This Beginning 1 Spanish course through the Spanish Institute of Minneapolis ran 30 hours over 10 weeks time. We worked on basic vocabulary and common present tense verbs. The classes were held via Skype so class participants could practice conversations with one another while the instructor corrected when needed. The class started using only English when explaining and by the end using some Spanish to explain. It is amazing how much can be picked up in such a short period of time. I will definitely continue taking these courses. Being able to speak Spanish within the school system, even if it’s not a large amount at this point, helps make new students with little or no English speaking skills feel much more comfortable.