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Spanish evening class at AIL Madrid

Spanish evening class at AIL Madrid

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Andrea is a guest blogger, Madrid enthusiast, and AIL Madrid evening course student. As a French girl who just recently arrived in Madrid, she faced to some linguistic issues that led her to take AIL Evening Spanish Classes twice a week after work.Spanish course in Madrid

I arrived in Madrid for an internship almost 3 months ago but I ha
ve to admit that, at the beginning, I didn’t have a strong handle on the Spanish language. For that reason, I wanted to take some Spanish classes but, as I was working the whole day, finding appropriate Spanish classes was pretty difficult. I decided the AIL Madrid Spanish evening course was the best solution, as it took place after my job and was located in the center of the city (Calle Nuñez de Balboa, nearby Retiro Park). In fact, with an hour and a half of Spanish course twice a week (Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday), it allows you to learn more vocabulary and grammatical constructions very fast- so much so that your Spanish friends will be shocked by your quick progress!!

What I really appreciated is the small numbers of course participants (maximum 8, though there are 5 in my case) which is why everyone learns to express themselves easily and can participate constantly during any one class. What’s more, classes are available for any level (from A1 to C1) and the atmosphere is perfect, since we all come to class with a relaxed mood to improve our grammar and conversation skills. We are all professionals, international students, expats… and, for us, Spanish is a necessity!!

spanish students MadridThese AIL Spanish classes have formed part of my Spanish experience in Madrid for 6 months now: indeed, I learned many daily Spanish vocabulary words and expressions that I now hear myself using
every day. After a few classes, they also hugely improved my ability to work in a Spanish environment. So don’t hesitate and sign up for AIL Madrid Spanish evening courses– I’ll see you in class!

Se Habla Español, Madrid’s newest Spanish program

Se Habla Español, Madrid’s newest Spanish program

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Se Habla EspañolHey guiris! Continuing with our tradition of language school reviews, here’s a bit about Madrid’s newest solution to learning Spanish– Se Habla Español. While not a traditional Spanish school, Se Habla Español partners with Spanish academies like AIL Madrid for classes and provides additional activities, language exchanges, nights out, and an intense sense of community.
Servando y RoxanaWho they are: Se Habla Español was started last year by two energetic entrepreneurs, Roxi and Servando. She’s from Valencia and studied journalism here in Spain before interning at a Spanish school and discovering her passion for sharing Madrid with newcomers. He’s from Venezuela, where he completed his degree in business admin before heading to the UK to study English, and finally to Madrid to study marketing. They are both passionate about providing the full Madrid experience to newcomers or a more intimate community to those who have been here a while but are still looking for their niche.

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What they offer: Se Habla Español is really focused on practicing your language skills while exploring the Spanish capital. Their activities in Spanish include walks around Madrid and/or museums, bar nights every Thursday at El Estudio de los Arquitectos, and Friday night, open bar intercambios (that turn into raging parties) at Star Studio 54. They can also hook you up with Spanish classes at one of their partnering schools so that you can brush up your skills before heading out to practice them in real life situations. Finally, they’re in the process of starting up some conversation classes of their own where you can practice with a native over drinks in a cafe, so keep an eye on their website if that’s something you’re interested in.
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Why we like them: to begin with, Roxi and Servando are super nice and welcoming. Secondly, they offer a great opportunity to join an international community here in Madrid, which we all know can feel a little lonely when you first arrive. In addition, it’s always more fun to explore the city with friends and maybe go places you wouldn’t think of on your own.

So if you or your visiting friends or family are looking for an authentic Madrid experience filled with tapas, café con leche, big smiles and more, Se Habla Español might just be what you’re looking for!

Meet Joan!

Meet Joan!

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> Joan is a 19 year old AIL Madrid student from San Diego, California, USA.

> She has been studying at AIL for nearly three months so far.

> Joan just earned a two year professional degree in dance, an art that is both her passion and her work.

> In San Diego, she teaches children´s ballet, as well as gymnastics and ice skating.

Meet Joan! Discover what she thinks about AIL Madrid:

“I love this environment because there aren´t formal tests, except the one at the very end. It´s not about the grade, it´s about actually knowing [Spanish] …. I just have to do what I need to actually learn the material, not to pass a test, so I feel like I’m learning way more in these three months than I did in school. I have a much more positive feeling about language learning now.”

Joan and her Host-Family:

“Family is so important here and that’s really nice. They always eat dinner together, and I spend Sundays with the family.”

