Elementary II

I have no choice but to write another glowing review about Professor Rodas- not only is she an excellent teacher that makes sure you actually leave with at the minimum an understanding of the basics of the Spanish language, but she is one of the most patient, kind and caring women I have ever met. She teaches the class completely in Spanish from day one, and expects her students to reply as such. However, I never felt intimidated or shy about raising my hand- she was always very supportive of all levels of ability. She is a serious grader however- her tests tend to be lengthy with a lot of essay/short-answer- and you really have to work for an A.

There is a lot to recommend an instructor who is a native French speaker - you definitely get a taste of the culture you wouldn't with someone for whom it's just a second language.
Denise is Belgian, and so she will extol the virtues of Belgian beer, chocolate, and the rather wonderful Jacques Brel. She'll even show you photos of her beloved native Brussels - and it all adds greatly to the experience of learning French. You can't forget how to form the imparfait once you've heard Brel sing: "C’était au temps au Bruxelles bruxellait …" or the passé composé after singing along to "Je vous ai apporté des bonbons ..."
I went straight out and bought his greatest hits.
Denise has a sense of humor, which is great when you are trying to learn a foreign language. You can't take yourself too seriously when you're trying to get your tongue round those pesky French pronunciations.
She can seem a little brusque, sometimes, but I think it's just a cultural thing. Denise doesn't take any cr*p, and the class moves at a nice pace - not too fast, which suited me, as I had been struggling a little. She was kind and helpful when I saw her during office hours, after getting mired in the grammar.