"Christian is an excellent, very engaging teacher. He really makes learning fun and has an effective approach.
He uses visual aides and role plays to emphasize practical conversational skills. I especially appreciate that he
requires me to talk so much during the lesson, and is very positive and encouraging as I stumble!"
Julia Rinaldi PhD
Staff Psychologist
Department of Chlid and Adolescent Psychiatry
Children's Memorial Hospital
"My father is from Puerto Rico, and my mother is from the Philippines. Although both of my parents are fluent in
Spanish, they did not teach me how to speak the language. It’s a long story. However, since I appear to be of
Spanish decent and I live in the Logan Square area, many of my first generation Latino neighbors, who only
speak Spanish, expect me to do the same. By profession I’m a Funeral Director, and I have just started my own
business. If I hope to serve the Spanish Community with the surname Hernandez, I must be able to speak the
language. I was always embarrassed when my neighbors would try and engage me in conversation. Now I’m
not afraid anymore, thanks to “Spanish with Salas”.
Christian has made learning Spanish enjoyable. He conducts class in a way that makes you feel like you’re
getting together with a bunch of friends, sitting around a table and having conversation about whatever comes to
mind. The class is structured, and he does have a lesson plan, but if we go off on a tangent, he doesn’t mind as
long as we converse in Spanish. Because Christian encourages conversational Spanish, as opposed to the
traditional classroom style of straight grammar, my conversational Spanish has improved dramatically.
Christian has a great sense of humor too, so we spend a lot of time laughing, which makes time fly. I always
leave wishing class was longer.
So if you really want to learn conversational Spanish in a non-intimidating, fun and enjoyable environment,
“Spanish with Salas” is the course for you."
Phillip Hernandez
Licensed Funeral Director
www.GraceFuneralServices.com
"Whatever your level of Spanish knowledge, from beginner to advanced,
you'll love learning with Christian! His teaching style is informal, as
if you are speaking with a friend -- but a friend whose interest is
seeing that you learn correctly. I would describe myself as an utter
beginner; yet recently some friends from Spain complimented me on my accent
and said that my Spanish sounded more advanced than I believed it to
be. That's the best recommendation I can give for Christian and his
teaching"
Robin Jenkins
Chicago Journalist
"If you are looking for an easy, fun and relaxing way to learn conversational Spanish, then “Spanish with Salas”
is the program for you. I have been taking a weekly group class with Christian for more than 2 years and I can
honestly say that I look forward to each class.
I came into the program with minimal Spanish vocabulary and the ability to say a few things in present tense. At
this point, I would describe myself as fairly fluent. Christian’s teaching method is so natural that I feel like I
barely put any effort into learning. I don’t spend tedious hours studying, doing homework, or memorizing and yet
I continue to gain conversational skills. Even while working in a group, Christian individualizes his teaching to
suit each student’s strengths and weaknesses. He truly makes the class enjoyable and what he teaches sticks
with you because it is learned through conversation. Because of his wit and wonderful sense of humor, I
always find myself wishing our classes were just a little longer.
I am a registered nurse, currently working in the Chicago Public School system and I am assigned to schools in
the predominantly Spanish-speaking community of Pilsen. I had always wanted to be able to communicate with
my students and their families without the use of an interpreter. Now, thanks to “Spanish with Salas”, I am at
the level where I am comfortable using Spanish to communicate.
So, if conversational Spanish is your goal, I would highly recommend “Spanish with Salas” as the program for
you"
Marianne H. Galloway,
Registered Nurse
Certified School Nurse
I started learning Spanish 2 years ago. I own a small business processing ambulance medical bills and
realized that increasingly, our client base was Hispanic and it behooved me to learn Spanish. At 55 years old, I
am now the "Old Man" (Viejo), in the group. Though difficult at times, I have enjoyed the experience immensely
and feel that Christian's technical knowledge, Verb usage, sentence structure, etc. are excellent. Additionally, he
has a great sense of humor and is able to lighten the moment when necessary. I continue with my studies and I
hope to spend a week abroad this winter in an immersion environment in Latin America or Spain.
Though I feel I am not learning as quickly as some of my younger classmates, Christian is careful to keep us all
moving in the same direction. He just proposed some individual classes, in conjunction with our group
meetings, to work on individual weakness and "tailor" the learning experience to each student. I have found the
whole experience gratifying and would highly recommend Christian as a teacher.
Tom Cosgrove
President
Medical Reimbursement Services, Inc
As someone who has studied Spanish off and on since high school, I was surprised and thrilled to find that
taking Spanish classes could be so much fun and so easy. That's what I found in taking Spanish classes with
Christian for the past two years. Although Christian encourages me to study and to work hard on fine-tuning my
skills that have developed these past two years, it never feels like a chore. Instead, each class feels like an
opportunity to catch up with friends (Christian and the other students in my class) and learn what's new with
them - the only difference is that we are doing the catching up in Spanish.
However, the skills we are developing are not just in conversational Spanish - they go well beyond that. For
example, Christian utilizes a number of training techniques and assignments which help all of us practice the
use of Spanish for our particular professions or interests. For example, as a labor lawyer, I am often called
upon to meet with and prepare potential Spanish-speaking witnesses. Keeping this in mind, Christian has
helped me, through assignments,, practice the very skills that I need to perform these tasks and prepare these
witnesses, in Spanish, and with greater confidence and with more proper pronunciation. Christian has helped
other students develop and practice skills used in their professions. As a result, I am actually using the skills I
am developing through my instruction with Christian - not just leaving my Spanish at the door when I leave class.
So if you really want to learn Spanish that you can actually use in your daily and professional life and want to do
in a fun, motivating and friendly atmosphere, I highly recommend "Spanish with Salas."
Amy Zdravecky
Management Side Labor Attorney
Law offices of Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg, LLP
