Spanish beginners: module 1

My name is Montse and I am from Seville in the South of Spain. I have a Masters Degree in Bilingual Translation from the University of Westminster and I have worked as an interpreter and translator in both the public and private sector. I qualified as a Spanish Teacher and DELE Examiner with the Cervantes Institute and University of Roehampton, and I have been teaching Spanish full-time since 2016. The thing I love most about teaching is seeing my students progress and gain confidence.

Maria Isalt has a BA in Economic Studies from Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona and a Postgraduate in Education from OU. She has been teaching general and business Spanish for more than twelve years. She has a special interest in dyslexia and also delivers courses for the DELE official exams of Instituto Cervantes.

Adriana holds a qualification to teach adults. She has taught Spanish to adults and teenagers for more than 8 years at different levels ranging from beginners to proficiency, including GCSE exams, in groups and one-to-one lessons -face to face and online-. She has worked as a Spanish tutor in educational institutions such as City Lit; Bishopsgate Institute; Morley College, UK Government departments as DEFRA, and for agencies tutoring private students for well-known organizations namely BBC, Arthur & Gallagher, AON, AHJ, among others. She got a degree in Anthropology from the Central University of Venezuela. A career in which she developed her knowledge and passion about Languages and Culture. Additionally, back in her country she worked in cultural research in the publishing area, events organization and organizational structure.

My name is Keylor Murillo Moya and I am from Costa Rica. I studied Hispanic Philology at the Universidad de Costa Rica and I also have a Master Degree in Online and Distance Education from The Open University. Currently, I am at the final stages of my PhD in Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies at King's College London. I've been teaching Spanish as a foreign language for over 20 years, in the UK, Egypt and in my own country. I've worked for several higher education institutions in the UK and I've taught all levels of Spanish. Apart from languages, I'm also interested in literature (poetry, especially), philosophy and art. I do like to teach grammar in my classes, because I think that if you are learning a language you need to understand how it works and where it comes from. However, conversation and speaking are an obvious fundamental part of my classes and I always try to maintain a relaxed and friendly atmosphere among my students.

Analía is a native Spanish speaker from Argentina. She holds a BA and Postgraduate Diploma from Universidad de Buenos Aires. Since she graduated, she has taught English and Spanish language at various levels from Primary School to Adult Education in different settings. As a teacher, she has developed a passion for digital tools which she has incorporated into her teaching practice to enhance the students’ learning experience. Since June 2020, she has worked collaboratively with the Tutor Development Programme (TDP) to plan and deliver tutor training sessions about teaching online as well as student inductions to support students with different digital tools. Analía has recently received the Inspiring Teacher of the Year Award at City Lit. This award recognises tutors who have provided a high-quality online learning experience, demonstrated exceptional knowledge of their subject matter, and provided a memorable classroom experience.

Roberto was born and grew up in Madrid. He decided to become a language teacher because he is passionate about his language and culture. He has a Post-graduate Diploma in Teaching Spanish from the University of Barcelona and a Certificate in Advanced Methodology moderated by the University of Cambridge. He is also a DELE examiner and a qualified teacher trainer. As well as teaching at City Lit, Roberto teaches at London universities and Spanish schools. He has been teaching adults at all levels for many years, which he finds motivating as they share their knowledge, experiences and points of view. When he is not teaching, he enjoys reading historical novels, gardening and cooking.

Rosa holds a PhD in Spanish Visual Arts and Politics and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). She currently teaches Spanish language and cultural courses at the University of Sussex and at Hammersmigh and Fulham Adult Education Skills Centre and has taught at Kingston University over a decade. Her research focuses on Spanish and Latin American visual culture, political communication and the relationship between art, media and power. She has taught Spanish language, translation and modules on Spanish and Latin American culture and politics.

Dr. Óscar Salgado-Suárez teaches Spanish language and cultural courses at Birkbeck, University of London; Imperial College and City Lit. His cultural research interests are 20th and 21st Century Spanish and Latin American visual and literary representations with a focus on storytelling, affects and humour studies in relation to historiography, national identities and power formations.