How do I access my live lessons?
Lessons are accessed via a unique lesson link that is sent to the email you provided at enrollment, about 30-40 min before the beginning of the lesson. Please check your spam or promotions folder if you do not see the email, but if it is 10 min before the lesson and you have not received anything, please text us immediately at (949) 409 – 2122 for a manual send of the link in case something goes wrong.
The lesson links are automatically generated by our administration system, but we can also send you a copy of the link in case you do not receive your link.
![Dear Timothy, Here is the link for the lesson to be held from 17:00 to 18:00 on 23/07/2024. Please note that all times are Pacific Standard Time and are expressed 24-hour schedule. All dates for the DD/MMformat. [See below for explanation] Class: Lesson of Spanish - Spanish for Lasater Timothy. Use this link to access lesson https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82150518969 Password: EgjbKSoq Thanks, Ciao Languages LLC](https://www.ciaolanguages.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Add-a-subheading-6-300x212.png)
Reminder emails are sent within 24 hours of your lesson to assist in recalling your lesson times and days.
Please ensure that the latest version of Zoom has been installed on your computer and that it is functioning properly. Ciao Languages cannot be held responsible for software malfunctions.
How do I access my learner’s area?
The Ciao Languages Learner’s Area is where you as a student may consult all of the materials that your teacher and Ciao Languages have set aside for you. It is where you will find digital exericses, teacher uploads and links to your live lesson recordings.
For information about the learner’s area, please consult the following page:
As a policy, we do not allow teachers to give out personal contact information, but if you would like to send a question or communication to your language instructor between lessons, there is a chat function in the platform.
Any communications with your instructor should be lesson-related, but with respect to the teacher’s free time.
Just go to the speech-bubble shaped icon on the upper righthand part of the page and search for your teacher by his/her first name. It works just like a regular chat program.
What if I cannot make it to a lesson?
If you are taking a group course that follows a fixed schedule, it is not possible to change the schedule of the lessons or to make up a missed lesson. All of our lessons, however, are recorded, and within 24 hours of your lesson’s being held, you will be able to access the live recording on the platform.
24 hours notification are necessary to postpone or cancel lessons that are classified as “individual” or “semi-indvidual lessons.” This is to ensure that teachers’ time is given its proper value.
To signal a change in lesson time, please fill out the following contact form.
Live lesson recordings are posted to your dedicated learner’s area within 24h of your lesson.
Please bear in mind that the recordings stay on our server for up to 14 days of recording. After this period, the recordings will be permanently deleted and it will no longer be possible to recover them.
What happens when the course ends?
A week or so before your course ends, you will be sent an email with payment information for the subsequent course.
Group courses follow fixed dates, with new terms beginning every seven weeks. You will autmoatically be enrolled in the next term, but payment serves as confirmation of your participation in the next term. Payments are NOT automatically debited.
You may for your next group course, individual or semi-individual lesson package at the following link:
What is Ciao Languages’ refund policy?
We aim for 100% satisfaction in your choice to study with us.
We therefore off all new enrollees the chance to change their mind after the first lesson and ask for a complete refund of the amount paid. If you feel after the first lesson, our course is not for you, we will cancel your oder and refund the amount paid.
Just write to us at the following contact form:
Can I do additional lessons with my course teacher?
To sign up for individual lessons, please go to the following link:
INDIVIDUAL / SEMI-INDIVIDUAL SIGN-UP PAGE
If you are taking group lessons, you may also take indvidual lessons from your teacher. This might be a great idea in cases in which you would like to speed things up a bit or get some extra conversation practice.
How long does it take to get through a lesson slide deck?
Ciao Languages slide decks consist of about 30 pages. The last five pages of each slide deck contain summaries of the new vocabulary and grammar that you have acquired.
Each slide decks takes 2 to 3 hours to cover with your teacher, depending on the level of difficulty and complexity of the specific topic.
How does the level system work?
Ciao Languages follows the Council of Europe’s Framework of Reference.
Here are the levels
A1 – Basic: Once you have completed this level, you will be able to engage in a very basic conversation, say where you are from, describe your home and family, and talk about what you do in your free time.
A2 – Elementary: You have a general idea of how the tenses work and can now have some basic conversation. You are able to say what you will do and have done, compare objects, people and experiences. You can give more detail about your preferences.
B1 – Intermediate: At this level you are able to formulate your opinions and to justify them with explanations. You no longer have much difficulty in shifting back and forth between tenses. You are fairly autonomous with the language, not just able to “get by,” but to strike up conversations and interact with people naturally.
B2 – Upper Intermediate: Your ability to communicate is becoming more sophisticated and you are able to use a wider range of vocabulary to describe your emotions, feelings, opinions and preferences. You make hypothetical statements about the past and future and discuss advantages and disadvantages of a choice.
C1 – Advanced: This is the level where you begin to deepen your knowledge of the language’s culture and gain a greater understanding of cultural references in conversation. Your knowledge begins to extend to implicit understanding of concepts and you are able to adapt your way of speaking to informal and formal situations.
C2 – Mastery: This level is known as the “Mastery” or “Proficiency” level because it is where you become so knowledgeable about the language that you are able to deal with any situation that might arise. You are able to make a joke, quote a proverb, or make an elliptical remark. Congratulations, you may have a bit of an accent when you speak, but you have mastered the foreign language.
It typically takes five years of constant study to achieve an advnaced or mastery level of knowledge, though this time frame may depend on time spent in the country, time dedicated to actively studying and practicing, previous experiences with language learning.
Language is a skill, just like learning to play a musical instrument, drawing or becoming proficient in a profession. It takes time and practice to see the results.
