Frequently Asked Questions: Bootcamp Online

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Interested in taking our Bootcamp online program, but have some questions?

We collected the most frequently asked questions about Bootcamp.

(ps, if you have a question that isn’t answered below, then drop us a message at support@baselang.com)

Schedule

Level

Teachers

Curriculum

Guarantee

Billing

 

Schedule

How soon can I start?

ASAP. Once you sign up, we’ll ask you for your preferred schedule and start date. While we’ll aim to get you started ASAP, the wait time to start classes can be anywhere from 5-10 days, depending on teacher availability. Of course, registering further in advance will give us more time to match you with a teacher and start classes on your preferred start date.

How many hours do I need to complete Bootcamp online?

Bootcamp online is an 80-hour program, with a fixed, regular schedule. Before starting the program, students can choose if they want to do the intensive option or the semi-intensive option.

  • The intensive option is 4 hours per day, 5 days a week for one month.
  • The semi-intensive option is 2 hours per day, 5 days a week for two months.

You will always have class at the same times, and with the same teacher.

You get to pick the hours.

Just let us know your preferred hours when you sign up, and we’ll match you with an available teacher.

Is there a more flexible option, if I want to do more hours on certain days or weeks?

No, Bootcamp runs on a fixed schedule. Once you start, you’ll have classes at the same times and on the same days throughout the entire program.

If you choose the intensive option, you’ll always have 4 hours of classes per day.

For the semi-intensive option, you’ll always have 2 hours of classes per day.

If you can’t commit to a fixed schedule, then we recommend our Real World program, which allows you to book classes on the fly, at times or days that suit you.

What days can I have classes on?

You must do 5 days of classes per week, but you can choose any 5 days of the week that suit you – including having classes on weekends, if that’s what you prefer.

How do I know there are Bootcamp slots available at the times I want?

You can choose any time from 6am to midnight Eastern Time USA.

When you sign up, we’ll ask you for your preferred times and then lock those hours in with a dedicated teacher for the duration of the program.

For the intensive option, each class will be 4hrs per day, and or for the semi-intensive option, each class will be 2hrs per day.

What happens if I need to stop classes during the program or re-schedule classes?

Once you start the program, your schedule is fixed as we’ll need to block book slots with your dedicated teacher for your preferred times.

Therefore it’s not possible to stop or change your schedule once you start the program. If you need to stop, take a break or reschedule due to unforeseen circumstances, then drop us an email and we’ll do our best to accommodate you. However, each request will be reviewed on a case by case basis.

I don’t have time – can I complete the program in less than 80hrs?

Honestly, no.

The Bootcamp program was developed specifically for students completing 80 hours, and so the method won’t be effective if the student doesn’t complete the required hours.

While we understand that life can get in the way and you may need to miss a class at some point, not completing all 80hrs would invalidate our conversational guarantee.

I need to complete the program in 2 weeks – can I do 8hrs per day?

While we’ve had some students do this in the past, it’s not recommended as 8hrs per day is likely to lead to information overload.  But if time is an issue and you wish to rush through the program, then we should be able to accommodate classes for you, for 8hrs per day.

However, doing this would invalidate the Bootcamp guarantee, since the program was developed for students taking a maximum of 4hrs per day.

Level

I have no experience in speaking Spanish – is this program for me?

Short answer = YES! We created Bootcamp for beginner students, which means that you need zero experience in learning or speaking Spanish to begin this program.

Do I need to do any preparation before starting Bootcamp?

No. Once you sign up, you’ll be redirected to a short survey so that we can find out the following:

  • Your current level (complete beginner/beginner/)
  • Your motivation for learning Spanish (travel, work, romantic etc)
  • If you have a preference for the type of teacher you want (age, gender, teaching style etc)
  • If you prefer to take the intensive 1-month option (4hrs/day) or semi-intensive 2 month option (2hrs/day)
  • Your preferred schedule (start date, days of the week you want classes on, hours )

After that,  we’ll match you with a dedicated teacher and confirm your start date and schedule for the program.

I’m not sure if I’m too advanced for this course – is there a test I can do before I sign up?

The easiest way to know if this program is for you is by asking yourself the following?

“Can I already hold a 30-minute conversation in Spanish?”

If the answer is “yes”, then this is not the program for you. We recommend our Real World program.

If you are not already conversational (or only know the basics), then Bootcamp will take you from beginner to conversational, guaranteed.

I’m already conversational – can I still do Bootcamp?

We will be releasing our intermediate program “Bootcamp II” very shortly, and this will be a natural progression for students who complete Bootcamp and wish to continue their studies and reach a more advanced level of Spanish. However, this version of the program is not available at the moment. For now, we recommend Real World.

 

Teachers

Do I work with multiple teachers or the same teacher throughout the program?

Bootcamp students work one-on-one with a dedicated teacher for the entire program. This ensures the teacher knows exactly where you are, your weaknesses, strengths and interests, which is vital for Bootcamp’ unique method to work.

Once you reach a certain point in the program, your dedicated teacher will encourage you to take additional “conversation classes” with other online teachers, though it’s not mandatory. There is no additional fee for taking as many extra conversation classes as you want.

What teachers can I use with Bootcamp?

When you sign up to Bootcamp, you’ll have the option to let us know if you have any personal preference for specific qualities that you look for in a teacher, and also your preferred hours. Once we know this, we’ll match you up with a teacher who fits your description (or is as close as possible).

What happens if I don’t like my teacher?

While this is unlikely, in the rare occurrence that you don’t like your teacher and wish to change, all you need to do is drop us a message within the first 2 days of classes, and we’ll arrange a replacement for you.