“After class I´ll go over all my stuff with [Lucia, my host-sister] and we play the same games that we play in class… it usually clicks when I go back home and talk to the family and go ´oh ok, that’s what that was´. It compliments my class time.”

Joan on Being a Local:

“I feel more local than when I did my other [Europe] trip; we were going everywhere and it was very touristy. But because I’m kind of living here, I get to do local things and just live the daily life, which I really like…I go salsa dancing every Monday,  I was surprised that people were just so serious about it! They just took you and started dancing with you and speaking in Spanish!”

Joan´s Advice:

“I like that every day is a challenge because I don’t speak the language; going to the store I have to pump myself up and think ‘you can do this!’ … So that’s what I would suggest. Get out there and try it!

Joan on the Future:

“I am coming back. I already want to book my flight, I already miss here and I haven´t even left yet. I´m coming back!”

AIL

Speaking English with a Spanish Accent

Speaking English with a Spanish Accent

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When I first moved to Madrid I was really nervous to start my job. I had nightmares about suddenly freezing up when my boss asked me a question in Spanish, or having a client try to explain something to me that I would simply not be capable of comprehending. To assuage my fears, my novio Raúl told me not to worry because when in doubt I can just answer in English.

That sounded simple enough, I thought, so when I started working and finding myself in those dreaded situations where I just could not come up with the word I was looking for, I said the word in English and hoped for the best.  Much to Raul’s surprise, I was met with many confused glances and blank stares.  I told him the words I said in English, and he was shocked that my Spanish colleagues did not understand, especially since I was primarily using financial terms that are often said English, even in Spain.   This continued as such until I discovered the nifty trick of saying the word in English, but with a Spanish accent.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be saying words such as Blackbeddy (Blackberry), oosernamay, (username), weefee (wifi), and tocks (tax), but this is my new reality and my life is so much easier as a result. I even started saying my last name with a Spanish accent (saying Leench instead of Lynch is really just so much easier for everyone).

My new system had me feeling great until the last time I was home visiting my family.  Over dinner one night, my father gently told me that I was developing a bit of a strange accent in English.  I was slightly horrified but mostly amused.  Here I am having trouble with my Spanish pronunciation and speaking my native language with a foreign accent. I can´t win!  (As an aside, I am sensitive to the fact that people who speak languages other than English need to do the same exercise so people like me can understand!)

Fortunately I have come to terms with my new accent and decided it can only make me more mysterious and exotic to my fellow Americans when I am back home, in the same vein as other US expats such as Madonna, Gwyneth and Angelina.  Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing remains to be seen.

Has anyone else taken up Eengleesh since moving to Madrid?

Spanish at AIL Madrid

Spanish at AIL Madrid

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For many of us, learning Spanish is one of the most overwhelming things about living in Spain.  The simple desire to communicate – whether it’s at the grocery store, a restaurant, or on the street – is so strong that we’re willing to go to great lengths to learn to speak and understand Spanish.

For me, learning Spanish was a top priority.  Something I knew I wanted to do in order for my time in Madrid to feel complete.  So…I began the search for a place to take classes.  I came across many good options but ultimately decided on AIL Madrid.  I originally chose AIL Madrid because of the location, conveniently placed near Retiro and the Velazquez metro (they also have another location in Colon), and because I knew two other women who were planning to take courses there as well.  AIL Madrid gave us a 15% group discount and I’ve loved having friends in my class to keep me motivated and entertained!

A few of the things I like most about classes at AIL Madrid:

  • I go to class everyday for 2 hours – a significant amount of time, but realistic with my schedule – and they offer many options to fit the needs of their students; intensive day classes, evening classes, weekend classes, and individual ones at whatever time works for you.
  • Ana – The incredible instructor I’ve had for many weeks at AIL Madrid and makes learning fun
  • Small class sizes, with an average class size of 6 students
  • Only Spanish is spoken, so you are immersed in the language and forced to learn more quickly
  • The price is reasonable and feels like a good investment
  • There is a great sense of community, I’ve already made new friends and met people from all over the world, here for every possible reason under the sun.

I’ve enjoyed my time at AIL Madrid and just signed up to continue for another 9 weeks.  I would certainly recommend AIL Madrid for anyone else interested in learning or improving their Spanish.

AIL Madrid
www.ailmadrid.com
C/Nunez de Balboa 17, 2D
917 256 350