El Patio Spanish Language School

I Learn Spanish! ... Zac Powell

Meet Zac! Zac's initial steps into the Spanish speaking world felt like a bit of a stumble. But fast-forward two years later, and Zac's zooming through the El Patio levels (Upper Intermediate 2 already?)! For someone who considers himself more of a maths nerd than a language aficionado - we think Zac's caught the language bug very quickly! In this interview, find out how Zac tackles common problems, finds motivation and what he does outside of class to keep his Spanish flowing.

400 millones de hablantes de español

Students of El Patio made a video answering some questions about their connection with the Spanish-speaking world and their experience of learning Spanish.

Have a look, be inspired and join 400 million speakers of Spanish!

I Learn Spanish! ... Emmanuel Liu

Emmanuel admits he's a bit of a sports fanatic. He loves baseball, tennis and soccer - all sports that happen to have many famous players from Spanish speaking countries. From his fandom came the desire to understand what these players were saying! That's when Emmanuel took up Spanish classes.

Now, nearly four years into his Spanish studies - things are getting kind of serious! Taking the language to new heights, Emmanuel is planning to take the B2 DELE exam soon - go you good thing!

I Learn Spanish! ... Baden Rumble

Originally inspired by his late wife and a long lost friend, Baden started learning Spanish in 2010 with one of our most 'famous' teachers (Isidro Martínez García!) Since then, Baden has progressed to one of our highest levels - Advanced 6. He's made great progress and taken his Spanish everywhere - from Madrid to Caracas! Read about his journey and advice to students in this article.

I Learn Spanish! … Yisoo Choi

Meet Yisoo from South Korea. Back in boarding school in the United States, Yisoo befriended many Latin Americans. As she listened to them speak to one another she developed a passion for the Spanish language that carries on to this day. Infact - she is preparing to use her Spanish to continue her studies in Spain! Read about Yisoo's Spanish learning journey, her tips and her future plans.

I Learn Spanish! … Jenny Lee

El Patio student Jenny Lee is currently in Upper Intermediate 5 (B1), and here she talks about her Spanish learning experiences. Get to know the thoughts and processes involved, first hand, one of our determined students.

I Learn Spanish! … Rosemary Kelly

When her daughter fell in love with a Costa Rican, Rosemary decided she wouldn't be left out of the conversation! She enrolled at El Patio. She would not have guessed then, that 7 years later (in one of the longest running courses, Advanced Extended 4), she would have found new love too - the Spanish language! Read about Rosemary's Spanish learning journey and how she maintains, grows and enjoys her new language.

Write like Cervantes! Thou hast seen nothing yet ... (B2-C1)

Miguel de Cervantes was known to capture the human condition like no other - perhaps personified most poignantly through his famous creation, Don Quijote. Cervantes died 400 years ago, on April 23, 1616, leaving behind a most influential literary legacy.

Well here we have tried something in class. To commemorate this day (which is UNESCO World Book and Copyright Day), some of our advanced students have written an autorretrato (self-portrait) in the style of Cervantes for a class exercise.

To get an idea - Imagine describing yourself in the language of William Shakespeare (Cervante's English counterpart), who happened to died in the same year. (Some say even the same day. But that depends which calendar you're looking at!) This task is aimed at the higher levels - those studying either B2 or C1.

I Learn Spanish! … Li Juen Chang

Li Juen Chang started Spanish at University on a whim. Now he's powering through the El Patio levels - having jumped from Lower Intermediate 2 to Upper Intermediate 4 in one go! (That's 7 levels!)

In this interview Li Juen reveals his secrets to success, from the apps he uses to how he manages to practice speaking Spanish outside of class.

I learn Spanish! ... Julian Rowe

Read about Julian, a student with a compelling motivation to learn Spanish - he has a Spanish speaking partner. This naturally assumes a fair amount of travel, both in the past and future. He has some hints about how to keep chipping away at the grand project of achieving Spanish fluency. Julian is now completing Lower Intermediate 2 - so is well on his way to realising his dream.

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El Patio Tote Bag

What's cooler than a tote bag? A tote bag filled with your Spanish books - duh! But seriously, these bags are strong, made from natural canvas and built to last. Perfect size for your textbooks…

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