Studying Spanish in Los Angeles: A Not-So-Foreign Experience

El Espanol se ha convertido en la segunda idioma de esta ciudad.

That means: Spanish has become the second language of this city. And, if you didn’t quite understand it, you may be among the thousands of Californians thinking of studying Spanish.

Gone are the days when Spanish classes were filled with travelers and language majors. Joining them now are members of the business community, teachers, social workers, lawyers, medical practitioners, police officers, the clergy and others seeking to improve their communication skills.

With the census bureau projecting that the state’s Latino population will reach 7.7 million by the year 2000, up more than 70% from 4.5 million in 1980, interest in formal Spanish instruction is clearly rising.

And even as the need for Spanish speakers is becoming more urgent, styles of instruction are changing. According to conventional wisdom, the ideal setting is a Spanish-speaking country where every shopping trip, museum visit and meal becomes a language lab.

But many experts now believe such immersion programs may be counterproductive, especially for beginning students who can feel overwhelmed when required to speak a foreign tongue in and outside the classroom. “Your language is what you are, and if you’re deprived of a means of expressing yourself, you don’t deal with that very well,” said Robert B. Kaplan, a USC professor of applied linguistics.

Even after the best immersion programs, continued exposure to the language is necessary to maintain skills, he said.

Learning Takes Years

“Language learning is not a quick fix. I don’t think anybody can learn enough in just two or three weeks. It will take two, three or four years, maybe 10 years, depending on all sorts of variables.”

Similarly, those whose first language is Spanish risk forgetting it if they use only English.

Juan Francisco Lara, for example, spoke Spanish at home until he was 7. But now, explained the UCLA assistant provost, he works at maintaining his first language by listening to Spanish radio stations on his daily commute from Pasadena to Westwood, reading the newspaper La Opinion, and watching Spanish-language television.

For most beginners, radio broadcasts are unintelligible, said UCLA Spanish professor Susan Schaffer. Television shows, newspaper articles or films may be easier to understand, but they are no substitute for a good class, she said.

Lessons Must Be Interesting

Students make the best progress when lessons are intrinsically interesting, said USC linguistics professor Stephen Krashen, who has written eight books on language acquisition.

“If you get so involved in conversation, you’re involuntarily and unconsciously learning the grammatical structures,” he said. That’s why students often learn more from Spanish films, news programs or conversations with friends than from grammar drills or verb conjugation exercises, he said.

In addition to formal instruction, Krashen recommends reading newspapers, detective novels and children’s stories: “If you get involved in pleasure reading, the battle is over. You’ve won. Your Spanish will steadily grow.”

Language experts agree: Finding the right teacher, approach and materials are crucial to keeping enthusiasm high.

So how do you find the best class?

Teacher Is Critical

“Observe a teacher,” said Schaffer. “It’s important to determine if the teacher’s style is compatible with your learning style. It boils down to a matter of personality.”

Teachers’ credentials--whether they are native speakers or have earned advanced degrees--are not as important as their approach to teaching, she said. Those who concentrate on grammar and structure may not be as helpful as those who simulate real-life speaking situations in class.

A class at a prestigious university may not be better than a community college class, said Schaffer, who has taught at four community colleges, USC and UCLA. Though community college classes may have higher enrollments than other schools, she said one-third to one-half of the students often drop out after a week or two.

A private tutor (average cost is $30 an hour) may be the best choice if rapid progress is the goal. But tutors are not for everyone, said Schaffer.

Tolerate Own Mistakes

“You lose the interaction with other students, which I feel is very helpful,” she said. “Students see others making mistakes, and they become more tolerant of their own mistakes. They’re not so hard on themselves.

“The good language learner takes risks and is willing to make mistakes, because the more you practice the language, the more you’re going to learn.”

Krashen advises finding a teacher who creates a “low-anxiety environment,” who encourages students for their efforts.

A class offered by the Catholic archdiocese of Los Angeles, for example, leavens the heavy dough of grammar lessons with parables, mass songs, liturgical lessons, conversation and readings on Latino history and culture.

Since beginning the twice-weekly sessions in September, the Rev. Nicodemus Ricalde of St. John Baptist Church in Baldwin Park said he has greatly improved his ability to understand the confessions and prayer sessions of his congregation, which is about 75% Latino.

