An hour of conversation with a native speaker is better than 5 hours in a classroom with non-native speakers

Hi there!
I’m Olivia and I’ve been teaching Spanish for the past 15 years at the University of Cambridge first, and later on at Westminster University of London. Currently I’m tutoring uni students in Spanish helping them with the exams and essays. I’m also a former Erasmus student having studying one year at the University of Rome.

If there’s a ‘secret’ or ‘hack’ to learning a new language, it’s this: conversation, conversation and conversation. An hour talking to a native speaker with corrections is better than attending 5 hrs of lessons. Fact! Also one-to-one lessons are the most efficient and faster way to learn a language. Anyone who had to take a foreign language in school and retained absolutely none of it can tell you this. When needed, your tutor must be able to explain grammar points in a clear way but, trust me on this, the secret to be fluent in a foreign language is hours and hours of slightly awkward conversation. :-)

Another key point that will help you: consistency. A language is something that needs to be processed, not memorised. Language requires a lot of repetition and a consistent commitment is crucial.

And finally, lessons can be fun! You can talk about personal topics which you care about, and by doing so you’re making a fun and enjoyable process.

I’d be more than happy to make you fluent in Spanish. If you’re interested please give me a shout!

¡Hasta pronto!
Olivia