Conexiones: Building Bridges Through Language
As many of you are aware we are now a few weeks into our first Spanish Connection Class. Today, we have ten students and have been enjoying this weekly time together. Each Tuesday night has been filled with laughter, fun and learning. For those who are in the first cohort of Spanish, we are hoping to continue with the class as long as there is interest
All that said, we are excited to announce that we are currently in the planning stage for our next round of offerings, as we have been overwhelmed with the community interest and desire of our neighbors to be a part. In a nutshell, we are looking at these classes as six week journeys to help our community not only learn (relearn for some of us) another language and connect across cultures and languages in a relaxed, encouraging setting. Each session runs about two hours, and no prior experience is needed—just curiosity and a willingness to learn together!
It has been our hope to keep these programs either free or extremely low-cost. As we look towards are next round of offerings, we are looking for additional space options in hopes of keeping our overhead costs at a minimum. We have also heard a lot of feed back from folks who might be interested in courses beyond Spanish, and into other spoken languages or ASL. We have even have conversation about offering these gatherings via Zoom or the like.
As we play catch up with the wider enthusiasm of our neighbors, I encourage you to reach out and let the Center know of your interest in being a part of the next round of classes, any thoughts on what might interest you, and the like. If you are interested in reserving a spot, space is limited, let us know by reaching out to us via email at information@monadnockministry.org Let’s keep building bridges—one conversation at a time.
This is a beginner-level Spanish language course designed for students who have little or no prior Spanish learning experience. Students are introduced to the four basic language skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing, as well as to Hispanic cultures. The class meets together for 2 hours per week for six weeks.
Upon completion of this course, students should be able to carry on basic conversations in the target language as well as read and write short passages using the structures learned.
- Guide to Pronunciation and alphabet (sounds, stress, accents).
- Basic greetings and expressions (hola, buenos días, ¿cómo está?).
- Elements of a sentence: subject pronouns (yo, tú, él…), word order.
- Nouns, articles, adjectives (gender/number agreement).
- Ser vs. estar in simple contexts (introductions, location, feelings).
- Hay + interrogatives (¿qué?, ¿dónde?, ¿cuándo?), days, months.
- Numbers, family, common vocab (from early word lists).
- Regular present-tense verbs (-ar, -er, -ir) with a handful of high-frequency irregulars (tener, ir, querer).
This is a free Spanish class, open to all. There is no charge for the class or the materials
Ultimately, this is more than learning words—it’s about understanding, building bridges, investing in connection, and celebrating the diversity within our community. Included in the this offering is a pdf version of our text book at no cost to the student. Although this was an idea born in the day to day life of a group of churches, all are welcome to attend.
If you want to purchase a paper version of the book you can visit Amazon or any book seller, and ask for: TheComplete Spanish Step-by-Step. McGraw-Hill Education, 2016 Bregstein, Barbara.
Print version: ISBN 978-1-25-964341-5 (MHID: 1-25-964341-7)
eBook version: ISBN 978-1-25-964342-2 (MHID: 1-25-964342-5
The classes will run 6-8pm Tuesday evenings, at the Buckminster Room of the Hannah Grimes Center in Keene, New Hampshire from 10/14-11/18/2025
Meet Grettel - Our Instructor
Grettel Ortiz Quirós was born in Costa Rica and holds advanced training in education. She earned the Bachillerato en Educación con énfasis en I y II Ciclos (equivalent to a U.S. Bachelor of Education in Primary Education) from the Universidad de las Ciencias y el Arte de Costa Rica, as well as a Licenciatura en Docencia (equivalent to a U.S. Bachelor of Education in Teaching) from the Universidad en Ciencias Administrativas San Marcos. Her academic preparation was officially evaluated in the United States and recognized as comparable to nationally accredited degrees. Professionally, Grettel has dedicated herself to working with students both in Costa Rica and the United States. Most recently, she served at Fall Mountain High School during the past semester and currently works at the Children’s Learning Center in Keene, New Hampshire. She stepped away from her previous role in June 2024 due to health concerns, workload, and challenges related to her developing English proficiency. Grettel describes herself as an empathetic and genuine educator who strives to work with integrity and dedication. While she acknowledges her English remains at a basic level, she finds ways to communicate effectively with students and colleagues. Her passion is to create authentic connections and support the learning and growth of every student in her care.
TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT
Send your name directly to: information@monadnockministry.org
We will reach out and confirm your space.
CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT
Participants who complete this course will be awarded 1.2 Continuing Education Units (XCEUs). One CEU represents ten contact hours of participation in an organized continuing education experience, under responsibile sponsorship, capable direction, and qualified instruction.
One Sunday morning, after church, a conversation was had at one of the churches I serve. A worshipper was lamenting the disconnect and vitriol that has formed over the last decade around immigration. The parishoner said that churches should take the lead in repairing those gaps. She said “We should offer a way to connect cultures – like a language class.’
Later that morning, at a second church, I mentioned the conversation in passing to a couple of council members. Both said, “I’d do that!”. When I mentioned it at the third church a week later- as a consideration for a fresh mission of connection, presence, and fellowship- several folks said “I’d join too”. The seed was cast and planted.
Finally, as I was putting the pieces together, and searching for leaders, several community members – not affiliated with any church – said sign me up. They enthusiam has been contagious. Ultimately, Conexiones (Connections in Spanish) had developed a life all its own. We have had partners reach out to us, saying they would help, enroll, offer space, and even suggest future topics (such as ASL).
We invite you into this new mission of connection, bridge building, relationship, and education!
~Scott.
(The Executive Director of the Monadnock Center and Methodist Pastor Serving SW NH)
While the course is provided to students free of charge, the program itself is made possible through the generosity of the sponsoring organizations, who invest time, resources, and volunteer energy to make these classes accessible. If you would like to support this effort, we gratefully welcome free-will donations. Your gift helps offset the costs of materials and ensures that we can continue offering high-quality language learning opportunities for our community.
Your tax deductible donation can be made here:
https://monadnockministry.org/contact-us/