I thought she was okay, she talks in spanish through the whole class.. but I'd recommend her to anyone who took more than 2 levels of Spanish in highschool. Pretty easy.

do not listen to the other comments! she is wonderful! I use to HATE spanish, but now I really like it and I could not ask for a better teacher. very clear, gives you chances to make an A, and very helpful. I am taking the next level with her!

she is great! always helpful, and trys to make it fun and does a good job at it. she really explains things enough so you can understand. she is one of my favorite professors that i have had here!

She is a good teacher, class isn't that hard, you do have to study for tests but as long as you pay attention in class you can make an A

She truly is a great teacher and is very passionate about what she does. There are a lot of quizzes, but the more she gives, the more she'll drop. Study guides to test really prepare you for the exams. I recommend her.

I thought she was a very good teacher. She likes teaching and explains everything really well. If you pay attention in class and do homework that she takes up anyway, you'll be fine. I would definitely recommend her!

if you can speak any spanish- you will be okay. she is very nice and fair, makes the class go by quick.

this class is really helpful if you want to major/minor in spanish. she is a very good teacher and a nice person. she always has a smile on her face that shows she loves what she does.

if you have to take spanish, take Balena. She is easy to understand, nice and her tests are pretty easy if you pay attention in class and go over the notes

VERY HOT! she makes class go by quick, posts the answers to homework on her website before it is due. there are few in class grades, but attendance is important b/c u get extra credit at the end of the semester if you dont miss any. you have to do 2 presentations in spanish in front of the class.

She's super nice. If you do your work, study a little, and go to class you are set to make a decent grade (A or B) in the class. I would recommend her to anyone. You also learn a lot as well...really enjoyed the class.

She's the best professor I have ever had. She's organized and helful. She really cares about her students, too.

She is really enthusiastic about teaching, maybe to much, and she reminds me of a sterotypical high school language teacher. Make sure to check her website before class and be ready for daily quizzes.

Like this class a lot. She is very organized and clear about assignments. Makes the class go by really fast. Highly recommended.

She was so wonderful! She loves teaching and is very entusiastic. Tests aren't too bad, but you have to study some. Easy to make a good grade though. If you have to take Spanish, take her...she even convinced me to change my major to Spanish. I love her!

Totally awesome professor. She is totally helpful. Go to class. Those 3 extra points are TOTALLY worth it. Always willing to go out of her way to help you understand what she's talking about. When you have to do your mini-drama, go meet w/ her about the script first so she can correct it first.

She's great. The class is hard but go and study and you'll be fine. She's got a body on her too. She's a FOX. She's very helpful if u need it.

AWESOME teacher. Possibly best teacher i've ever had in college AND K-12. VERY organized. Makes class fun and fly by.

If I hadn't had the class at 9AM, MWF I probably would have done better. She tries to make class interesting and she's enthusiastic and wants everyone to do well. Strict attendance and tardy policy though.

LOVED her! I hate Spanish with a passion, but she made it fun! If I was actually any good at the subject, I might have even made an A in this class. She's enthusiastic, funny, helpful and friendly- I HIGHLY recommend her if you're taking Spanish, especially if you don't like the language in the first place- she makes it fun!

Dra Balena is a very nice and is quite easy on the eyes! However, her 202 class is not easy. The tests are pretty hard and there is a composition that is 10% of your grade that you only have 50mins to write...

Dr. Balena is a GREAT professor. She is very funny and wants you to succeed. I would recommend her to anyone. She is so cute and always talks about her husband. She's young too and can easily relate to her students. I LOVEEEEEE HER!

Extremely hard if your slow/not good with spanish. There is sooo much work, but her teaching is crystal clear. You have to work to get an A. Really anal about things too. Go to class. She's no Rider, but she's better than the rest.

She is one of the best professors I've had. She loves her job and it shows. She will make you work for your grade but isn't that what we are paying for? I have learned more from her then I ever imagined!! SHE'S GREAT!!!

Awesome teacher, comming from someone who sucks at Spanish. I was worried at first, but she is very clear and helpful but you have to do the work. Quizzes are easy and test are moderate. Best Spanish teacher I've had and I might pull off an A- with the final. Take this teacher if you have the chance. She is not mean, just strict and helps a lot.

She is an amazing teacher. As long as you make an effort, go to class, and let her see that you are trying, you're golden! Even if you're bad at Spanish, she is so willing to help. Just follow the rules and try. =) She's wonderful!

