Fina

I’m a native Spanish tutor from Santiago de Compostela. It’s a magical medieval city in the north-west of Spain, the pilgrims’ shrine at the end of the famous “Camino de Santiago”. I’m now based in glorious Devon, which is similar to Galicia in many ways.
Learning Spanish with me will open up a rich and colourful world of linguistics, of tradition and history and, of course, of the people and their cuisine. Many of my students are drawn to the language because they enjoy spending time in my home country or travelling to other Spanish speaking countries. That means exploring local markets, tasting regional dishes, and eating with friends. Some of my students have a second home in Spain, and love to keep improving their conversational skills.

Tutoring Experience

I like helping people who love to learn - my lessons include the traditions behind the fiestas, the context behind the conversations you will hear at shared meals and the folklore behind our metaphors and sayings. Of course, you won’t escape a little grammar to consolidate your learning – but that’s part of Spain’s heritage too!
Learning Spanish with me will keep your mind moving, help you to connect with half a billion Spanish speakers in 20 different countries, and allow you to see the world from a slightly different perspective. Imagine not just reading a foreign menu or pointing to what you want at a busy local market, but asking about the provenance and quality of the ingredients. These are the kinds of experiences we work toward.
Everyone who grows up in Galicia learns that food and fun is at the heart of life. Whether we’re learning how to order tapas or reading Spanish recipes, I tailor each lesson for you. So it will be personally meaningful, which fires up your learning and gives you confidence when you are in Spain or South America (or Florida or Texas for that matter)! We might talk about making tortilla española, preparing pulpo a la gallega, and you will definitely understand the difference between pintxos and tapas. It’s a fun way to learn.

Tutoring Approach

I work one-to-one with my learners. I only take on a small number of students as everyone is different and I tailor all my lessons to an individual’s needs and learning styles. We will chat about your learning goals, set targets and have a clear structure to each lesson that helps you build step by step on what you already know and have learned in previous lessons to connect and reinforce the learning over time – with a few revision exercises to help strengthen your memory thrown in for good measure.
I will ask for feedback each lesson and you will have the opportunity to steer the lessons towards what you are most eager to learn.
Our lessons will not be boring!