a different
kind of map.

I desire so strongly to be a helper. That’s something i’m very passionate  about.
How can i give back to my community and connect with more people.
It’s so important for me
I have come to realize that a big part that’s been missing for me in connecting with people - is learning Spanish.
Especially being from Houston, i grew up in a predominantly Mexican community, and I always lacked that connection, and so being able to attend CSL classes has opened up that opportunity for me to be able to connect with more people, connect with students who are passionate about learning Spanish and learning about the Hispanic culture… that’s something that’s very near and dear to me. It’s been very encouraging and motivating. 
…. I’m super grateful for CSL and the community that has given and provided for me.


So to be very honest, I’m just not disciplined enough on my own to learn Spanish. I tried downloading the apps, watched Youtube videos; where do I start? There are so many avenues of learning .. 
Finding CSL has been such a big help. I just walk into a classroom, and the teacher tells me exactly what I need to do and learn. It’s been really helpful in building my confidence; I would say that’s the biggest part because it has taken the pressure off of me. I’m learning at a pace that works for me. I don't’ feel that pressure that I have to learn Spanish in a certain amount of time. 
It helps me be encouraged by other students who are taking the classes with me. 
It challenges me - you know, they start speaking to me, “I’m like, they know more. I need to learn more!”

That accountability helps = coming to a class each week. Being plugged in where you know people’s names; It empowers me to keep going. 

I am so grateful for CSL and all that they’re doing in the community.
 

 CSL really does fill a need in Chattanooga for language learning for children as well as adults.


My children used to attend an international language school in Atlanta. We moved up to Chattanooga about 3 years ago. Their language learning needs just were not being met, so CSL really has filled that void and allowed them to continue their language learning and growth.

I began my own French language learning journey a couple years later, spending 30 minutes a day learning independently with an auditory program I found online. I did this for about 5 years; but everything changed when my wife, kids and I traveled to France in 2019 for 6 weeks during my wife’s graduate program. Shortly after arriving in the country, I had a disappointing moment at a restaurant where I couldn’t understand the server at all, even after 5 years of personal study. 


This experience   
w o k e   m e   u p 
to the reality that if I wanted to grow in French proficiency in a sustainable way, I needed a community to learn with regularly and an expert guide.

I spoke with my mother-in-law, Janet, a language learning extraordinaire who connected me with her colleague Claire at Chattanooga School of Language. On the first day of my new French group class, Claire led us in a listening exercise that would help her determine our current abilities. After the exercise, I actually lied and said I understood about 60% of what I heard. In reality, I only understood about 25%!


I was   
e m b a r r a s s e d 
that I hadn’t made the progress I was hoping for, even after all of my years of independent study.

Since joining Claire’s class, my French comprehension has spiked considerably, and I feel more confident in the language than ever before. In February 2022, my family and I took another trip to France, and I was thrilled that I was able to comprehend almost every conversation I heard. Even though I still need a lot of work in my speaking skills, I know that I am in the right place to grow over time. 

Classes at CSL have made a big difference for me because I have a guide who is a native speaker and expert who has made improving in the language practical, scalable and realistic. 


Claire is the best teacher I have ever had…
f o r   a n y t h i n g .
CSL and its teachers are ready to go the long road with people, encouraging them in what is possible and actually helping them achieve their goals over time.

For me, connection with people is one of the most important and beneficial things about being a student at CSL. Interacting in French for 2 full hours every Monday night for almost 3 years with some of the same people has changed my life, and I am confident that the relationships I’ve made will last. 

I currently work at Hope for the Inner City, a nonprofit in Chattanooga. Big talks are happening right now about how we can bring unity in Chattanooga, especially after the pandemic.


Unity isn’t actually happening in most places in our city;
but I see it each week at CSL. 

CSL is a symbol of the kind of relationships that can actually be made in our community as people from different age groups, socioeconomic backgrounds and races come together to learn and build relationships across lines that typically divide us.