I love this teacher. She is so helpful and is easy to understand. I highly recommend her as your teacher. She makes me want to actually learn the language. You can only miss 3 classes before she deducts points, but classes are short and fun.

I love Balena! She is so sweet and it's obvious that she loves teaching. She's extremely helpful and tries to make her class exciting. She also tries to make her students get to know each other in the class by playing games, etc. She makes Spanish fun!

Dra. Balena is a fantastic teacher! She speaks very clearly and is always willing to explain something more than once if you don't get it. She obviously loves to teach and wants everyone to succeed. She gives comprehensive study guides for her tests and does not give pop quizzes. I would recommend her to anyone!

Dra. Balena is a very good instructor. She speaks in spanish the entire time but uses hand motions to clarify. Her class isn't hard if you study and understand the basics of spanish. She is really sweet and funny!

great teacher! she spoke spanish the entire time but if you didnt understand, she would use hand motions and draw pictures to help you. i dont like spanish but i was able to make it through the semester with her. she offered help also.

She is so sweet and her class is not hard at all. Just participate in discussions and you'll get good grades. Love her!

This teacher is obnoxiously strict and sticks to her rules, you will never catch a break with her and she's completely impersonal. I would not recommend her.

She is amazing. She loves helping everyone, and will do everything to help. Take her!!

I took spanish in high school and it had been over four years since I had been in a spanish class- Balena is super nice and really cares about her students. Show up to class (trust me it's worth it, you will get extra credit) and do all the homework online, and you'll be fine. The quizzes are easy- the test are ish.

She is really nice, and she speaks in all spanish, but she uses lots of expressive motions to help make it understandable! I didn't have a very good spanish experience in high school so I find the tests VERY difficult for me, but for others it should be easy. Always come to class though, and be prepared to participate whether you like or not!

TAKE HER! She is such a good teacher and uses a really diverse method of teaching. We played games, did small skits, worked in groups, and had power points. She draws helpful pictures on the board and uses her hands a lot. She's funny and gives you exactly what you need to study! Class is in spanish but pretty easy.

Balena is awesome! She is one of the best teachers I have ever had. She speaks entirely in Spanish, but it helped me to understand the language better. Homework is easy and so are the quizzes. Tests aren't too bad as long as you study. She is always in such a good mood and she is so funny. Take Balena for Spanish if you can!!

Spanish has never been much fun for me, but Balena has a way of making it interesting. She speaks entirely in Spanish, but she's not difficult to understand. The summer session was very fast-paced, with homework everyday, but she always works with you to make sure you understand everything. Plus, she's entertaining. Definitely take her.

Ms. Balena is a beautiful person on both the inside and out. She is obviously very passionate about what she does and cares if you are learning or not. I highly recommend her.

Professor Balena is awesome! She really cares about her students. Although she speaks in Spanish, she's easy to understand and uses hand motions to convey meanings. Class is fast paced but not impossible.

Dr. Balena is an incredible teacher. She really cares about her students and is probably without question the best Spanish teacher I have ever had. She is hard, but if you go to class and study you will do fine. Definitely take Dr. Balena! The class is fast paced but very interactive...You will not fall asleep, trust me.

Dr. Balena is the best teacher I've ever had. TAKE HER CONVERSATION CLASS! She's helpful, hilarious, and so sweet. You will learn so much Spanish. Show up and participate and study for the few quizzes you have, and you'll be fine. Oral midterm and final and a final presentation and that's it. Take SPN conversation with her!!!

Not an easy A, but it is a great class! She truly loves to teach Spanish & it is very obvious. The online class had webcam meetings twice a week and she made them very fun. I've learned more in this Spanish class than I did in the 3 other classes I've taken (not at uncw). Awesome teacher! (ebook comes w MSL code, a paper copy wasn't required.)

Dr. Balena is AMAZING. I took this class over the summer and it definitely wasn't easy. She really makes you work for your grade but is definitely there for you in every way possible. Her lectures are always interesting and even if you don't want to, YOU LEARN SPANISH. Balena loves her job and it definitely shows through her passion for Spanish.

Hard class and expect a lot of Homework. However she is really nice and will be there for you if you need it.

I loved Balena's class! She has a way of including everyone in her lessons and is always there for you if you have questions. I would definitely take her again if I had the chance!

