it will be the first language of half the population of the United States within 40 years.
The Latin American countries are experiencing a steady economic growth which makes them potential customers or partners for trading.


WHY PORTUGUESE?

The geographical proximity to Brazil offers endless opportunities for professional exchange,as well as employment or educational exchange.Brazil is one of the Latin American countries which offers more scholarships and opportunities to study higher courses in highly qualified institutions.
In our region, the tourism industry is growing at an incredible speed increasing, this way, the demand for qualified staff to work in this area and in most of the cases the required profile demands certain proficiency in Portuguese.
The linguistical proximity between Spanish and Portuguese facilitates learning of the latter by the Spanish speakers. Both languages present significant similarities at the level of Semantics, Syntax and Lexical items which allows to reduce the time of study.
Breaking Down linguístics obstacles, the MERCOSUR countries will be able to complete the integration process not only economically but also culturally.
It is the sixth language in the world, a language that stretches from Portugal to Sao Tome and Principe, Angola, Mozambique and Brazil.
We cannot forget either, the emotional aspect of approaching the Brazilian culture, Portuguese gives us greater accessibility and understanding of carnival, football and Brazilian music among other things.


WHY ENGLISH?

It is the language more learned in the world as a foreign language, over 300 million people study it.
45 percent of the Internet pages are in English.
The English language has become a tool for strategic communication in various fields of human development.
It is the medium through which both the scientific and cultural development are spread.
It becomes the optional language when two persons do not share a language.
Learning English enables us to have access to better films, literature, music and endless number of publications, it allows us to have access to a larger cultural world, which undoubtedly will result in personal growth and development.
It facilitates access to better job opportunities as well as scholarships and internships outside the country.