Spanish Classes in the East Bay CA area

Viva el Español, East Bay:
Viva el Español is a non-profit Spanish Language and Culture Center serving children and adults in the East Bay area of California. We are a before and after-school program, and teach a wide range of Spanish language courses to young amigos from ages 1 and up, pre-school through high school. We offer beginner to advanced level classes, quality private lessons, and tutoring. Our main campus is located in Lafayette in Contra Costa County, and we also teach at various pre-schools and elementary schools in Lafayette, Moraga, Walnut Creek, Oakland, Benicia, Pleasanton, San Leandro and San Francisco.

We believe that learning a foreign language in the pre-school and elementary school years is an essential part of a child's education and development. Today's children need to be prepared to live and work in a global context.

Our Goals:
- To build enthusiasm for language learning through early success which will be transferable to all languages.
- To promote learning of Spanish, an essential World Language, at a prime language learning time.
- To demonstrate specific comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing skills in Spanish as defined at each curriculum level.
- To develop a solid base of Spanish pronunciation.
- To provide a firm foundation for the continued study of languages in middle and high school.
- To enhance knowledge of world cultures and increase global awareness which will serve students throughout their lives.
- To have FUN while doing all of this!!

- High-quality instruction by native Spanish speakers.
- 98-100% use of the Spanish language.
- Incorporation of learning activities that are culturally based.
- Teaching around a theme or subject area.
- High-quality manipulatives, visuals, music and cultural items from Spanish-speaking countries.
- Activities that encourage learning through active participation, including singing, dancing, movement, role-playing, games, stories, arts and crafts, cooking and food projects.
- Students grouped by level of proficiency rather than strictly by grade level.
- Assessment of students' progress on a regular basis.

- Toddler / Parent and Me Programs (Ages 1-3)
- Preschool & Kindergarten Classes (Ages 3-6)
- Elementary and Middle School Program (1st-8th Grade)
- Saturday Spanish (Ages 4-10)
- Before & After-school Drop-off Programs
- Teen Classes - "Los Chavos"
- Teen Internship Programs
- Private & Semi-Private Lessons (Middle & High School students)
- School-based Spanish Programs
- Spanish Summer / Winter Camps

Throughout the year you and your children will be invited to participate in a variety of activities that expose them to holidays and festivities from Mexico, Chile, Venezuela, Spain and beyond, including:
- Día de la Independencia/Independence Day
- Día de los Muertos/Day of the Dead
- Posadas Navideñas/Christmas tradition
- El Día de los Reyes Magos/Three King's Day
- Día del Niño/Day of the Children
- Cinco de Mayo

We will also be inviting your children to participate in some area fieldtrips, including:
- Visit to Spanish supermarket
- Attending events at Latin American Cultural Center
- Visit to local tortilla factory
- Dinner at local authentic restaurants

We plan to expose children in our program to the rich music and dance styles from Spanish-speaking countries, including:
- Mariachi
- Ballet Folklorico
- Flamenco
- Tango
- Salsa
- Andean Dance