¡Hola! I’m Ana, the teacher behind Español Vivo.
I’m from Galicia, in the north of Spain, and I have been teaching Spanish to adult learners since 2010.
I am a qualified teacher and also hold a degree in Educational Psychology. Both disciplines have influenced the way I understand learning, motivation and the challenges students face when they study a new language.
Fifteen years ago, my desire to explore the world and connect with different ways of living and seeing life led me to teaching my own language. What started as a way to meet people from different countries and cultures became my work, my creative project and one of the most meaningful parts of my life.
In 2019, I founded Español Vivo, an online Spanish school created to help adult learners understand and use the kind of Spanish people actually use in real life, with clear explanations, structured materials and plenty of practice.
Outside teaching, I love learning, dancing, exploring new places, reading by the sea, and diving into topics like psychology, philosophy and the kinds of questions that never really have just one answer.
My experience at learning languages
- When I was at school, I studied English and French, but at that time I was not really interested in languages. Looking back, I think part of the reason was the way languages were taught. There was a lot of focus on grammar rules and written exercises, but I often missed the connection between those rules and the real language.
- Of course, grammar matters. In fact, I believe clear grammar explanations can make a huge difference when you are learning a language as an adult. But grammar needs to make sense. It needs examples, context, practice, repetition and contact with the language as it is actually used.
- My interest in languages really started when I was at university. I found a real motivation to learn English and began to take the process more seriously. I looked for listening materials on my own, watched films in English, took notes, repeated what I was learning and tried to expose myself to the language as often as possible. Later, my first immersion experience in Ireland gave me the chance to use English in real life and to practise my speaking and listening in a much more natural way.
- From my own experience, I know that consistency and regular revision are essential. It also helps to have a real reason to keep going, especially in those moments when learning feels slow, frustrating or difficult. If you are learning Spanish, listen to Spanish as much as you can, practise what you are learning, repeat, take notes, review regularly and give yourself time. Learning a language is not about finishing a course and being done. It is about building familiarity, confidence and understanding over time.
My story in short
- I was born and raised in Galicia, in the northwest of Spain, where you will not only find top quality food but also some of the most beautiful beaches in the world but, since not everything could be so wonderful, unfortunately it rains a lot. So my best childhood memories belong to the summers. When it was sunny and warm!
- I studied to become a Teacher and later an Educational psychologist at the University of A Coruña. After finishing my courses in 2009 I decided to move to Ireland. There I lived a year in which I could improve my English skills, travel in and out of the country and meet different and interesting people from different corners of the globe.
- This experience only awakened my adventurous spirit and later other trips to other parts of the world would follow, mainly in Europe, spending longer stays in destinations as fascinating as Australia, the Greek islands and Africa. This way my passion for languages emerged and also my interest in learning about different cultures, their customs and peculiarities.
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In 2010, I started teaching Spanish in Dublin, Ireland, and in 2012 I moved to London, where I continued offering private and small-group lessons until the summer of 2015. Later that year, I moved to Lanzarote, the enigmatic island of volcanoes, where I lived from 2015 to 2023.
- After that, I spent a few months travelling. I lived for a while in Lisbon, Portugal, and then spent around five months travelling through Southeast Asia. In 2024, I returned to my homeland, Galicia, where I live now.
- In 2016, I launched Vamos Audioblog, a website where I shared audio materials and resources for people who wanted to learn Spanish from anywhere. Over time, that project evolved, and in 2019 I founded Escuela Español Vivo, an online Spanish school created to help adult learners understand and use real-life Spanish with clear explanations, structured materials, audio and practice.
- My aim is to make learning Spanish feel clearer, more connected and more accessible, especially for adults who want to study at their own pace but still feel guided by an experienced teacher. At Español Vivo, you will find courses and materials designed to help you understand how Spanish works, recognise patterns, train your ear and build more confidence using the language little by little.
Students say...
I started with Ana three months ago as complete beginner. I think Ana has been a fantastic teacher and I have made very fast progress. Ana is very patient and she makes the lessons fun. I feel that the course follows a very logical structure. I would highly recommend Ana!
Adam Smith
De Reino Unido
Excellent, educated, highly motivated, trained, patient, creative teacher, who prepared teaching materials to meet our needs every day for a crash course of three weeks. And Ana is fun! We learned a lot and had fun using what we had learned the rest of the day talking to Spanish people.
Claudia Hahm
De Alemania
Highly recommend lessons with Ana! She is very professional, patient and creative teacher and her lessons are very interesting. Very useful vocabulary and expressions. She is also friendly which makes learning nice and pleasant.
Paulina Sakowska
De Polonia
I contacted Ana for an urgent crash course in Spanish before travelling to Cuba. I was amazed at the progress over just five hours, and managed to make myself understood, despite the dense Cuban accent. Ana is very friendly, professional and never stuck for ideas.
Angus Bearn
De Reino Unido