Student and Parent Testimonials

Student Testimonials on AP Spanish Class:

"This course does an excellent job of preparing students for the AP Exam. Mr. Leven reviewed all the fundamental concepts of Spanish grammar, using the textbook Repaso, and performed drills in class to make sure we learned them thoroughly. Since I have studied Spanish for a few years, there was not much new material to learn. However, the review helped to solidify areas of study that had previously been somewhat confusing for me, such as the subjunctive mood. Also, Mr. Leven has helped me fine-tune minor errors in grammar through various Spanish writing assignments.

The literature assignments were my favorite part of the class. Mr. Leven chose works from authors such as Gabriel García Márquez, Ana Maria Matute, and Jorge Luis Borges. The stories not only gave me a better understanding of Spanish literature, but also provided a rich source of advanced vocabulary.

On average, the homework generally took me 5 hours each week. For someone who has previously studied Spanish, the course is not difficult. The emphasis is not on learning new material but rather on perfecting what we have already learned and building our vocabulary, in order to perform well on the AP exam. Although Mr. Leven is always available to help a student with a concept, it is the student’s responsibility to put effort into improvement.

Writing assignments related to the literature assignments prepare students for the reading comprehension sections of the exam. Class presentations based on information from audio and written Spanish sources prepare for the oral and listening parts of the exam. This class provides students plenty of familiarity with hearing, speaking, and writing the Spanish language, which is what the AP exam requires. I would recommend it to anyone who is willing to work hard to perfect their Spanish."

-Aleena Vargas

"This year, I have found Mr. Leven’s AP Spanish class to be highly engaging and challenging, while also motivating. Much of what has made the experience so enjoyable has been the evident effort that he puts into the class, whether in organizing our actual class time, assigning homework, or giving comments on projects. The shifting focus of the homework, and the larger in-depth projects, such as reading pieces of literature, or investigating a hispanic artist and their

work, made studying for the class much more exciting and refreshing than it would have been had we strictly adhered to the textbook. The class had definite structure, was well-organized, and Mr. Leven brought to it a level of personal attention that I really appreciated."

-Cullen Chosy

Sr. Leven,

Ya que éste es mi tercer año de tomar clases de AP, y mi último año de escuela, he estado recordando las clases que he tomado durante todos mis años escolares. Y me he fijado que su clase de español pertenece al grupo de mis clases favoritas.

Sé que ya han pasado dos años desde que yo estuve en su clase, pero los recuerdos que tengo de ella son buenísimos. No más quería decirle de nuevo cuánto aprecié todo lo que usted nos enseñó. Por causa de su clase, mi español sigue siendo mejor que jamás era antes.

Si usted me hace el favor, dígales a sus alumnos de este año, que yo les digo que esta clase en que están será una de las mejores que habrán de tomar.

Muchísimas gracias por todo.

-Kirstie Schierkolk

Tomé el examen de AP Spanish Language & Culture este año pasado y hoy conseguí los resultados. ¡Recibí una 5!

Quería agradecer a Ud. por su instrucción durante los tres primeros años de mi aprendizaje de español. Sus clases eran desafiantes y

definitivamente me empujaron fuera de mi “zona de confort” muchas veces, pero me enseñaron a disfrutar el proceso de aprender una lengua

extranjera. A causa de todas las preparaciones y los ejercicios creativos de sus clases, me sentí muy bien preparada para el curso y

examen AP. De hecho, creo que el curso AP Español que tomé era más fácil que su clase de Español IV porque ya sabia

los temas gramaticales y las habilidades fundamentales y pude enfocarme en disfrutar aprendiendo más sobre las culturas del mundo

hispanohablante.

¡Otra vez, muchas gracias por su enseñanza, y espero que Ud. y su familia disfruten el resto del verano!

Jessica Liu

PARENTAL TESTIMONIALS on classes and tutoring

I think what you have taught my daughter is invaluable - her grasp of Spanish is far better than what I expected from three courses. Your once-a-week meeting taught her more than most 5-days-a-week classes in traditional schools.

Your class has helped her not only with language, but also with developing excellent study habits.

She has worked harder in your class than any other academic class because your expectations are higher than any other teacher's. Kevin and I are delighted that she has had the opportunity to study with an instructor that inspires her to want to learn.