I took Balena over the summer for my last class at UNCW. She is a good teacher. If you don't like to do a lot of work, then don't take the Summer 201 class. We had at least 29 HOURS of work each week. The final is cumulative and it's worth 15%, so that's a bummer. It's a difficult class, she makes you work for your grade but you learn a lot.

Balena is great! Yes, there is a decent amount of homework but they are all on quizlet. A lot of group work in class, but she is always in a great mood and makes class enjoyable. I learned more in this class than any other spanish class ive ever taken. She is very willing to help and gives super detailed study guides for every test

course is somewhat easy as long as you dedicate time to it. everything you need to know is in the book but ofcourse Balena helps you understand the material better in lecture. chapter vocab quizzes, 3 tests and final. be prepared to be able to write solid concrete sentences for centro de conversaciónes and homeworks. overall class is good

By far my favorite professor at UNCW. She is very engaging and only speaks in Spanish but makes sure everyone understands before she moves on. There is nightly homework but it is never hard or time consuming. Her grading is usually lenient on papers. She is super sweet and I would love to take her class again.

Let me tell you, she is one of the best teachers I've ever had if not the best. You can tell she loves her job and her students. She cares if you understand the material and is more than willing to help you if you're falling behind. She does speak Spanish 100% of the time but she is very good at making sure you understand.

Spanish 201 online (summer) is more work than expected. Expect to put in at least 20-25 hours a week (if not more). Dr. Balena is a great professor and wants you to do great in her class.

Amazing Spanish professor! I love her. She speaks in Spanish the whole time, but she makes sure her students understand what she is saying. This actually helps a lot. She does online homework like everyone else but shes very nice. Best Spanish professor I have had since high school.

Tests & class contain material not necessary for learning language. Wish we focused more on the language/grammar itself instead of random vocabulary & spanish culture that will not be used in a conversation. Overall a great professor, passionate & makes sure everyone understands. Homework is the same in all sections. Take her & you will succeed.

So sweet and funny! She only speaks in Spanish during lectures so definitely would not recommend if you are not strong with listening to Spanish. Requires studying and practice to be successful. Lost of group work and participation. I would take her 1000 times if I could!

This class was very enjoyable. She made all the cultural very fun to learn. Also, her study guides are very helpful. Balena tells you exactly what you should expect on the test, no tricking students.

Sra. Balena is so sweet! She gives lots of online homework (about an hour a night) and gives lots of other assignments. She always posts study guides for tests which are SO helpful. She gives you lots of time to work in pairs to answer questions and do readings. I'm terrible at Spanish and I felt confident in her class every day. TAKE HER!!!!!

Dr. Balena is a really good professor. She explains everything so well and makes sure that everyone is understanding the material. She speaks in Spanish the whole class, but it's not that hard to understand because she speaks slowly. I 100% recommend taking this class with this professor because she's really good.

Dr. Balena is definitely a caring and fair professor that wants you to learn in her class. If you're looking for an easy A, don't take her because she gives A LOT of homework and quizzes (not on quizlet). She emailed me to tell me one of my assignments was wrong and let me redo it because she saw I just didn't understand the directions. Great prof!

If Spanish isn't your passion online is amazing, the lectures are entertaining, and dare I say I learned so much by paying attention because I wanted to catch her jokes in Spanish. Online courses have a lot of work expect 4-5 hours a week but, there are helpful tools such as Quizlet. Stay on top of your assignments and you will easily succeed.

Dr. Balena was one of the sweetest professors Ive had. She was extremely organized and caring. There is a lot of homework but its nothing too overwhelming. I felt bad because she asked me to take her next class, but I couldnt due to my major. I would definitely take her again though! Put in effort and show that you care and she rewards that.

Professor Balena was my favorite professor my freshman year at uncw. Shes so nice, always willing to help even after office hours, funny, interesting, and inspirational! Im now minoring in Spanish because of her. Her class is tough though and has a lot of time-consuming homework. Just put the effort in and youll be fine. Highly recommend!

Dr. Balena is a great professor - just not for beginner/intermediate classes. When she explains new material.. its in Spanish. So not only will you try learning the new material - you will also spend time trying to figure out what she said. She barely speaks english so if you need a slower teaching environment Dr. Balena is a no. LOTS of homework.

