Spanish Tutor from London & Madrid with 5 Years' Experience | Engaging GCSE, A-Level, IB & Conversational Lessons!

Find out more about Seán

• Do you speak this language fluently because of your origins or because a teacher inspired you to learn?

  I speak Spanish fluently because when I was 10 years old, my family moved from London to Madrid. I did not speak any Spanish before I moved and, at best, knew a couple of words that I had learnt from Duolingo, like manzana and the classic “grassy ass”!
  
  I picked up Spanish very quickly because I went to a school where around 95% of the students were Spanish and lived there for eight years. Being completely immersed in the language from such a young age meant that Spanish quickly became a natural part of my everyday life.
  
  I now speak Spanish fluently and, according to some of my friends, I even have a bit of a Spanish accent when I speak English sometimes. How the tables turn!

• Can you name a living, historical or fictional character that you think is the emblematic representative of the language's culture?

  I think it is important not to conflate Spain and the Spanish-speaking world, because if we are talking about Spanish-speaking culture, it is so broad and stretches far, far beyond just Spain, obviously.
  
  I love literature, so, to name a few people from the Hispanohablante world, I would pick Victoria Santa Cruz, Gabriel García Márquez and Isabel Allende. From Spain, I would pick Lorca.
  
  If we were talking specifically about contemporary Spain, I would go for a very Gen Z choice in C. Tangana or Héctor Bellerín!

• Is there a typical word, phrase, tradition or behavior in the language that you particularly like?

  One tradition I particularly like is la sobremesa — the time spent sitting around the table talking and enjoying each other’s company after a meal has finished.
  
  I love the idea behind it because it shows that eating isn't always just about the food. In Spain, a meal can be an opportunity to spend time with friends or family, have a long conversation and simply enjoy being together, without feeling the need to rush off as soon as you have finished eating.
  
  It is something I really appreciate about Spanish culture, and I think it captures one of the things I love about Spain: the importance placed on socialising, conversation and enjoying the moment.

• Why does speaking this language matter to you?

  For me, speaking Spanish matters because through the language there are so many people I can connect with who I otherwise wouldn't be able to communicate with in the same way.
  
  Spanish has allowed me to make friendships, live in another country, understand different cultures and communicate with people from all over the Spanish-speaking world. For me, that is what makes learning languages so rewarding: they are ultimately about people.

• What is the main difficulty in learning this language and what can help the process of learning?

  I think that, particularly for English speakers, one of the main difficulties can be pronunciation. Things like rolling your r's, getting used to Spanish vowel sounds and knowing where to put the stress in a word can initially feel quite unfamiliar.
  
  However, I think the best way to improve is simply to listen to and speak Spanish as much as possible. Don't be afraid of making mistakes — pronunciation improves through practice and repetition. I also think listening to Spanish music, watching Spanish-speaking films and videos, and speaking with native or fluent speakers can make a huge difference.

• Provide a valuable anecdote related to your language learning or your days at school.

  There can also be some very subtle differences in pronunciation that completely change the meaning of a word. I learnt this myself when I first moved to Madrid. When I had to introduce myself to my new classmates, I wanted to say “tengo 10 años” (“I am 10 years old”), but I didn't realise how important the ñ was and accidentally said “tengo 10 anos” — essentially, “I have 10 anuses”! Needless to say, I learnt very quickly that pronunciation matters!

• How has travel or a specific trip helped you to increase your skill and knowledge of the language?

  Living in Madrid had a huge impact on my Spanish. I learnt a lot outside of the classroom rather than in it, because outside of the classroom was where I naturally used Spanish every day.
  
  I would chat to my friends about football, make jokes, have conversations and just generally go about my everyday life in Spanish. Those are the situations where I really developed my fluency, because I wasn't thinking about learning Spanish — I was simply using it to communicate.
  
  Living there also helped me pick up expressions, slang and ways of speaking that I would never have learnt from a textbook.

• What makes you a Superprof in language?

  Since learning Spanish, I have fallen in love with languages in general. I have studied French at university and lived in Paris and Marseille, learnt Portuguese, picked up Italian through working in Italian restaurants, and even started learning Haitian Creole after becoming interested in Kompa music and making a Haitian friend in Paris.
  
  I think being a language learner myself makes me a better tutor because I understand the challenges, frustrations and excitement that come with learning a language. I know that languages aren't just about grammar and vocabulary — they are about people, culture, music, travel and being able to communicate with someone you otherwise couldn't