What I ask of you
24 hours' notice
If you need to cancel or change the lesson, let me know 24 hours or more ahead. That way there is a good chance someone else can book the slot, and it is what I appreciate most.
Before your trial lesson
You've booked a trial lesson with me. Before we meet, I want to tell you how I teach, what you can expect from me and what I expect from you. It's five minutes of reading that make the first lesson much better.
01 The idea
When you learn Spanish you don't add one more fact to your life. You open another way of living it: ordering a coffee without thinking, understanding your neighbours, joking at a dinner, signing a contract without fear.
That takes time and has no shortcuts. What does exist is a good path, and someone to show it to you.
I am the light that shows the path. You are the one who walks it.
I can show you where to go, in what order and why. But nobody can take the steps for you. The people who get furthest aren't the ones who are “good at languages”. They are the ones who come back every day, even for a little while.
What I bring
What you bring
02 Where progress happens
A lesson lasts 50 minutes. A week has 10,080. What you do between one lesson and the next matters more than the lesson itself. That is why we work with one simple rule: at least 20 minutes of Spanish every day.
At least 20 minutes a day. That is what really makes the difference.
The lesson gives you the map. Those daily minutes are the kilometres.
They don't have to be heroic: a few flashcards, an audio, the homework we set in class. What matters is that they are daily. If right now you can't manage even 20 minutes, it is better to wait for a better moment. I say this with affection: I would rather you start when you can truly move forward.
03 How I work
I don't improvise each lesson. I follow a route by levels, from A1 to B2, designed so that every step rests on the one before. That way you always know where you are and what comes next.
We talk about you, your goal and your level. We try out my way of teaching so you can see if it fits you. I also see whether I fit you.
I propose a path with a logical order and clear goals, based on where you start and where you want to get to.
Every lesson starts with “by the end, you will be able to…”. First you listen and observe, then a short explanation with tables, guided practice and, at the end, a task to speak for real.
A short piece of homework every day and flashcards to review with spaced repetition. It is what turns what you see in class into something that is already yours.
We check together what you can already do. If something isn't working, I change the approach. I don't ask you to change.
What changes
I want to speak
More time speaking and more real situations. We practise dialogues and role plays, and grammar comes in when you need it to say what you want.
I want to understand everything
More time on the why. Fuller explanations, more tables and more examples before we practise, so that no piece is left loose.
I live in Spain
We start from your week: the health centre, the landlord, the paperwork, the neighbours. You bring real situations and we prepare them together.
I need it for work
Vocabulary and situations from your job: emails, meetings, calls. We practise the register you need to sound professional.
What stays the same
The goal of each lesson, the careful correction and your 20 daily minutes.
What never changes: one clear goal per lesson, kind correction and daily homework.
04 Is this the path for you?
And that is perfectly fine. On Preply there are tutors with very different styles and you deserve to find the one that suits you. If after the trial lesson we see that this isn't your moment or your method, I will tell you honestly and without drama.
05 Before the lesson
5/5
packed
06 Cancellations and changes
My timetable is limited and there are other students counting on their slot. These rules exist to look after everyone's time.
What I ask of you
If you need to cancel or change the lesson, let me know 24 hours or more ahead. That way there is a good chance someone else can book the slot, and it is what I appreciate most.
What Preply allows
Under Preply's rules, you can cancel or change up to 12 hours before the lesson. With less notice, the lesson counts as taught. Between 12 and 24 hours there is no penalty: it is a request of mine, not an obligation.
No problem
If you would rather move the lesson to another time on the same day, go ahead. The lesson still happens, so I don't mind.
All changes are made through Preply, which is where lessons are recorded. If you arrive late, the lesson ends at the scheduled time out of respect for the next one, and if 15 minutes pass with no word from you I count it as a no-show. If I am the one who needs to change a lesson, I will let you know as early as possible and find the best alternative for you.
07 Frequent questions
Tap a sign to turn it around.
We talk about you and your goal, we see your level through a conversation and a few simple exercises, and we do a mini lesson so you can try my way of teaching. At the end I tell you what the path would look like and you decide whether you want to continue. It lasts as long as you booked on Preply.
At the beginning I explain in English whatever is needed so that nothing holds you back. As you progress, Spanish takes up more and more space. The aim is for you to speak Spanish, and the explanations step aside once you no longer need them.
It depends on your goal and your time. With one lesson a week you progress steadily. With two, faster. We decide together at the end of the trial lesson. What is not negotiable is your 20 daily minutes.
It happens, and it's not a drama. Come back the next day. What really slows progress is leaving it for a whole week. Consistency weighs more than perfection.
Completely fine. That is what the trial is for. And if I am the one who sees that now isn't the best moment or the best method for you, I will tell you kindly.
Yes. I work from level A1 up to B2. If you start from zero, the route starts from zero.
Spanish from Spain, including “vosotros”. The examples and situations come from life in Spain: the health centre, the supermarket, renting a flat, the paperwork.
My own material, prepared lesson by lesson: worksheets with clear tables, vocabulary with flashcards for review, and a short daily piece of homework. You don't have to buy any book.
I am not going to promise you a date, because it depends on your starting point, your consistency and how much Spanish comes into your life outside class. I do promise that you will always know where you are and what you still need.
08 Last stop
Read them and tick them if they are true for you. You don't send them to anyone. They are only for you to keep in mind.
Three steps to the finish line.
Now, imagine it.
A few months from now…
You order a coffee without thinking.
“Un café con leche, por favor.”
On your street…
You understand your neighbours.
“¡Buenos días! ¿Qué tal todo?”
At dinner with friends…
You make a joke, and the whole table laughs.
“¡Qué bueno!”
At the office…
You sign a contract without fear.
“Firme aquí, por favor.”
And one day you notice you've stopped translating. You're simply living it.
That's where this path leads.
See you in class.
Nos vemos en clase.