Here’s what Core Fluency students are saying about Laura
and her Spanish teaching:
“I’ve learned more in three weeks in this class than I’ve learned in years of studying other languages! Comparatively, it’s been so much easier to go from Core Fluency to listening, comprehending, and responding in Spanish than it has been with any other method (Berlitz, Rosetta Stone, college-level courses, self-study books, etc.) I’ve used. Great job Laura!” — Savinay Chandrasekhar, Project Manager – Teacher Learning & Leadership, Denver
“I loved this class! I learned more in 2 weekends than I did in 3 years of high school Spanish! This class is not like some where I’ve rolled my eyes. I had so much fun! I’ve been able to help my children with their Spanish homework so effectively now! We even practice our Spanish around the dinner table!” — James Wilkerson, Computer Specialist & Math Teacher, Denver
“Interactive…fun…effective! I took Spanish starting in middle school and into college, but I never felt as comfortable as I now do with Spanish. As a teacher, I know the importance of providing students with a wide variety of ways to learn a language, including with pictures, gestures and stories, in order to teach to different learning styles. With Core Fluency, this is how you will learn. Within a short period of time, we were working in various tenses. We learned many new words within the contexts of stories we created. On my own, I am reading and listening to stories that were never possible before! Expect to have a lot of fun, to learn a lot, and to gain many benefits! I am so thankful for this class, and I recommend it to all.” — Kelsey Kempter, 4th Grade Teacher, Denver
“The Core Fluency Spanish Summer Intensive was the perfect class for me! It helped me move from basic comprehension to a deeper level of comprehension as well as increase my conversational skills. Our instructor, Laura, put us at ease and created a fun learning environment. The emphasis on hearing the target language over excercises such as writing out verb conjucations made learning more natural & more memorable. I highly recommend the class to anyone who wants to increase their conversational Spanish….I’ve been using my newly acquired Spanish in my clinic a lot already! Very rewarding!” — Caroline A. Hedges, OB-GYN Doctor, Denver
“Core Fluency’s focus on Comprehensible Input makes language acquisition a very natural, rewarding process. Classes are upbeat, relevant and packed with learning opportunities. In less than one semester of classes, my ability to both comprehend and speak Spanish has grown tremendously. Whether you are learning Spanish for work, for travel, or just for fun, Core Fluency is my #1 pick for a program that values the client’s time, resources, learning style and pace.” — Shana Cook, Speech Therapist, Denver
“I would highly recommend Core Fluency. The classes are fun and they fly by! I am learning more applicable Spanish then I ever have! As a Kindergarten teacher I am able to effectively communicate with my students and I am gaining confidence to communicate with parents as well.” — Christi Johnson, Kindergarten teacher, Denver
“I am so pleased that I decided to add the Core Fluency intensive program into my ongoing efforts to learn Spanish. I have completed eight weekend sessions in the past year, and have benefited tremendously from the non-pedantic, relaxed, and effective opportunities to listen, understand, write, and speak. Core Fluency’s approach never puts you on the spot and never subjects you to criticism or embarrassment. I find that I can listen and learn much better when I am confident that it is OK to forget or to make mistakes. Laura keeps it fun, full of variety, and like no classroom you were ever in back in high school or college. I have watched people move, in several weekends, from zero Spanish to feeling enough confidence to make little jokes in Spanish. Then there are others, like me, who have ‘learned’ some Spanish before, but were too scared to speak. Core Fluency’s program is the ideal way to move past that all-too-common barrier.” — Brian Price, business professional, Denver
“It was amazing what I was able to retain from this class! I’m a visual learner, and pairing the verbs with gestures really helped me learn and remember them. After a 3-day class, I feel like I can succeed at reading and understanding a beginning Spanish novel. I really recommend taking this class if you work with monolingual or bilingual students and/or parents.” — Shelby Young, Occupational Therapist/elementary school, Denver
“This has been my first experience trying to learn Spanish. I really appreciate the strategies of visual support and giving real world meaning to the vocabulary we are using. We create stories together that we act out. By the next class the story has been typed up and we read and translate the story — connecting the words I hear and see. I am surprised by my reading comprehension. I find my confidence growing and I have only had 5 classes! I would highly recommend this program.” — Jennifer Nelson, Kindergarten Teacher, Denver
“The Core Fluency Travel-Study Experience Abroad Course in Sayulita was exactly what I needed: a contextual setting to bring my Spanish to the next level, a beautiful beach, a passionate teacher, and a welcoming, small town. What more could you ask for?” — Lindsey Masterton, adult ESL instructor, Denver
“After four intensive weekend classes I am amazed at how much I have learned. I have attempted to learn Spanish many times throughout my adult life and have always felt overwhelmed by the enormity of the task. I also thought that I had not inherited the language gene. My sister did, my mother did, but not me. Yes, pobre Kim. But, after four intensive classes, I understand lots! Recently, my mom came to visit me and we spoke some Spanish. In fact, she has been learning Spanish over the last three years and we had the same comprehension level! She was amazed at my progress. I loved the validation. It is incredible to think that I am already a Level Two student! I am deeply grateful for this experience and committed to becoming even more proficient in Spanish.” — Kim Bundy-Fazioli, College Professor of Social Work, Breckenridge, CO
“I had not had any Spanish classes prior to Core Fluency. Because Denver has a large Hispanic population, I was motivated to take Core Fluency’s Spanish classes. The classes have successfully met all of my objectives. They are: EFFECTIVE, RELEVANT, COMPREHENSIVE and FUN ! After six months, I am very pleased with my Spanish language comprehension and the continuing confidence I have for conversing with classmates and others. The traditional Spanish language book approach would not have realized my objectives in such a short time. I would highly recommend Laura’s Core Fluency classes for all those wishing to comprehend and speak Spanish in their daily life, work and travels.” — Marsha Dawe, business professional/volunteer for public education reform, Denver
“Learning Spanish the Core Fluency way is really fun and very interactive. Each class is different because we, the students, help create stories in order to learn new words and phases. Because we create the material we read, write and act out in class, it is always relevant and memorable. Core Fluency classes have been much more effective than other traditional classes I have attended in the past. After attending only a few classes, my Spanish has improved immensely. I am now able to understand and participate in basic conversations with Spanish-speaking students and their parents. I highly recommend Core Fluency to anyone who wants to learn Spanish.” — Carol Delong, secretary & parent of a student attending a bilingual school, Denver
“I have really enjoyed these classes and this method. I especially like the immediate exposure to lots of verb tenses which has made it seem fairly effortless to not be stuck in the present tense. I also think that it is beneficial to not be under pressure to “perform”—this is a much more comfortable and natural way to acquire and use another language than the traditional methods I have experienced in the past.” — Georgia McCarthy, business professional, Denver
“The Core Fluency class trip to Sayulita, Mexico was great! It was a wonderful place to learn and practice Spanish. I feel the trip brought my Spanish to a whole new level.” — Christi Johnson, Kindergarten teacher, Denver
“Fantastic Spanish class if you’re looking to learn another language! A lot of fun and I can’t believe how fast I’m learning Spanish! Thank you Laura Friesen at Core Fluency! If you ever are looking to take Spanish classes, Laura is definitely your girl!” — Amy Kolquist, Middle School Student Advisor and Movie Author, Denver
“This has to be the best Spanish class I have ever attended. I have learned so much Spanish that I am able to use right away!” — Joleen Fuenzalida, Insurance Professional, Denver
Year-In-Review PHOTOS
