The technique employed at habla is based upon Blaine Ray’s innovative method called Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling (TPRS®). During a single class an habla instructor tells a level-appropriate story in Spanish, and by the end of the class, participants are able to understand, read, and actually retell the story in Spanish. This is possible because of the TPRS® teaching methods of repetition, questioning, and exaggerated physical gesturing.

During the two hour class, the story is told and retold several times. Throughout the retelling, the habla instructor engages participants by asking pointed questions related to the story. Participants are then encouraged to answer in Spanish using the target vocabulary and target grammatical structures. In addition to the questioning and answering, habla instructors and participants act out specific words and phrases from the story. This physical aspect of the class is the final push to achieve the class goal of understanding, reading, and finally retelling of the story. 

The stories become the mechanism by which the Spanish language is acquired. A single story uses multiple tenses and grammatical structures that naturally occur in everyday conversations: such as past tense, subjunctive, and commands. habla participants learn Spanish subconsciously, similar to the way children learn their own native language. This is accomplished in a fun, dynamic, and relaxed environment.

For more information on Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling (TPRS®) please refer to the following link:
• tprstories.com/what-is-tprs.htm