The second interview that our colleagues from an agency that represents our courses did, was with our Spanish teacher Ángeles Guerrero. Some days ago we published the interview with Irene Cañas and in the next days we will publish the one with Marina Castillo when the translation is ready. We hope that her answers and tips on learning Spanish are helpful for you.
1. How long have you been teaching Spanish?
I have been teaching Spanish for two years, since I finished my university studies. While studying for my the master’s degree I had the opportunity to teach Spanish in Russia and there I discovered my passion for teaching my mother tongue.
2. Why learn Spanish?
Learning different languages is always a plus point in our lives. Spanish is one of the most important languages at this time and therefore the number of native speakers of Spanish and the demand for learning Spanish as a foreign language are constantly growing.
3. What do you like about teaching Spanish?
Overall I like everything about my job, but if there is something I have to emphasize, this is when students start with a very basic level and when they finish the course after a month they use different tenses, different expressions, longer sentences, etc. It’s very rewarding to be aware of the progress that the students achieve due to the work of the whole team.
4. What do your students most value in your classes and at the language school?
The Students who come to the language school value the closeness and trust from the team, and that includes teachers and principals. Regarding my classes, in my experience, I think my students appreciate the motivation and time I dedicate to the preparation of my lessons, so that everything becomes clear (or as clear as possible) and that the don’t feel insecure or “abandoned” if they don’t understand something.
5. Can it be easy and quick to learn a new language?
The degree of difficulty of a language and how quickly you can learn it depends on a few factors. Among them there is the motivation of the student. The higher the motivation and perseverance, the easier and quicker the student can learn the language. Or at least we can learn more things in less time if we are highly motivated and persistent.
6. What kind of activities are the most used in your class?
What I like most is to set up communicative situations of everyday life in class, but always inciting the students to discover the related structures, giving them a good grammar explanation and encouraging them to practice directly what they have learnt. The students greatly appreciate that the grammar thus becomes a living and practical part of the language.
7. What do you like most about your town?
I’m not from Prado del Rey but from Arcos de la Frontera which is 30 km away but I like to live here when I work at Academia Pradoventura. I enjoy going to the library to prepare my classes because I like the atmosphere there. In the streets and in the countless bars and cafes there are always a lot of people. I also like the view of the mountains of the natural parks that you can see from almost everywhere.
8. What sites do you recommend your students to visit?
As I am from Andalusia, I like to recommend cities and places where they can appreciate the history and culture of Andalusia, especially Seville, Cádiz and Córdoba as well as the charming towns and villages such as Ronda, Grazalema or Arcos de la Frontera.