From Argentina with Love

“My name is Silvi, and yes, I’m a proud Argentinian!” Silvi kicks off our chat with a bright smile. “As a native Spanish speaker, teaching at la Academia feels like sharing a piece of home with each of my students.”

Her psychology degree gives her a distinct edge in the classroom. “It’s amazing how understanding the mind helps me connect better with my students, whether they’re kids or adults. Building those relationships is the cornerstone of effective teaching.”

Silvi’s Secret Sauce for Teaching Spanish Lessons

Silvi’s teaching mantra? Fun! “If you’re not enjoying the process, you’re not really learning,” she insists. And it shows. Her classes are always filled with laughter and energy.

Quickfire Q&A with Silvi

We threw some fun questions Silvi’s way to get to know her a little better:

• What’s your favorite food?
  • “Empanadas! They’re these delicious Latin American pastries that I could eat every day.”

• What’s your go-to activity?
  • “I love going for long walks with my husband, our dog Bella, and friends. And, of course, travelling and soaking up different cultures.”

• How do you unwind after a busy day?
  • “Cooking is my therapy. And if I’m not in the kitchen, you’ll find me lost in an audiobook.”

• What’s your favourite thing about teaching?
  • “Sharing my passion for languages and seeing my students reach their goals. It’s the best feeling!”

• Tell us a fun fact about you!
  • (Laughs) “When I talk fast or get angry, I slip into Spanglish. And trust me, you’ll know I’m serious if I start swearing in Spanish!”

Silvi’s zest for teaching Spanish lessons at la Academia or in schools and nurseries is infectious. Her enthusiasm lights up the room. So, what are you waiting for if you haven’t had the pleasure of Spanish lessons with Silvi yet? Get in touch, sign up for one of her classes, and experience the joy of learning Spanish with a generous sprinkling of enjoyment!

• Boosted Problem-Solving and Critical-Thinking

Early language learning encourages children to think analytically. They’re challenged to decipher meaning, make connections, and communicate effectively when engaging with vocabulary, grammar, and syntax. This linguistic puzzle-solving fosters critical-thinking abilities. In turn, they’re likely to develop a more logical and structured approach to tackling challenges, both in and out of the classroom.

• Enhanced Creativity and Listening

Active listening is integral to language learning. To this end, language immersion at nursery accustoms children to listen attentively, to understand not only words and phrases, but also context and tone of voice. What’s more, early language learners often exhibit greater creativity, due to alternative means of expressing their thoughts and ideas in the framework of another language.

• Levelled Up Memory, Concentration, and Multi-Tasking
  

Learning a language takes memorising vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structures. In other words, it’s a process of repetition. And it bolsters memory retention and concentration. Consequently, children who engage in early language learning often display improved cognitive abilities and attention span. Plus, juggling multiple language components simultaneously develops their multitasking skills, which are vital for thriving academically, and in the outside world.

• Kickstarted Academic Achievement
  

The benefits of early language learning extend beyond linguistic competency. In addition, studies have shown that children exposed to a second language at nursery age often excel in other academic areas. It’s an inspiring opportunity to lay a solid foundation for future academic achievements and opportunities.

At La Academia, we’d love to send one of our qualified early years Spanish, French or Mandarin teachers to your nursery. Classes last around 30 to 40 minutes, on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, including all the resources, songs, and activities. And if you have more than one nursery, we can put you on a discounted carousel scheme, for rotated lessons between your sites.

Get in touch for a chat about our early years language learning services for nurseries. And together, let’s empower your little students to thrive in an increasingly interconnected and diverse world.

Our children are growing up in a very different society. One where the largest retailer doesn’t own its stock (Amazon), a global taxi company doesn’t own its vehicles (Uber), and the most popular hotel chain doesn’t own hotels (AirBnB).

It seems that owning stuff is outdated. Not only that, but years of austerity and uncertainty, coupled with a new found love for reusing and recycling, have seen a slow down in retail sales over the last few years. The peak Christmas shopping season starts with this week’s Black Friday offers, and the CBI has reported some reasons for cautious optimism amongst its retailers. Overall though, it seems that the growing and continuing trend is not for ‘stuff.’ While we are spending less things we are spending more on doing things (experiences) – and telling the world about it online afterwards, of course.

Here at la Academia we like to keep up with the trends so we are delighted to introduce you to our newest classes, la Academia Minis and to our brand new gift cards. Put the two together and you have the great gift of language for everyone.

What are Minis?

Aimed at toddlers and pre-schoolers between 2 and 4 years old, Minis include singing, games, rhyming, and videos. They are designed to encourage language and brain development while being a fun and exciting social and learning activity. And parents can join in too – although there’s a nice café on site where you can enjoy some ‘me time’. And just in case you might be thinking that teaching pre-schoolers is futile – we now know that the best time for a child to learn another language is in the first three to four years of life.

Why Gift Cards?

We all love making our own choices. With our gift cards you can start someone on a language journey of their choice. We offer languages from French to Mandarin, from Spanish to Greek, for beginners and the well-practised. There really is something for everyone. Developing your foreign language skills enhances your competitiveness on the job market and opens doors for your career, whether home or abroad. To purchase a gift card:  T: 0161 491 1444  E: info@laacademia.co.uk