Dra. Balena is a person and a great teacher. I had her online and she was always energetic and passionate about teaching. She will always help you with anything however there is a good amount of homework. I suggest taking this class because of Mrs. Balena, however, be ready for a good amount of work each week.

Really good at teaching material, understanding person, does speak mostly in spanish during class but its not that bad. Lots of VHL homework but that's really it. I will say she has quite difficult tests. I would still take her again though cuz she is good at teaching material.

Wonderful woman! Lots of homework and you MUST commit to being in class, but as long as you dedicate yourself you will do great. There are also opportunities for extra credit! She takes time to explain things if you're confused and is so kind. Final isn't curved but there was an opportunity for +5 bonus points through duolingo.

I truly enjoyed Dra. Balena's class. The course covers lots of material very quickly, but Dra. B does a great job of explain things clearly. It is also evident that she really cares for her students. Personally, Spanish is not my favorite subject, but I looked forward to Dra. B's class. She also offers lots of extra credit, which saved my grade.

Balena is very caring and always upbeat. There is a lot of homework and I really had to work for my grade but it honestly was not that bad. Lots of extra credit opportunities and great study guides for tests. You have to buy online homework site and physical textbook. I came into SPN 201 with very little spanish knowledge and still managed a B.

Balena is sweet and cares a lot about teaching spanish. She's VERY strict on attendance tho, you can't miss more than 2-3 class days without it affecting your grade- however, she gives tons of extra credit opportunities (duolingo streaks count for extra credit points!). Tests are hard and you really need to study to pass. Strict but a good teacher!

An amazing and caring professor, she really wants you to succeed. However, attendance is mandatory and so is the very expensive textbook. Lots of homework, tests, and quizzes. But learning another language is a lot of work, so it makes sense. She gives a good amount of extra credit and feedback. Participation is a must, and she will call on people.

Ms. Balena is the best teacher. I do not like spanish but going to her class is enjoyable. Very interactive class. My class was hybrid so the homework was all online and most tests too. Slight class. Love

Dr.Balena was truly one of the best professors I have had at this school. The content of SPN 201 is definitely challenging but her study guides are incredible and basically an exact outline of the test. She made the course as easy and manageable as she possibly could and was always there if we had any questions or wanted to meet about the content.

Professor Balena was a great professor! She made the class entertaining, supplied some extra credit opportunities and was overall super encouraging. The exams are very difficult and theres a lot of homework, but as long as you attend class and study you will do well. She made me want to minor but unfortunately it wont work for me! Take Balena!!

Dr. Balena has been my favorite professor so far at UNCW. Her exams are super easy if you study. At times the VHL Homework can be tedious, but it will help with understanding the lectures. Dr. Balena is also very into class participation and having students do work in pairs, so be ready to get to know most of the people in the class.

Don't take her class if you don't plan on participating or going to class everyday. She's an easy grader and tries to make difficult lessons easier. Though there are a lot of assignments, and quizzes are closed notes, if you do the homework and study for them, you'll at least get a B. She looks at effort. I bombed my oral exam and still passed!

This class is tough, but Dr Balena is a great lecturer and really helps you understand the material. She also gives out a lot of extra credit.

Dr. Balena is a very lighthearted and caring professor. She tries to make things easy for you and makes sure everyone participates and gets practice with the language. Her class is always fun and full of energy. She is just a nice person to be around and lighten the mood of school. She also provides resources to get extra help if needed.

Profesora Balena was an amazing professor to have for SPN-201. Her classes were very interactive and participation-heavy. Her exams were also easy and, if you studied, you could do well on them. She also offers a bunch of extra credit opportunities for quizzes, tests, final exams, and your overall grade.

Professor Balena is a caring instructor who makes learning Spanish engaging. While the coursework is challenging, her study guides and extra credit opportunities help offset the difficulty. I found Unstuck ai useful for preparing for exams.

She is caring and enthusiastic and encourages participation and group conversation during lecture periods. She is engaging and gives us much practice speaking Spanish. She is gracious and patient with all students. She assigns homework but it helps tremendously with your understanding of the material. There are also several projects and exams.

Dra Balena is an excellent professor; I got placed into the test from the Spanish placement test even though I had not had a Spanish class in over 2-3 yrs so I felt like her class def has a learning curve. As long as you revise through the hw (seriously) you'll be fine, you can tell she loves her job and I love a teacher who actually cares lmao