Written by Erika Sanchez – La Puerta Spanish Center
I started learning Spanish as a freshman in high school and quickly realized all of the doors that would open for me as I learned a new language: travel, job opportunities, communicating with Spanish speakers in the US, etc. I went on to major in Spanish in college, studied abroad during the summers, and moved to Mexico after graduating. I lived in Mexico City for two years and met my husband there. I taught Dual Language in Fort Worth ISD for 7 years before my son was born. I decided to stay home with him but wanted to continue to share my passion for the Spanish language with others. And, thus, La Puerta (The Door) was born!
I started teaching small groups of children and adults in my home and it quickly grew into an after school program and Spanish Immersion Summer Camps. I visited several elementary school campuses after school each week to teach Spanish classes to English speaking students. During the summer and school holidays I put on camps for English-dominant Dual Language students. When the pandemic hit, I pivoted, along with the rest of the world, to working online. The program has continued to grow online as I teach Beginner Spanish and Conversational Spanish to both children and adults. Many students from Two-Way Dual Language schools in Fort Worth, Arlington, and Mansfield take virtual classes with me after school in order to improve their Spanish conversation skills.
This summer we have several camps
and classes to choose from.
The in-person Spanish Immersion camps are perfect for students who attend a Dual Language school and want to practice their Spanish during the summer. They will meet at Park Springs Bible Church (right off of I-20 in SW Arlington) . We love this venue because it is large and empty during the week! We will have access to many classrooms as well as outdoor space which will allow us to keep our class sizes small and practice social distancing as needed.
We have two primary goals at Spanish Immersion Camp: Have fun, and speak Spanish!
During camp the students will play games, engage in conversation activities, do physical activities and much more: all in Spanish! We’ll have 2 single day camps and one week long camp. When registering for the weeklong camp, you’ll have the opportunity to add on a taco lunch each day from the amazing food truck, Chula’s Kitchen who will be on site each day. Students who do not wish to purchase a taco lunch can bring a sack lunch to enjoy. The week long camp meets July 12-16 from 9AM-1PM. Cost for week long camp is $225/ week. The single day camps meet on June 23 9AM-12PM and July 31 9AM-12PM. Students can enroll for either or both of the single day camps. Cost for single day camps is $45/day.
For students who prefer to continue virtual learning this summer, we are offering Virtual Spanish Conversation Classes as well as Beginner Spanish Classes. The conversation classes are ideal for students who attend a Dual Language school and want to practice their Spanish during the summer. We will play games and engage in conversation activities: all in Spanish! The Beginner Spanish classes are perfect for English speaking students who are interested in learning some basic Spanish skills. We will read stories, play games, and listen to songs in order to learn some new vocabulary and grammar in context. Classes are available on a week to week basis and meet 2x/week for 30 minutes each. Cost is $20/ week.
We also offer two adult Spanish classes: Beginner Spanish and Conversation Spanish. The beginner class focuses more on the grammar and mechanics of the language and the conversation class allows for more conversation practice. Classes meet via Zoom on Monday evenings for 1 hour each. Cost is $80/month.
For more information and to register, please visit: www.lapuertaspanishcenter.com
