| Instructor Highlight |
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Zach
Bohnenkamp
Teaches:
Spanish
Speaks: I speak English
and Spanish. My Portuguese is pretty good but I haven't
really used it in a while. My Italian is
terrible.
Years at
the SLA: This summer is the start of my forth
year here. I love it.
Hometown: Iowa City,
IA. Go Hawks!
Favorite Seattle
restaurants: I really like the fish tacos at Agua
Verde. I also have to say Cafe Revo in West Seattle for
Italian. In Fremont I often eat lunch at Kaosimai
(yellow curry).
What
he enjoys about teaching: I really like seeing
students progress. Teaching also makes me feel like I'm
contributing to the greater good by helping people to
communicate and increasing cultural understanding. Plus,
to me, language is play, so I get to play all
day.
Zach in his
students' words: "His classes are always
interesting and entertaining. He has a terrific sense of
humor and kids around a lot with us. He has a knack for
explaining complex things like the difference between
the preterite tense and the imperfect tense that make it
less confusing and easier to remember. You know you have
a good teacher when you look forward to each
class." --Dick Boehm, SPN 202 student
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What's
Happening
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DELE Classes
The D.E.L.E. (Diploma de Español como Lengua
Extranjera) is an official certification of Spanish level
proficiency adopted and recognized throughout the world.
Starting this fall, Seattle Language Academy will be offering
weekend classes to prepare for the DELE.
Connect with Seattle Language
Academy on Facebook or Twitter:
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| Student
Highlight |
Name: Andrew
McGehee
Hometown:
Memphis
Years in
Seattle: 17+
Q:
Which languages are you currently studying?
A: Italian, Spanish and
French
Q: Why?
A: Because
they can speak English in all the tourist centers. I like to
go elsewhere!
Q:
How long have you been studying at SLA?
A: Italian, 5 years; French,
1 year; Spanish, 3 years.
Q: Why did you choose Seattle
Language Academy?
A: Far and away the best
combination of organization, schedule and class size. I've
been elsewhere, studied privately, etc; but I far prefer a
structured classroom environment at reasonable
times.
Q: Briefly
describe your experience at Seattle Language
Academy.
A:
I'd rate SLA as top-notch. Beyond the education and the
teachers, both of which deserve praise, I very much enjoy the
foreign film nights, the language tables (it doesn't work if
you can't speak!!!) and the exposure to
culture.
Q:
Something funny that happened to you while traveling the
world.
A: In
Firenze, I once confused the Italian word for beans
(fagiolini) with small strawberries (fragoline). So, I ordered
desert of beans with a little cream and
sugar. |
How to Help
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Fall enrollment is underway, so this
is the ideal time to help us spread the word about
SLA. If someone you refer signs up for a class,
you will receive a $25 SLA gift card. Thanks for your
help!
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Trivia: did you
know...?
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How many languages are there
in the world?
The definition of "language" and what constitutes
one has changed dramatically over the last century and
this has affected how linguists and ethnographers count
them. The 11th Edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica
estimated about 1000. Today, estimates come closer to
7000. The leap is due only in part to the fact that 100
years ago many languages had not yet been described.
More importantly is how the term language has evolved
away from the notion of "a dialect with an army and a
navy" (in other words, count the flags and you have your
answer) to embrace what had been regarded as just so
many dialects or regional deviants from standard
linguistic norms. A hundred years ago, France was said
to have one language: French. Today, it has more than
10, including Gascon, Picard, and
Provencal.
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