(Jan. 4, 2005 - Jacksonville, TX) The BMAWeb—With Hispanics making up over one third of the population of Cherokee County, and with the number of Spanish speakers rapidly growing in Texas and throughout the United States, learning to communicate in Spanish is quickly becoming a necessity. To help people in the area better communicate with the ever growing Spanish speaking population, Jacksonville College will offer "Beginning Spanish Conversation I and II," short courses in the practical speaking of Spanish through the Continuing Education Department. The courses are designed for individuals who have had little or no previous Spanish instruction, and who are interested in learning basic Spanish conversation skills for business and/or for personal interests.  

Course sessions for Beginning Spanish Conversation I will meet each Tuesday evening from 6:30 to 8:30, January 25 through March 1. Classes for Beginning Spanish Conversation II will meet each Tuesday evening from 6:30 to 8:30, March 15 through April 12. The cost of Spanish I is $95 per person (textbook included), due no later than 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, January11. The cost of Spanish II is $75 for individuals who took the first course and $95 for everyone else, due no later than 5:00 p.m. March 1.  Only 35 people will be able to register for each course. Dr. David Heflin, Spanish professor at Jacksonville College, will be the instructor.

Heflin has lived an exciting bi-cultural life. In 1962, he moved with his missionary parents to the Central American country of Costa Rica. There, he learned the Spanish language through immersion, by attending an all-Spanish public school. Heflin received his doctorate in Spanish with a composite minor in Linguistics and Portuguese, from Texas Tech University in Lubbock.

Heflin enjoys teaching Spanish at Jacksonville College. His first-hand knowledge of Hispanic American culture helps Dr. Heflin correct misconceptions and stereotypes his students have about the cultures of the different Spanish speaking countries. He reminds his students that Hispanics will become a majority in Texas in just a few years, and many employers will look first for employees who are fluent in both English and Spanish. He stresses the importance of learning Spanish in order to witness and minister to our lost Hispanics in Texas.

Dr. Heflin will supplement the textbook with materials from Puertas abiertas a curriculum developed by Dr. Heflin's wife, Jenifer Thrall Heflin, who has her doctorate in Foreign Language Education from the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. David Heflin appears as Pepe Tropical on the Puertas abiertas videos. For more information about Puertas abiertas, visit the website for Heflin and Thrall Language Publications at www.language-publications.com . For more information about the Beginning Spanish Conversation courses, contact Dr. Heflin, at (903) 586-2518, or dheflin@jacksonville-college.edu.