I Teach Spanish! ... Paula Jiménez Contreras
Paula from Colombia is a lover of languages. After completing a bachelor degree focusing on three different languages, she realised she could make a career out of her passion through teaching!
Read about Paula's journey and her useful tips for students!
Puntos de vista (B1-C1)
La semana pasada, algunos vecinos del barrio de Malasaña presenciaron un curioso incidente en el supermercado "Compramás". La persona implicada en el caso ha puesto una denuncia demandando al supermercado una gran suma de dinero por daños y perjuicios. Los testigos son llamados a declarar a la comisaría, estos dan versiones tan diferentes del suceso que casi podría tratarse de casos diferentes. Toma nota de los diversos registros lingüísticos.
Musing of the month: looking for shapes
The first of our Monthly Musings, Craig ponders the marvels of shapes in language. Shapes are everywhere and not only that: they're useful and can help us as we learn. Have a read and enjoy.
Elephants and light bulbs - why we fear grammar and how to learn to love it
Leaping out at us from the pages of our textbooks, grammar is often feared and is often the 'elephant in the room'. But grammar isn't meant to be scary. In fact, it's something we're naturally good at. Grammar is part of our daily lives and is part of what makes us human.
Winners of our Photo Competition revealed!
In Term 1 this year El Patio launched it's first annual photography competition - the results surpassed all expectations! Read on to see all of the participants' photos as well as the People's Choice Top 5.
I Teach Spanish! ... Isidro Martínez García
Isidro is one of El Patio's most sought after and revered teachers. Having been with us for almost 10 years, he's earnt the respect and admiration of hundreds - perhaps thousands - of students.
In this article we dive into what makes Isidro tick - his strategies, his inspiration and the challenges he faces as a teacher. You'll also get lots of advice and even some practical exercises!
Little Lon (B2, C1)
Ana's story for advanced students explores the history of Little Lonsdale Street (or Little Lon as it was once called), where El Patio's CBD centre is located today. After leaving class one day, Andrea Rumbold unsuspectingly opens a door to the past and stumbles out onto the street - as it was in the 19th century. A time-traveller story based on early Little Lonsdale - if the SPANISH is too difficult, it's a GOOD READ IN ENGLISH!
Get Creative: Make Paella [A1]
Craig gives the traditional paella a personal twist. He makes something that's possibly unconventional, but that is easy to prepare, very yummy and quite paella-like. Be inspired, go wild in the kitchen and have a crack at Craig's fill-in-the-gaps recipe exercise. The exercise practises the first person in the present tense, and is perfect for beginners - particularly if you're in Elementary 2 or 3.
Bienvenidas / bienvenidos, welcome to all our beginner students
If you've just started studying at El Patio right at the beginning, here are some ideas about how to get the most out of your course for your future success with speaking Spanish.
I Learn Spanish! ... Jenny Skewes
Upon retiring Jenny wanted to make sure she kept her mind sharp. And as we all now know, learning a language is one of the best ways one can do that, In the end Spanish turned out to be an obvious choice for Jenny as her son was already married to a Venezuelan.
Jenny is very unassuming about her progress - but we think she has plenty to brag about. She currently studying level C1 grammar in one of our highest classes - Superior 2. She's completed over 30 levels with us over 8 years, and honestly - we've lost count of the exact number of courses she's done! Jenny is a shining example that commitment and consitency does pay off.
Read on to find out all about Jenny and her journey, and stay until the end to read a magnificent short piece that she wrote.
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Gift Voucher $500
Easy! Surprise your Spanish-learning friends, family or colleagues with a Gift Voucher. This voucher could be used toward a course fee and even texts. Once you have purchased your voucher, please El Patio of the…