To meet the growing need in Los Angeles, there are classes to suit most schedules and budgets, including private tutoring, evening or weekend classes at local colleges and in-house instruction for professionals.

The following is a sampling of some of the many Spanish classes and resources available in the Los Angeles area:

Community colleges offer classes in grammar, conversation, literature and culture for legal staffs, medical professionals, police, fire officials and city staff. Los Angeles City College Extension, for example, has a $67, one-week Spanish review, four times a year.

Other Classes Listed

Community colleges also offer academic programs and community services classes. Academic classes are open to the public, even to those who are not working toward a degree, if space permits. Academic classes cost $15 to $35; extension classes may cost $35 or more. For information about Los Angeles community college programs, call the district office at (213) 628-7788, Ext. 2291.

Students of the International Educational Program, also offered by the community college system, travel to the Mexican city of Morelia, or to Salamanca or Madrid, Spain, for semester and summer programs. Information: (213) 628-7788, Ext. 2565.

UCLA Extension weekend and evening classes, which range from $165 to $185 for 11 or 12 meetings, are available for beginning, intermediate and advanced students. A three-week intensive program will be offered this summer. Next fall, there will be classes geared for health professionals, court staff and social workers. For a catalogue, write UCLA Extension, P.O. Box 24901, Los Angeles 90024-0901, or call (213) 825-0901.

Six-week sessions in Spanish are offered by the Catholic Archdiocese at four locations. Though they usually draw priests and other religious staff, the classes are open to the public. The next session will begin April 18. Classes are held twice a week; sessions cost $35. Also offered: an intensive two-week summer program for $300 and a four-week session for $500, both at Loyola Marymount University in Westchester. For more information, contact the Rev. Jose Velasco at the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, 1531 West 9th St., Los Angeles 90015-1194; (213) 251-2619.

Private Schools

Pepperdine University in Malibu will offer two free one-hour evening classes next fall. Information: (213) 456-4216.

Those with tight schedules may want to try private language schools, which charge from $16 to $40 an hour for private tutoring or small classes. Some offer lessons in packages of two or more and offer discounts for larger classes. Many send instructors to businesses to teach employees during lunch or after work hours.

Spanish radio stations include KALI 1430 AM, KLVE 107.5 FM, KSKQ 1540 AM and 98 FM, KTNQ 1020 AM, KWKW 1300 AM and XPRS 1090 AM (a Mexican station). Spanish television channels include KMEX Channel 34 and KVEA Channel 52.

KOCS Channel 58, the Los Angeles educational channel, broadcasts two programs intended to help English speakers learn Spanish. “Hablamos Espanol,” a 30-minute show for adults, is broadcast Mondays at noon (except May 30). A $20 textbook accompanying the broadcasts can be purchased from MacMillan books. “Saludos,” a 15-minute show for elementary school-aged children, is broadcast Tuesdays at noon.

Libraries Can Help

Local libraries offer Spanish textbooks, dictionaries, films and tape cassettes. Try the Montebello Library, 1550 W. Beverly Blvd., (213) 722-6551; the Chicano Study Center at the East Los Angeles Library, 4801 E. 3rd St., (213) 264-0155; Santa Monica Library, 1343 6th St., (213) 458-8600, or Pasadena Library, 285 E. Walnut St., (818) 405-4052.

The Bernard Hamel Spanish Book Corp., 10977 Santa Monica Blvd., Westwood, (213) 475-0453, has a comprehensive selection of Latino fiction, nonfiction, records and children’s books. Also in stock are language books, dictionaries and cassette-tape learning programs, including the 12-cassette program used for training U.S. diplomatic personnel.

Other bookstores specializing in Spanish materials are the Spanish European Bookstore, 3117 Wilshire Blvd., (213) 739-8899; Azteca Bookstore, 2413 S. Vermont Ave., (213) 734-8787 (specializing in metaphysical Spanish books); and the Children’s Book and Music Center in Santa Monica, 2500 Santa Monica Blvd., (213) 829-0215, which carries more than 50 Spanish children’s books and tape cassettes.