Curriculum

What is the difference between Bootcamp and Real World?

Both are very different, in several ways.

With Bootcamp, you have a fixed class schedule with a dedicated teacher. Once you tell us your preferred schedule, we lock those slots in for the entire length of the program. Since we guarantee that you’ll be conversational once you complete the program, you must follow our specialized curriculum designed to take you to conversational.

With Real World, you book classes on the fly with access to 100+ teachers. You’ll likely work with multiple teachers. Instead of having a fixed schedule, Real World students can book classes any time they wish between from 6am to midnight eastern time US. Real World students can choose to book classes at the last minute (often within 5 minutes), or up to 5 days in advance.

Now let’s talk about the curriculum.

People typically learn a language by learning a concept, seeing examples, and then practicing it.

Real World uses an optimized form of this standard model.

With Real World, we’ve:

  • cut down how much you need to learn,
  • rearranged the order in which you learn things, putting the most important and used things first and not sticking you in one tense for months when you need all of them,
  • and give you the volume of conversation practice necessary for things to stick, through the unlimited classes.

Essentially, Real World is a vastly improved version of the standard model.

But Bootcamp is fundamentally different. It’s a completely different method that flips the entire process on its head.

Instead of starting with the concept and examples, we start with practice. Each class, you go straight to *using* the new concept – without even having to understand it.

By using it over and over, guided by your teacher, you “get” how it works. You can use it. You can understand when people use it with you. All without any grammar explanations.

Now, this isn’t some “anti-translation” model. There is nothing wrong with translation at the beginning of learning something (it should become second nature after use). Just showing you Spanish and expecting you to understand it is a terrible idea, and doesn’t work.

With the Bootcamp method, you’ll still see what you are saying in English. You just won’t get a detailed explanation of the grammar behind it all, unless necessary.
Think about how you learned to speak your native language, as a baby – even though no rules were explained to you.

However, as a baby, the input is random and unorganized, so it takes a long time – several years – for you to understand the patterns of the language. With the Bootcamp course, you’re learning the same patterns – but in a structured way, so you learn in weeks, not years.

(side note: we can’t use this method with our Real World program as it requires you have one teacher the entire program, and fairly intensive hours. )

The end result is that we’ve found people learn roughly **twice as fast** with Bootcamp as they do with Real World (which is already one of the fastest programs available).

And we know it works, which is why we *guarantee* you’ll be conversational at the end of a month. No other course anywhere offers that guarantee.

You can read our in-depth comparison of Bootcamp vs Real World here

Can I try a Bootcamp class to see the difference between the Real World?

Technically, yes.

While Bootcamp doesn’t have a 7-day trial period like Real World, if you don’t like the program after the first day, then email us within 24hrs and we will provide you with a full refund.

If I choose the do Bootcamp in one month, do I still have access for a second month to practice?

No. Once you finish your Bootcamp program, you’ll no longer have access to our platform.

Guarantee

How can you guarantee that I will be conversational?

Bootcamp students are guaranteed to be conversational by the end of the program. No other program can offer this.

We’re able to guarantee this because we know it works. It’s a very tight timeline, and not something we or anyone else had previously been able to guarantee with old methods – no matter how optimized (like our Real World program). Because of the new method, we’re able to cut down the learning time even more than before, which is why we are comfortable offering such an extreme guarantee.

You can read the full terms of our guarantee here.

How do you define conversational?

Obviously, conversational is a subjective measurement. There’s not much we can do about that, and since we customize the course to your interests (primarily in the last week where we lean more heavily into vocab specific to you), we can’t make a standardized test to check.

We define conversational as being able to effectively have complete conversations in social settings, when talking about typical topics and your interests. It’s not always easy, but most things you don’t have too much difficulty with.

You won’t be speaking perfectly, but you’ll be able to communicate nearly any idea and understand the responses you get.

How do you test if I’m conversational?

We consider conversational to mean that you’ll be able to hold a 30-minute conversation, and speak about your interests, make small talk etc.

At the end of your program, your teacher will test you on this to make sure that you are competent in conversation.

What happens if I’m not conversational when I finish the program?

In the unlikely event that you aren’t conversational, we’ll provide you with two free months of Real World online (worth $298) to get you over the finish line.

Billing

Is there a Bootcamp trial?

Your first day of Bootcamp is essentially a trial. If for some reason you don’t want to continue, then let us know within 24hrs of your first class and we’ll cancel your program and provide a full refund.

Can I pay less to do Bootcamp for less than 80hrs?

No – the Bootcamp program is 80 hours long. You can choose to complete it in one month (4hrs per day) or in two months (2hrs per day).

However, you must complete all 80hrs of the program.

I’m a current Real World student – can I change to Bootcamp?

Yes, we’re working on adding Bootcamp as an upgrade option via the billing section in the Real World dashboard. For now, email us at support@baselang.com if you wish to change and we will manually change your billing, and switch you to Bootcamp.

I’m not sure if I can afford $1200 – is there a payment plan?

Yes. When you sign up, you can choose to pay over a four-month payment plan.

Instead of being charged $1200 upfront, you’ll be charged $325 per month x 4 months ($1300 in total).

(Students who pay $1200 upfront save $100)

I want to pay via the monthly installments – what happens if I miss a payment?

If you miss a payment or one of your payments is declined, then a member of our billing team will contact you to resolve the issue. If this cannot be resolved in a timely manner, then we will be forced to terminate the remainder of your classes.

Do you have a refund policy?

If you’re not happy within 24hrs of the first class, then you are entitled to a full refund. After this period, we cannot offer refunds.

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