I Teach Spanish! ... Ángeles Aznar
Originally an English teacher, Ángeles (Angie) started teaching Spanish practically by accident! When one of her colleagues in Buenos Aires didn't show up for a class Angie stepped right in to cover her. This could have been a disaster for some but Angie took to it like a duck to water. After falling in love with Melbourne on a holiday and deciding to stay put, she's now sharing her language and culture with El Patio students.
Find out all about Angie's journey as well as her teaching strategies and advice for students. Stick around till the end for a song exercise using Argentinian Folklore!
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.
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.
Receta de gambas a la plancha (Grilled Prawns Recipe) [A1/A2]
Prawns! They're the perfect Summer treat. In Ana's latest recipe, read how simple it is to make one of the most popular raciones (share-plates) served in Spanish bars.
Put a shrimp on the barbie with us! We've included translations and - as a little extra - some common Spanish expressions about prawns
Myths and Legends Behind the Mojito
So light and simple, the mojito is a perfectly refreshing potion with an irresistible punchiness. This humble cocktail has many famous fanciers: Ernest Hemmingway, Brigitte Bardot and even James Bond (when he's not drinking martinis).
Some say the mojito is magic - that 'mojito' literally means 'to cast a little spell'. In this article, get bewitched by the marvellous Cuban brew and learn all the tricks to making the perfect one too!
El club del cuento [B2, C1, C2]
El club del cuento es un curso corto de conversación dirigido a estudiantes de nivel avanzado y superior (B2, C1, C2). Consiste en cinco sesiones de hora y media cada una.
I Teach Spanish! …Monika Lewandowska
Monika is one of those teachers who instantly lights up a room. Her infectious energy has led to what can only be called a 'cult following' - so many students just can't get enough of Monika!
Monika (from Poland) is living proof that being a fantastic Spanish teacher doesn't mean you have to be a native Spanish speaker. In fact, learning from a teacher that has themselves learnt the language from scratch has many amazing advantages.
Get your mouth around el indefinido! [A2]
El pretérito indefinido or pretérito perfecto simple (simple past) is one of the most challenging tenses to master and pronunciation can be tricky. This blog has audio of some key verbs - both regular and irregular. So skill up on this very useful past tense.
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Gift Voucher $350
Easy! Surprise your Spanish-learning friends, family or colleagues with a Gift Voucher. A voucher may be for a full course or to go toward a course fee or even for texts. Once you have purchased…
