A Long Way to Go

I'm still reviewing Spanish on my own using my Teach Yourself Spanish book but eventually, I intend to enroll at Instituto Cervantes in Manila, obtain a certificate and eventually be able to pass the DELE. I intend to go to Instituto this coming weekend to take a diagnostic exam which they conduct for free from Tuesdays to Saturdays, at 9am and at 3pm. Hopefully, I would qualify to attend at the very least Level 1 of the Intermediate Level.

Lessons at Instituto are structed this way: there are 5 levels in the Beginners level and another 5 levels in the Intermediate level. If you wish to pursue it, there are another 4 levels in the Advanced level and anothe 4 levels in the Superior level. The following is the descriptions of the four levels:

ñ Elementary Level (150 hours).

Students learn to express opinions, physical sensations, feelings and needs in a simple way. Students will be able to read brief letters and texts related to daily life.

ñ Intermediate Level (150 hours).

At this level students can express opinions, speak on the telephone, understand conversation spoken at normal speed, enjoy television and radio programs, grasp the main idea in print media, and write letters and brief reports.
Advanced Level (120 hours)

ñ Advanced Level (120 hours).

Upon completing this level, students can hold complex conversation with native speakers using standard Spanish, read texts, understand lectures, and write casual letters, business correspondence and reports.

ñ Superior Level (120 hours).

Students enrolled at this level perfect and maintain their Spanish language skills. Students converse at normal speed with native speakers, understand mass media and literary texts with relative ease, and write in a variety of genres.


Right now, I have decided that I am committed to finish the Intermediate level and take the corresponding DELE for that level which is the Diploma Basico de español. The other DELE exams are the Diploma Inicial de español and the Diploma Superior de español.

Looking at the Instituto schedule of classes, it seems that if I start attending Saturday classes on November 25 and assuming I qualify in the Intermediate level, I would finish my study late November 2007. That would be too long, I think. On the other hand, if I take the twice a week classes and start this November, and again assuming I start in the Intermediate level, I'd be finished by the latter part of May 2007. I think that is better. Still, I see this as an uphill climb, considering the schedule but since I've set my sights on this, I am determined to pursue this. :) I just wish I started earlier cause if I had, I might have finished studying by now. Oh well...