Do you have a minute?

Our Spanish conversation class will be moving outside this trimester!  We'll be hitting the streets, looking for people working in stores who don't look too busy.  And we'll ask them if we can stop by twice a week for conversation practice on a range of topics from politics to sports to religion.   We'll still have a grammar class every morning at 7:30, but that will be a cake class in comparison.

This is exactly what Mark and I need: 20-30 conversations in Spanish per week!  We didn't learn how to communicate in English by studying grammar books and taking tests because language is more naturally learned in a social context.  It's a great theory on paper, but the footwork required is daunting.

We have heard that this FARO class is difficult and some students drop out before completing it.  Can we do it?  Please pray that we will honor God in our commitment to completing the class and in our relationships with people in the community.  It is also our prayer that God will give us opportunities to share the Good News with the men and women on our routes.

The Spanish Language Institute

SPAN 304 FARO II.
FARO introduces the participant to a methodology of life-long language learning that utilizes the resources of the language community.

(F) the facilitator, a staff member of the Institute who lends direction, encouragement and accountability to the process;
(A) the helper ("ayudante"), a native speaker with some knowledge of English who assists the learner in preparing and practicing texts to be memorized, frequently in exchange for help with English; and
(R) the route, which consists of 10-15 people in the community (store owners, neighbors, etc) whom the learner visits twice a week; and
(O) listen and observe ("oir" and "observar"), two important responsibilities of the learner.

FARO participants meet three times a week with their facilitator: once individually and twice with their small group. They are expected to spend six hours per week on their route or in a planned activity and two hours a week with their helper. In addition to being a creative, learner-directed way of practicing Spanish, FARO has proven to be an effective means of sharing the gospel and forming lasting relationships with Latins.