The added value of learning Spanish with a teacher

Written by: A.A.M. van Paasen (Angela) 23 January 2024

Learning to speak Spanish will open many doors for you. Sonia Somovilla Carrasco is convinced of it. As a Spanish teacher at In’to Languages, Sonia has seen many course participants achieve their goals: from getting to know locals while travelling to being able to communicate successfully with Spanish-speaking clients. We asked her what makes Spanish such a useful and fun language to learn. And what exactly is the benefit of learning a language with the help of a teacher now that there are so many digital resources for learning a language on your own?

Why learn Spanish?

Learning Spanish connects you with millions of people worldwide. It is the native language of some 460 million people and the official language in 21 countries. “In those countries things are really much easier if you speak Spanish,” Sonia says, “because you cannot count on everyone speaking English. For example, I taught many students and PhD candidates who needed to learn Spanish to do research at organisations in Spain or Latin America. Once there, they were able to communicate in English with their direct contact person, but not with the other staff members. This is true of many organisations, which is why international companies prefer to hire people who speak Spanish, to better communicate with their Spanish-speaking customers.”

Rich culture

Besides the practical benefits of learning Spanish, Sonia also emphasises the richness of the culture: “Hispanic culture is highly influential across the globe. Think of musical styles like reggaeton becoming increasingly popular, or literary classics like Don Quijote. Mastering Spanish will help you to get to know this culture better. And once you do, you won't just be listening to a great song anymore, but this song will also have meaning.”

Portret Spaans docent Sonia Somovilla Carrasco

Learning on your own or with a teacher?

These days, applications like Duolingo make it really easy to start learning a new language on your own. But can you really learn to speak a language in this way? “I see these kinds of apps more as an added tool,” Sonia explains. “For example, to expand your vocabulary. But the magic of learning Spanish with a teacher lies in the adaptability: we are like chefs adapting the recipe to your needs. I therefore encourage all my students to ask questions. This makes it immediately clear what is not working very well yet, and I can adjust the exercises accordingly. This helps me, as a teacher , to offer a more personalised experience, challenge you where needed, and celebrate every little success with you.”

“The human interaction makes it much easier to remain motivated”

Motivation

Precisely the latter is also of great value according to Sonia. “It’s quite hard to learn a new language, so motivation is very important. I therefore like to emphasise what is going well and remind my students that it's normal to make mistakes. Human interaction, which is not available when learning on your own, makes it much easier to remain motivated. And, of course, to really learn to use the language. It also helps immensely to have lessons at set times, as it gives you an extra incentive to practise and complete the assignments. You don't just drop out.”

Group course or tailor-made course?

Sonia offers both group classes and tailor-made courses. Is there one perfect way to learn Spanish that works best for everyone? No, according to Sonia, it depends on a person's goal and their preferred learning style. “If you have a very specific focus, such as becoming familiar with technical terminology, an individual tailor-made course works very well. Not long ago, I successfully taught such a course to a professor from Wageningen University & Research. He’d recently been involved in many projects in Portuguese, and therefore mixed up Portuguese and Spanish. In our intensive tailor-made course, he was once again fully immersed in Spanish, and we practised giving presentations in Spanish, for example. It worked really well!”

“Individual training can work very well, but it is much more intensive”

“At the same time, this kind of individual training is also a lot more intensive than a group course: you are the only one receiving all the information, and you also have to speak a lot more yourself. In a group course, on the contrary, you have the advantage that you can also learn a lot from the other participants and the questions they ask. And learning with like-minded people is also motivating.”