Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on June 3, 2019

All applicants aged 18-70 who are citizens of non-Spanish speaking countries must pass two Spanish exams given at an Instituto Cervantes in Albuquerque, Seattle, Chicago, New York or Boston called the DELE A2 and CCSE.

Individuals from Spanish-speaking nations or those born in Puerto Rico only need to pass the CCSE.

Important Information for Dual Nationals living in non-Spanish speaking nations

If an individual holds two passports, one from a Spanish-speaking country and one from a non-Spanish speaking country, and was born in a Spanish speaking country, s/he can elect to only take the CCSE, but then must undergo two background checks, one from each nations federal police, as well as a local background check from the state or region where they currently reside if they have lived there for less than five years.

If an individual has lived in a non-Spanish speaking nation for over five years, s/he can undergo the background check of that nation only. Individuals who only hold passports from a non-Spanish speaking nation, but were born in Latin America should consult with an attorney.

Applicants with significant disabilities may receive an exemption with a doctors note that has been translated into Spanish and has an apostille affixed.

Here are thedatesof the Spanish language (DELE A2) and civics (CCES) exams that will be held at the Instituto Cervantes in 2019. We strongly recommend preparing for these exams and signing up as soon as possible, as space is limited for these exams.

Albuquerques Instituto Cervantes is particularly helpful. Here is its website: http://albuquerque.cervantes.es/en/default.shtm If you have questions or you need to pay the fee for the test in New Mexico, please contact Manuel Gonzales at505-724-4777or adx2abq@cervantes.es.

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CCSE (Civics)EXAMS

ExamDate Last Day to Sign Up

May 30, 2019 May 9, 2019

June 27, 2019 June 6, 2019

July 25, 2019 July 4, 2019

DELE A2 SPANISH (language) EXAMS

ExamDate Last Day to Sign Up

July 12, 2019 May 16, 2019

Note: Results for the DELE A2 takes four months to attain. In order to receive results more quickly, please indicate on your registration form that you are taking the exam for the Sephardic citizenship program. Results for the CCSE take one month.

Many of you have asked for advice about preparing for the two exams required for Spanish citizenship. Here are some helpful hints, based on my own experience.

First Stop: Visit an Instituto Cervantes in Albuquerque, Seattle, Chicago, New York, Boston, or Miami

If you live near an Instituto Cervantes, please contact them first. The branch in Albuquerque is friendly and helpful. You can call them if you have trouble reaching another branch.

If you live far from an Instituto Cervantes, you may still want to contact your nearest Instituto Cervantes to ask for a placement test (to see how intensively you will need to prepare) and also for any recommendations they may have for instructors and classes in your city.

CCSE: Conocimientos constitucionales y socioculturales de Espana

This is the civics exam which expects a basic understanding of Spanish law, society, government, history, geography and culture. It is a brief multiple-choice exam with 25 questions. Applicants need to study a 100-page booklet with 300 potential questions.

The book is written in Spanish, and there is no English translation, though there is a lexicon of key words in a series of languages.

It is not a difficult exam, but one must read through all the material and questions carefully, and study the correct answers. It is a brief test, and almost everyone finishes within 30 minutes. Study the whole book carefully, and memorize the answers if you need to. The test is a very interesting windowinto Spain, and it will also help you with the reading comprehension section of the DELE.

Link on how to prepare for the CCSE:https://examenes.cervantes.es/es/ccse/preparar-prueba

Exam preparation booklet for the 2018 test:https://examenes.cervantes.es/sites/default/files/ccse_manual_2019.pdf

DELE A2: Un Diploma de Espanol

This is a far more serious exam, in that it expects an intermediate level of written and spoken Spanish. Applicants take a four-hour exam (with breaks between each of the four sections, be prepared to stay from 8:30 am to perhaps 2:00 pm) which measures the ability to read, listen, write and speak Spanish. This test truly seeks to measure your ability to use straightforward, feet on the ground Spanish. There are no trick questions.

It is a European exam, akin to the International Baccalaureate, and so if you have only taken US examinations, you need to be familiar with the format of the test. This is crucial. Do not go into the exam without preparation, even if your Spanish is strong. You canbuy preparation books for the DELE A2. Please take practice tests until you feel very comfortable with the format.

I took classes for six months at the Instituto Cervantes, and then hired one of their instructors to tutor me for the last two months. I took a lot of practice tests. That made a big difference for me.

Two sections are for understanding language: reading and listening, and two for transmitting information: writing and speaking. Figure out your individual strengths and weaknesses, and practice the weak areas as much as you can. Be prepared to listen to the Castilian Spanish accent, and prepare for the way that the oral exam is structured, so that you wont be surprised. For reading, the CCSE booklet is actually a very good start, and for writing, practice writing short essays, emails to friends, basic verb tenses and vocabulary.

Link on how to prepare for the DELE:https://examenes.cervantes.es/es/dele/preparar-prueba

More detail on each section of the test: https://examenes.cervantes.es/sites/default/files/guia_examen_dele_a2_0.pdf

I would buy the DELE A2 prep books (available on Amazon) published by either Edelsa and Difusion. Difusion has more general grammar and vocabulary help, but my teacher used Edelsa, and some of the oral questions were verbatim.

DELE Prep Classes via Skype

If you dont live in easy access of an Instituto Cervantes and your Spanish is not strong, you will need to attend classes or hire a tutor. There is a way to hire a tutor via Skype. This is a good option for people who live in rural areas with few Spanish teachers available. It is also good for folks who travel a lot and may not be able to attend classes in person every week.

Skype Spanish Lessons with María

According to Luis Portero, the reviews they post give a feeling for the methods.

Individual tutorials may be as low as $10 per hour.

Intensive Class in Spain

We received this recommendation from one of our applicants, Elizabeth A.

For anyone you know who is interested in power-learning Spanish, I had an amazing experience at my Spanish school and cannot recommend it highly enough. They have a special two week package that includes DELE A2 prep. For me it was 765 Euros for the two weeks, which included five hours per day: a grammar class, a conversation class, and a semi-private DELE class daily AND INCLUDES a private room in a student apartment which was beautiful! It also includes daily group activities which the students tend to take advantage of so there becomes a feeling of community and more opportunity to speak. I found the school to be amazing and would do it again in a heartbeat.

It is:

For other interested folks,I did not speak a word of Spanish as of November 2017. I then studied mostly on my own using Babel and Memrise and then this two weeks in Granada made all of the difference. I had met with a Seattle tutor maybe 6-7 times, but he wasnt a great match so it wasnt super helpful in the end. Escuela Delengua in Granda was everything.

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Exams - Sephardic Heritage Certificate

Category: Sephardic
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