I have benefited tremendously too, having followed along with your lessons each week. For 25 years I wished to understand Spanish grammar and verb conjugations, but did not have the opportunity to study formally. I can now read the Spanish section of the church bulletin, with all the various verb tenses, and understand their meaning. Living in California, Spanish signs are everywhere and it’s delightful for me to recognize the conjugations, particularly the 3rd person singular imperative tense.

Elizabeth C

Mr. Leven has been a fantastic instructor for both of my homeschooled teenagers. My son spent four years in class with Mr. Leven and was able to converse with locals during our humanitarian trip to Guatemala. He scored high enough on the CLEP test to receive credit for 2 college classes, including a required 200 level course. My daughter struggles with dyslexia and dysgraphia, and following Spanish I we chose to continue with private tutoring. Tutoring with Mr. Leven has been a positive, supportive, and emotionally healthy experience! Her confidence in Spanish has blossomed. Mr. Leven’s guiding support has helped to alleviate her fear of language, both orally and written, and he has been willing to meet her where she is at any given week. Mr. Leven has accommodated her language difficulties while encouraging her to improve, grow, and take risks. I would highly recommend Mr. Leven for any level of Spanish instruction or tutoring!

Danielle C

Mr. Leven has taught Spanish to my four home schooled boys throughout high school, and he has been a phenomenal teacher. In class, he gave my sons lots of one-on-one attention and encouraging comments, and he was also available for additional tutoring on the side when they needed it. My kids all enjoyed his engaging teaching style and sense of humor, which made the classes a lot of fun. In addition, Mr. Leven is a rigorous educator, making sure students get their work done and really understand the material. Drawing on his many years of experience, he has devised very effective homework assignments and drills. His approach has led to great results; my sons understand, write and speak the language far better after studying under Mr. Leven than with other venues we tried.

Outside of the classroom, Mr. Leven has also been very kind to us. He even stayed in touch with the kids after they graduated and gave my oldest son a warm welcome and tour of Philadelphia when my son started college there. I highly recommend Mr. Leven for Spanish classes and tutoring!

B. Elliott

You have really made a difference in my son's homeschool experience. Thank you for all of your kindness, for guiding him through a year of wonderful Spanish, and for all the encouragement you have given him along the way. We are grateful for you taking on this tutorial relationship with him this year. Thank you, thank you!!

T Bryant

I wish you could have seen Meri converse with a server we had at a Mexican restaurant in Disney World a couple of weeks ago. I was so impressed with everything she has learned from you! It was like the floodgates opened- everything clicked- and she carried on a very organic, unplanned, lengthy conversation with this lady. I honestly think that whole experience was the highlight of her whole trip to Disney!

Take care,

Jen J

As a Spanish speaker, I wanted to be very careful with selecting a Spanish teacher for my son. Mr. Leven was an excellent teacher and was always very well organized. I’m so glad I found his class through other excellent recommendations. I was also very impressed with the book and website that he selected for this class Taking Spanish class with Mr.Leven was great for my son. Thank you Mr. Leven!

-Sonia de Leon Marie de Vega

Dear Mr. Leven,

I just want to let you know that L____is progressing in her Spanish studies, almost done with the first semester of Spanish 4 with ______Academy's private tutoring based in Antigua. She made a comment yesterday that she appreciated your in-depth understanding of both English and Spanish grammar, as sometimes her tutors are not able to answer more subtle grammar questions to her satisfaction.

______ Academy's Spanish 4 so far has been a solid review and practice of all the tenses you taught her; very little has been brand new material. All the instruction and instruction materials are in Spanish so that if Lucy had not had exposure to the subject in your class, it would have been more difficult to learn through their system.

Your classes were truly outstanding and laid an excellent foundation for Lucy. Her teacher really enjoys having her as a student.

Lu____ has delved pretty deeply into music (multiple instruments, multiple genres) so that my goal as a homeschooler is to free up time for music practice. For this reason, _________Academy has been a good fit because it does not require much time (pretty easy given her foundation) and at the same time it keeps her toes in Spanish.

Anyhow, [my husband} and I marvel at how unique and excellent your instruction was. The private tutoring through the ___________Academy system doesn't come close.

