A good way to "prove" your Spanish skills: the DELE

I noticed while working on the don Quijote Weekly Lesson this morning that the last 2006 exam date for the DELE is quickly approaching.

Whether you want to certify your Spanish proficiency for your CV, for your employer, or just for your own sense of accomplishment, the DELE (Diploma de Español como Lengua Extranjera) is the internationally recognized way to do it. The last 2006 exams for the Initial, Intermediate and Superior levels of this official certificate of achievement in Spanish as a foreign language take place November 24.

Here's a quick description of the DELE:

The DELEs (Diplomas of Spanish as a Foreign Language) are the official accreditation of the degree of fluency of the Spanish language, issued and recognised by Spain's Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport.

The Instituto Cervantes is the institution in charge of organising the exams, while the University of Salamanca is in charge of the preparation, correction and final evaluation of all the tests.

The DELEs are divided into three levels depending on the language level:

We'll be offering preparation courses at all 3 levels in every don Quijote destination, with start dates from October 23 (for 4 weeks of preparation) to November 6 (for 2-week preparation for Intermediate and Superior levels). An organised prep course is a great way to arrive at the exam confident, prepared, and ready to perform well. And to leave with the certificate you came to Spain for - and can proudly post on your CV.

The don Quijote website includes a short description of the DELE preparation course.