STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

Cultivate your Spanish speaking skills and season them with a little history and culture when the Hailey Public Library offers Neighborly Spanish.

The free eight-week course will be held from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Mondays Jan. 22-March 18 at Hailey Town Center West, 116 S. River St. It will be taught by retired Spanish teacher Jim King.

Enrollment is limited to 20. To register, email Kristin.fletcher@haileypubliclibrary.org.

The library offered the class last winter to great acclaim, said Kristin Fletcher, the library’s education and engagement manager. This year’s classes are a half-hour longer and the number of classes has been increased to allow for more practice time.

“Many people in our community want to learn enough Spanish to be neighborly and this series has proved to be a fun way to do just that,” she said.

The class is designed as a beginner’s class, but intermediate speakers will benefit, as well, said Fletcher.

“Jim has a warm and welcoming way of teaching Spanish and sharing about the diverse cultures he so obviously loves and respects. What better way to spend an hour or so than learning Spanish in the dead of winter!”