Elizabeth C

My daughter has been taking Spanish from Sr. Leven for 2 years and absolutely loves her classes!! She has advanced rapidly. I can’t emphasize enough how much difference his personalized approach has made for us. We are so grateful to have this opportunity for her to have such an individualized Spanish class. She was a VERY reluctant foreign language student but now has her sites set on being able to take AP Spanish before completing high school. Thank you so much for this amazing course! As a home-school mom I could never duplicate this important academic opportunity!

Shawna McCalip

Ray did a terrific job tutoring out daughter in Spanish III over an eight week period in the summer. In that time, they covered material that is normally taught over over an entire school semester. The weekly tutoring sessions started off with Spanish conversation, and, through the conversation, Ray was able to assess our daughter's progress and find the areas she most needed to work on. While the tutoring sessions were intense, our daughter felt like Ray was always friendly and encouraging. As well, he made himself available during the days off for questions, and he sent lots of practice material that our daughter found extremely helpful. Our daughter took the Spanish III subject matter proficiency test and passed with 90%! We could not be happier with Ray's tutoring and with the final outcome.

Hugh Davis

I really can't sufficiently explain how pleased we've been with our daughter's Spanish experience, and we chalk it all up to you! She was motivated to do her work each week and she came downstairs after each class with a smile. You made Spanish fun for her, and you were also her first "online class" experience, and it all went swimmingly. We are SO SO grateful for your teacher, your humor, and your high expectations for her.

Ursula H

As a homeschooling parent, it is my job to find the best teacher I can for subjects I can't teach. Ray Leven is the best teacher I could have found to teach my daughter Spanish. After two years in another online course, she couldn't communicate in Spanish besides catching a few words in a spoken conversation. As a tutor, Mr. Leven patiently brought her up to the level of Spanish knowledge needed to take his class. He worked around her summer camp schedule. He never let her despair and disappointment about being so far behind after taking Spanish for two years get in the way of his teaching -- he just let her take one concept at a time until she learned to be excited about the language again. As a teacher, his class was challenging; my daughter worked hard and learned a great deal about the Spanish language. She can now hold conversations with the Spanish-speaking people we meet and she has more confidence in her ability to communicate. I highly recommend Ray Leven as both a tutor and a Spanish teacher. Because he does his job so well, I can concentrate on other subjects because I know Spanish is being handled by a hard-working professional.

-Lesa P.

My daughter, who goes to a public high school school in Massachusetts, had a scheduling conflict between two honors level classes (one being Spanish) that were only being offered at the same time. She was quite upset at having to make such a choice and rather than have her miss out on taking an honors level course, she (at first alone and then her mother and I got involved) tried to work with the school to come up with viable options. At first we got nowhere, but I found Mr. Leven’s website and after speaking with him it felt like a potential solution. Although the school was initially somewhat skeptical to the idea, Mr. Leven—in addition to his impeccable credentials as a teacher-- was very active in conveying to the department head his flexibility in aligning what he was doing to fit their curriculum. That required, in addition to the formal class time, some one-on-one supplemental tutoring but Mr. Leven limited that to the appropriate amount he thought was needed to make this work.

However, aside helping us get approval for the course, the big thing about Mr. Leven is how outstanding a teacher he is! My daughter works very hard in his class but none of it is “busy work”. Rather than being obsessed with tests and grades, Mr. Leven’s approach is about making sure the kids understand what they need to learn to be proficient in Spanish (at the appropriate class level), and then he makes sure they learn it. My daughter is reporting how much Spanish she is learning this year, and we see it! She also greatly enjoys the small class environment Mr. Leven creates through the Skype-based course.

Not only does Mr. Leven provide superb Spanish instruction, his classes and the tutoring are also very reasonably priced.

I enthusiastically recommend Mr. Leven to anyone needing a public school alternative to Spanish instruction, or for supplemental tutoring!

-Howard Seidel

Our youngest son took Spanish I and II at our local high school and expressed a strong desire to complete AP Spanish his senior year. The only way to get five years of Spanish in to four years of high school was by using a program or tutor over the summer. Several members on a homeschooling forum recommended Ray Leven of Spanish Online Learning. Our son interviewed with Ray and worked with him through the summer as a private tutoring student. While our son had earned “A’s” in his public school Spanish classes, he found Ray’s work to be more challenging and decided to take his Honors 4 Spanish class the last school year (2014-2015). Our experience with Ray for both private tutoring and small class instruction has been rewarding.

