It can be difficult to start learning. Firstly, you’re busy. Perhaps you work or study, maybe you have children, or a busy social life. Whatever your circumstances, it can be difficult to invest time in improving your language skills. So, here are my top tips to help you start. Think about why you want to […]
This is a really interesting question, and I can see both sides to the debate. So, why on earth should anyone learn Spanish, and pay for lessons, with me? I learnt Spanish from native speakers and felt the benefit. But I was also fortunate to be living in Spain and being surrounded by the language […]
Debunked: shown as false Long words are more impressive Definitely not! Using long words where they are not required is not only unnecessary, it can have a detrimental impact on your message. When you write emails, it is important to be clear and concise; using long words (or multiple words when one will do) can […]
I love YouTube. I have spent (and, at times, wasted) many hours watching videos of all sorts. It’s a great resource and I think everyone who has internet access should use it regularly. There are some fantastic videos for learning English (be cautious, however, as there are also some questionable ones), but I made a […]
Some students have said to me that “business Spanish” is a bit of a misleading concept in some ways, because it suggests something much more difficult than “normal” Spanish. Is the language of business that complicated? Not really! Ok, there may be some sector-specific vocabulary which you may not hear daily, and which requires more […]
I’d like to spend a bit of time talking about Spanish pronunciation, which is something I focus on in lessons. Developing an understanding of Spanish pronunciation, and practising it regularly is, to me, just as important a part of learning the language as grammar and vocabulary. And yet pronunciation is sometimes seen as an area […]
Interviews are always scary, but even more so when you have to speak in a language which is not your mother tongue. So, as a non-native English speaker, how can you succeed in an interview and prevent the nerves from taking over? Firstly, and most importantly, you have to prepare. You won’t know exactly what […]