¡Hola! My name is Helena, and I come from Valencia, Spain, the birthplace of paella. I hold a Master’s Degree in Secondary Education and Language Teacher Training, and I teach Spanish, French and Catalan. I started out teaching at language schools in Valencia and later specialised in teaching
Spanish to migrants and refugees.

For ten years I led the Spanish language programme at an NGO, where I taught students from many different backgrounds and nationalities. That experience shaped the way I teach; I have learned to read each student and adapt to what they actually need, rather than just relying on a textbook. That mutual enrichment between teacher and student is what I love most about this job.

I am also a language learner myself, and over the years I have studied a whole lot of languages, from Russian and Arabic to Portuguese, and now Dutch! That has taught me that a language is never just grammar and vocabulary: it is also the culture and the people behind it. So, alongside the language itself, I like to bring in the everyday life of Spanish speakers, their traditions, and what is currently happening in the news.

Outside the classroom, I try to do my bit for a better world. I volunteer at my local buurtkamer. I am also part of two book clubs, which doubles as another way for me to keep learning languages. As you can see, I love being around people and hearing their stories.

Hope to see you soon in my lessons!

¡Hasta pronto!