Ray is an excellent instructor and, as our son says, his years in the classroom as an AP Spanish teacher are obvious. To be one of Ray’s students, it’s best if your student is willing to work hard, is committed to learning Spanish, and is comfortable with receiving criticism. While Ray is very encouraging, he also requires the student to “own” their work and be responsible not only for their academics, but for their communications with him as well. It also helps if you and your student appreciate a dry sense of humor, which we do. As is the practice of most good AP teachers of any discipline, Ray is honest in his assessment of your student’s progress and ability; we appreciate that trait as well.

Ray excels as a private tutor, but our son appreciates his small classes and the opportunity for conversation practice with other students. He feels there is more conversation practice with Ray’s classes than he received in his public school classes that met more frequently, but had significantly more students.One thing that may be uncomfortable for both parents and students initially is that Ray does not give grades unless you ask for them. As he explained to me, Ray believes most students have enough stress without worrying about their grades. We came to see the wisdom in this, when our son was on overload with AP classes this year and didn’t always do his best work for Ray. With the threat of a sliding GPA, many students would drop their foreign language studies. With the focus shifted from grades to fluency and Ray’s encouragement, our son took his skills to Spain for a month and is looking forward to continuing his work with Ray in the fall for his Honors 5 Spanish class.

Ray Leven is a more-than competent teacher who genuinely cares about his students and who creates a comfortable and inspiring relationship with them. We are happy to recommend Ray for classes and tutoring.

-Lisa Brady

As a semi-retired adult I began a new business in which some of my employees and many of my clients were of Hispanic origin. I heard about Ray's classes and hired him as a one-on-one tutor to help me communicate and bond- even in a small way.. Ray was excellent and extremely flexible with my varying business schedule and family obligations. I stuck it out for a year, studied, and was frustrated that I couldn't learn more. Yet even today, in my daily interactions with my employees and clients, my relations with them improved greatly. Just a few words about their family or life seemed to bridge gaps I could not imagine before learning with Ray. I recommend the tutoring option where possible; its flexibility fits a working adult's schedule and Ray makes the class fit your learning style!

-Dennis Coren

Thank you for teaching _______this year. Your course has been a fantastic opportunity. Your teaching has stretched him both in his Spanish skills, and also in his overall organizational abilities and academic independence. To be honest, he was terrified of the class in the beginning, but has learned a lot by persevering. So, thank you!

-Mary C.

I am not sure if _____told you that she plans to pursue a Spanish minor in college! She passed both CLEP tests for Spanish, which gave her 6 credits, and then she took the placement test at her college and placed into Conversational Spanish, which means she passed both levels of beginning Spanish as well as both levels of Intermediate Spanish. You certainly offer a quality program and prepared ____well!

Karena F.

Student Testimonials on tutoring

Mr. Leven’s tutoring over the summer was incredibly beneficial and prepared me well for Spanish 4. The online tutoring sessions were very interactive and filled with fun and creative exercises. The homework and online sessions made me much more confident with the Spanish language, allowing me to do well in Spanish 4. I would highly recommend tutoring with Mr. Leven to anyone who wants to take their Spanish skills to the next level and have fun at the same time.

-William Elliott

Before I studied over the summer with Mr. Leven (and then) took his class, I was not a confident speaker in Spanish, although I knew some of the language. I started with him in my second year of Spanish with limited ability to communicate even the most basic of needs. Now, because of summer tutoring and regular weekly classes with him, I speak what Spanish I know fluently and without hesitation. Mr. Leven's wit and jokes have made the learning process both interesting and fun. Anyone who takes this class and applies himself will learn the language quickly and well. I highly suggest taking his class; the work is well-worth it.

-Sara Wesley

I wanted to accelerate in Spanish to prepare for the Spanish 4 program in my school. Mr. Leven taught me two years of Spanish in just over one year. This year in my publlc school class, I am one of the top students.

