don Quijote

don Quijote is a Spanish language school with schools in Spain and Latin America, and its online Spanish classes are the live, at-home version of that teaching for adults and teenagers. The online page explains that classes are "delivered in real time by the same qualified staff that works in our Spain and Latin America-based schools," so students get live feedback and guidance. The classes are aimed at "any adult and children over 14 years old, no matter their previous knowledge," whether a learner wants to learn, maintain or advance their Spanish. The site calls don Quijote "the world leader in Spanish language education," its copyright line names the company as don Quijote S.L., and the home page lists 30+ years of experience, 20+ international accreditations, 30+ destinations worldwide, 80+ nationalities on campus and 25+ Spanish courses.

The teaching method

In the online page's words, "The distinctive communicative approach of our methodology integrates all 5 language learning skills in each lesson." The page says learners improve their reading, writing, speaking and listening "with dynamic exercises inspired in real-life settings." Levels cover all six steps, from complete beginner (A1) to superior (C2), and the FAQ says they are developed according to the Instituto Cervantes curriculum (PCIC), which follows the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

After booking, each learner receives a link to an online placement test, and the results set the level and the group. Anyone who wants an idea of their level before booking can also take the level test the site offers.

Teachers, according to the FAQ, are "highly qualified professionals in teaching Spanish as a foreign language, with more than 15 years of proven experience," and the online staff also teach in the company's schools in Spain. The benefits section puts it as an average of 15 years of experience teaching Spanish, says the teachers take each person's needs and interests into account, and adds that "all our teachers love what they do." The stated aim is to keep students actively engaged online and make the class feel as if it were face-to-face.

The online courses

The online page says don Quijote offers seven online Spanish courses and that "each one fits the specific needs of a different type of student." It sets out these formats:

• Intensive 20: 20 classes a week of 55 minutes each, 3 to 12 students per group, from 1 week. The page calls it the most efficient program, designed for students who want to start communicating as quickly as possible, with "only four hours of interactive online Spanish classes each day." It is pitched at anyone for whom learning Spanish or improving their level is a priority.
• Evening 4: 4 classes a week, taken as 2 classes a day, 3 to 12 students per group, for a minimum of 4 weeks. It is meant for people who combine Spanish with work or study and want to improve "step by step in a comfortable way," and the page sums up the pace as "No pressure."
• Private classes: one-to-one lessons of 55 minutes that can start any weekday, Monday to Friday. The course summary lists packs of 5, 10 or 20 with a flexible duration, while the FAQ lists packs of 5, 10, 15 or 20 classes to be attended within the same week. Learners choose what to work on, such as pronunciation, vocabulary or comprehension, and the FAQ says the classes are tailored to each learner's goals, needs, interests and learning style. Topic-specific private classes cost an additional fee of 15%, for example to prepare for DELE or SIELE or to focus on medical or business Spanish.
• Semi-private classes: the same 55-minute lessons in packs of 5, 10 or 20 for 2 to 3 students at the same level. The page aims them at friends, couples and people in the same household, and describes them as combining a shared learning experience with the teacher's undivided attention.
• DELE exam preparation: 20 hours a week of 55-minute classes, 3 to 12 students per group, over 2 or 4 weeks, for people who need to prepare for the DELE quickly and without leaving home.

For group classes, the FAQ gives a maximum of 12 students in Intensive 20 and says there are 20-minute breaks between the 55-minute sessions.

The online classroom

Classes run on Microsoft Teams, which the FAQ describes as a secure platform where students interact in real time with their teacher and classmates, "just as they would in person." Alongside the live sessions, the e-learning platform provides an e-book, an interactive exercise book that students complete at their own pace from any device. Exercises are corrected during the live classes, and students can email their teacher with questions at any time. The benefits section frames the format around comfort, with classes taken from home, "Anytime and anywhere, with no travel expenses and no accommodation costs."

At the end of any online course, students receive a certificate of completion by email. The FAQ says this end-of-course certificate includes "the dates of the program, course name and level, and the number of hours attended." It is a school certificate rather than an exam result. For an official qualification the school runs DELE preparation, and the home page says its exam courses are there "so that you can get your DELE certification."

Exam results and accreditation

The online DELE section makes a strong claim: "your success is guaranteed. 95% of the students who prepare for the DELE at don Quijote school pass their exam!" The page states that rate for students who prepare at the school as a whole.

Under the heading "Three decades of experience," the benefits section says "More than a million students have chosen don Quijote" and that the online Spanish classes "are certified by Instituto Cervantes, the sole international accreditation body for Spanish-teaching institutions." The same section credits a "student-centered approach" for putting clients at the heart of what the school does, and the home page says don Quijote is internationally recognized, next to its count of 20+ international accreditations.

Prices, booking and support

The online page does not list course fees. Learners register with the "Book now" button or through a form that puts them in touch with an academic advisor, who the page says will guide them through every step of the process. For a personalized proposal, the form asks where the learner wants to study (Spain, Latin America or online), which course interests them, when they want to start and whether the program is for themselves or for a son or daughter. The site also offers a customized budget, a downloadable catalog and a level test, and lists a phone line, a chat and a contact form for questions. The site itself is available in English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Dutch, Portuguese, Russian and Chinese.

The wider school

The online classes sit inside a much larger school. In person, don Quijote runs Spanish schools across Spain (including Madrid, Barcelona, Salamanca, Seville, Granada, Malaga, Valencia and Tenerife) and lists destinations across Latin America, from Mexico and Costa Rica to Argentina and Peru. Its program list runs from Intensive 15 to Super Intensive 35, with exam preparation for DELE, SIELE, CCSE and the COCM10 business, tourism and health exams, Spanish for 50+, gap year, internship and volunteer programs, a family program, junior and young adult programs and a Spanish Teachers' Training Lab. The home page says the school combines "personalized Spanish courses with intensive cultural immersion experiences."

Its camps division runs summer camps for children aged 5 to 18 at eight locations in Spain, where, the home page says, 60% Spanish students meet 40% international students. The home page also promotes a reopened boutique school in Barcelona's Eixample neighborhood, in the Gaudi building "Casa Juncosa", and 50% off accommodation in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, with a Spanish course.

Who it suits and who it does not

The online classes fit adults and teenagers over 14 who want live, structured Spanish with a placement test, a clear CEFR level and teachers who also teach at the company's schools. Intensive 20 suits someone who can give four hours a day to moving fast, and DELE preparation suits someone with an exam ahead who can commit 20 hours a week for two or four weeks. Evening 4 suits someone who studies or works and wants a lighter pace. Private and semi-private packs work for learners with a specific goal, from DELE or SIELE preparation to medical or business Spanish, and couples or friends at the same level can share a teacher. Because the same school runs immersion courses in Spain and Latin America, an online learner who later wants to study in person can stay with one provider.

The format has its demands. Classes are live in real time, with the e-book as the only self-paced part, and the FAQ asks for a private pack to be attended within one week, which takes a good share of a busy learner's time. The online classes are for learners over 14, so the summer camps, which take children from 5, are the school's option for younger children. And the online certificate records dates, level and hours rather than an exam result, so anyone who needs an official credential should plan for the DELE.