Motivated by updated state education requirements and a strong desire for community, Glendale Community College students are filling SPA 101 classes to capacity this semester. Led by main Spanish Professor JT Abraham, 22 students per section are returning to physical classrooms following a post-COVID decline in language enrollment.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, higher education had been experiencing a massive shift toward virtual instruction. For learning a new language, many students were turning to popular language tutoring apps such as Babbel or Duolingo. However, independent software often falls short when it comes to conversational fluency, real-time feedback, and authentic social interaction.
Professor JT Abraham highlights that students are actively getting back into seeking out the structure and connection that only a face-to-face, in-person classroom setting provides. “I think that students are coming back to in-person classes because they are seeing that online does not meet all their needs,” Abraham noted. “They might want to have the experience of learning from a professor in a classroom.” “They also want to get to know other students and have a community.”
The refueled interest connects directly with the new structural academic requirement updates across the state. “Also, the requirements for the Arizona General Education Curriculum changed, and languages became one of the classes that meets requirements,” Abraham explained.
With policy incentives and student motivation connecting, faculty members hope this initial wave will carry forward into higher-level coursework. “The 101s are full, and it seems like students are interested again,” said Abraham. “Hopefully, they will continue all the way through.”
With 22 students filling the rosters in SPA 101, according to official Maricopa Community College class listings and Abraham, GCC’s world language department is optimistic that this semester’s strong start marks a long-term revival for humanities classes on campus.
If you are interested in enrolling in Professor Abraham’s Spanish 101 class, you can get a hold of him by email at james.abraham@gccaz.edu. You can also get a hold of him by phone at 623-845-4609. You can enroll by going to the find-a-class website. https://classes.sis.maricopa.edu/?keywords=101&institutions%5B%5D=GCC02&terms%5B%5D=4266&subject_code=SPA&credit_career=B&credits_min=gte0&credits_max=lte9&start_hour=&end_hour=&startafter=&instructors=
How useful was this post?
Click on a star to rate it!
Average rating 5 / 5. Vote count: 2
No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.
Hello Ian! I really liked the topic you picked to cover for this blog post. I took an online SPA101 class a few semesters back and it holds a special place in my heart, so this was definitely an interesting read for me. In your initial statement, I am getting that the “when” would be this semester and the “where” would be the physical SPA101 classroom(s). To make this “when” part a little more specific, maybe you could say something such as “the 2026 fall semester”, just to immediately give it a bit more relevancy in people’s minds. The “where” could potentially be expanded on just a bit, maybe providing a specific building or classroom number, but I think it serves its point fine as is. I like how your article discusses the differences between online and in person classes, what one can offer that the other cannot. The quotes also address both academic and campus life which covers a wide range of territory and informs audiences multiple benefits surrounding SPA101 courses. At the end where you offer more information, rather than saying “If you are interested in enrolling in Professor Abraham’s Spanish 101 class,” you could say “To learn more about Spanish 101 classes, you can contact Professor Abraham at *insert email* or *insert phone number*.” This would make your words come across as less promotional and more informative.