-Jamie P

Señor Leven has been my tutor this year in Spanish one. Besides being a great and a caring teacher, he was able to be flexible in scheduling classes with me as I participate in activities and team sports with changing schedules. Sometimes we have class for one hour and sometimes more- depending on what’s happening in my life. This is why the tutoring option works best for me and my family. Señor L regularly assigns homework but it is meaningful and reasonable. I never feel it is just busy work. Class time is well spent and his sense of humor keeps everything moving. I will have learned way more Spanish by June with him than my friends learned in school. He’s a great tutor and I enjoy learning with him!

-Justin Restivo

I never learned so much as when Sr. L worked with me in private lessons. He explained everything and found ways to practice what I was weak in (which I thought was everything!). I think I have become a better student and not just a Spanish student.

-Alex W.

I decided to take Spanish Literature with Mr. Leven when I was coming into my senior year, having already taken AP Spanish, but looking to continue my studies of the language. I knew basically nothing about Spanish literature itself, but Mr. Leven took the groundwork of Spanish language understanding and created a structured (but flexible) course with a logical sequence. Each story or novel had elements and themes that contribute to the next, and each story was broken down into small parts to help the student really understand every aspect. My Spanish has improved, I've gained a new perspective on real, close, reading, I learned techniques in literary analysis which I know I will need this fall when I enter college, and I know can hold a conversation about Spanish literature -- in Spanish!

-Andy Laboree

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Testimonials for Honors Spanish 3 and 4 Courses

Before I enrolled in Mr. Leven's Spanish 3 class, I had little conversational fluency. It took only a few months with Mr. Leven for me to become a confident Spanish speaker. This class is rigorous and requires plenty of diligence to succeed, but the effort is well worth it. Each component of the class - from the vista online activities to the in-class conversational practice - cements the material in a unique, effective way. I've found the in-class speaking practice especially fun and helpful. Most of all, Mr. Leven genuinely cares about his students. He always encourages them and makes sure that each one receives individual attention and support. In short, I have really enjoyed this class and would highly recommend taking it.

-Steven Elliott

¡Muchísimas gracias por enseñarme tanto durante estos años de escuela, y por ser un profesor tan excelente! Sus clases siempre fueron divertidos, y sus tareas, aunque a veces difíciles, también fueron muy comprehensivos. Sin estas tareas, dudo que habría podido sacar el 4 en el exámen de AP. Los conocimientos que gané de asistir a sus clases, especialmente la capacidad de entender una lengua extranjera, me han ayudado en más maneras que puedo contar. ¡Espero que podré usarlos bien en la universidad! En ese tópico, ¡muchas gracias tambien por escribirme una recomendación de universidad! Fui aceptada, y logré ganar una beca también.

M. Gouling

I think what you have taught my daughter is invaluable - her grasp of Spanish is far better than what I expected from three courses. Your once-a-week meeting taught her more than most 5-days-a-week classes in traditional schools.

Your class has helped her not only with language, but also with developing excellent study habits.

She has worked harder in your class than any other academic class because your expectations are higher than any other teacher's. My husband and I are delighted that she has had the opportunity to study with an instructor that inspires her to want to learn.

I have benefited tremendously too, having followed along with your lessons each week. For 25 years I wished to understand Spanish grammar and verb conjugations, but did not have the opportunity to study formally. I can now read the Spanish section of the church bulletin, with all the various verb tenses, and understand their meaning. Living in California, Spanish signs are everywhere and it’s delightful for me to recognize the conjugations, particularly the 3rd person singular imperative tense.

Elizabeth C

Best class ever! Lots of work but it was important work and well worth it. Never did literary analysis in English classes, but we read great stories in this course and talked in Spanish about them. I really never imagined that I would be able to do this, but I can now. I especially liked the art project because I am interested in art in general. A great learning experience.

-Caleb T.

Testimonials for Honors Spanish 2 Course

"I have been exposed to Spanish for several years, through programs such as Rosetta Stone and Power Glide, but haven't ever really been able to speak it. I can say now that I am now capable of carrying on Spanish conversations with the Mexican kitchen staff at my workplace. The Skype face-to-face Spanish instruction was extremely helpful, and the variety and number of assignments on the website were as well (practicing hearing, writing, question-answering, and pronunciation). Señor Leven is a very patient teacher, and he was willing to explain difficult concepts multiple times until we got it."

