Platiquemos (Let's Talk) was founded in 1992 by a retired Foreign Service officer who had spent over twenty years working in Latin American affairs, including tours of duty in Mexico, Argentina, and Ecuador.  As the Director of Counter-terrorism programs for the U.S. Government in Latin America, he also spent significant amounts of time in almost every Spanish-speaking country in the Americas. For more information about Platiquemos' chairman, and a message from him, click here.

The purpose of Platiquemos was (and is) to make the best known program to learn Spanish available to Americans of all walks of life. Starting in Pueblo, Colorado, Platiquemos now has programs available throughout the state of Colorado, and is expanding to other states. We have close links with Spanish schools in Mexico and Guatemala, and expect to have more soon.

We believe that we are uniquely able to offer effective learning opportunities at reasonable cost, and the capability to pursue those opportunities in the U.S. or abroad.

Since our mission is to help people learn Spanish, for us to do proficiency testing--other than informally for purposes of advisement about further study--would raise questions of conflict of interest.  Unfortunately, original FSI testing is only available if the taxpayers are paying--only available to certain Government employees.  The most reputable source of proficiency testing available in the private sector is Language Testing International, the exclusive licensee of the American Council of Teachers of Foreign Languages to award proficiency ratings based on the ACTFL scale.  The oral test (called an Oral Proficiency Interview) costs a reasonable amount, and can be performed by telephone.   They also offer written tests.  An ACTFL proficiency rating is awarded and documented for test takers.  We have no connection of any kind with Language Testing International; we just believe that people who really do speak a foreign language should have the support of documented proficiency ratings to distinguish them from the crowd of "self-assessed" language speakers.

If you wish to pursue the possibility of having your proficiency in Spanish (or any of dozens of other languages) tested and certified, click here.  If the results of your test show that you aren't at the proficiency level you need or would like to be, we'd be happy to work with you to design a program to advance you toward your ultimate goal.

Platiquemos history and philosophy
Biographic information of Platiquemos's author
Introduction to program - methodology, how it works
Proficiency: what it is, and what you can expect