-Grace Garner

This class was my favorite this past year. I learned so much and it was not as hard as I thought. I did all the work and the hour in each class went by so fast. I used my Spanish over the summer and was not at all afraid to ask questions to people I met who were Spanish. Gracias, senor Leven!

-Ellie Solomon

"As a homeschooler, I have had various Spanish teachers. Some were good with grammatical rules but class was not very engaging. Others were fun but I didn’t learn enough grammar to communicate well. I am so glad that my mother found Senor Leven because I am filling in all my gaps with the language and also learning a lot that is new. Actually, it feels like I am learning Spanish in a reliable and useful way for the very first time.

Senor Leven is a fun and engaging teacher. He supplements what we do with the textbook and encourages everyone to have good work habits and progress with confidence. It has also been fun to get to know him and hear stories from his life.

I look forward to Spanish class every week, and can’t wait to use my skills in a Spanish speaking country one day soon!"

-Josephine Stockwell

Profesor Leven's class is very enjoyable, and I learned a lot. Thanks to his class, after being confused for three years, I finally understand all the tenses and their uses. He has a lot of useful mnemonics that make memorizing the trickier details of tense usage and spelling changes easier to remember. After explaining a tricky topic, he always stops to make sure that he's explained it in a way that the class understands. The numerous in- class drills are demanding, but they really taught me to think on my feet. I'm currently preparing to take the Spanish CLEP, and, thanks to Profesor Leven, I'm scoring well enough on practice exams to easily achieve my goal of not having to take a foreign language in college.

-Christina Sanford

Senor Leven's Spanish 2 honors class was by far the best class of all my online courses this year. Learning was not difficult and there was no pressure because there were no tests! If you really want to learn how to speak in a small, friendly group, I recommend this class. So much better than any of my friends classes in public school. I will definitely continue with his Spanish 3 honors next year.

-Melanie Leary

To me it is hard to believe how much I learned in one year from Senor Leven. I was just an average student with the online Spanish learning programs, but his "live" lessons made me feel confident when I talked Spanish. I am back in a regular school now and everything seems so much easier Gracias.

-Joe Mancini

I can't believe I learned so much last year with Senor Leven. In my new school I am at the top of the Spanish 4 class! The work seems so easy and there is no pressure in this class, which I need because my other courses are demanding. Anyways, thank you for being a great teacher.

-Rick Rittenhouse

Testimonials for Spanish I Course

"I very much enjoyed taking Spanish 1 with Señor Leven. All of the lessons were very clear and understandable, and my parents have been impressed with how much I have learned this year, having had no previous experience learning Spanish.

Being able to see and hear Señor Leven and the other students during our skype classes made for a very friendly, non-intimidating classroom atmosphere to learn Spanish and practice with classmates. I have found that Señor Leven's drills and exercises during class times have really helped me to grasp all the concepts and understand the language. Señor Leven has high standards and expects his students to be diligent in learning and studying, but he is is very patient and full of encouragement, which I think has contributed greatly to my progress in learning Spanish this year."

-Stephanie Cavanaugh

Senor Leven's class is SO much better than the class I had in middle school last year, where I learned next to nothing. The homework was fair and helpful and all the explanations of grammar were practiced in class until everyone could do it. No assessments, no stress, YAY!

-Nick Reis

Señor Leven is a very effective teacher. Through his teaching, I have learned much more Spanish then I learned from taking a year of Rosetta Stone Spanish. His methods of teaching helped me to understand Spanish rather then memorize words. This is very important because once you understand the language, it is easier to speak it.

-Jonah Gunter

Ray's classes are efficient and very productive. He enforces vocabulary learned during the week by using flashcards and by asking students questions in Spanish, giving each student a chance to ask as well as answer many questions in Spanish in one lesson. My vocabulary has increased substantially in only a few months, and I now have much more confidence speaking Spanish.

-Jennifer John

I went to private school after two years of homeschool learning with Senor Leven. Not only is my new class boring, but it seems that I have already had what they are studying. The class will be an easy A for me, because I learned so much from Senor Leven.

-Kristen Y.

I was not looking forward to taking a foreign language because I as afraid it would be too hard to learn and to speak in front of other students. I was wrong. This class was fun and by the sixth class I was chatting away. This class changed my opinion of learning a foreign language.

-Rob Sinclair