MEET OUR AMAZING SPANISH SCHOOL TEACHERS!
Our SEPA Spanish teachers are a finely-trained, bilingual cadre of graduates of Costa Rican Universities who are endorsed by the Costa Rica Department of Education.
Besides their background in teacher education, each SEPA Spanish school teacher undergoes additional training in “teaching Spanish SEPA style” to students of all ages and backgrounds.
“The teaching has to be dynamic,” says Nidia Gamboa, director of SEPA School. “The students must not just sit in a chair and learn from the book; it has to be real life.”
We work with the Six levels set out by the European Council in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
A1 Initial levels 1 and 2 A2 Elementary levels 1, 2 and 3 B1 Intermediate levels 1, 2, 3 and 4 B2 Advanced levels 1, 2, 3 and 4 C1 Proficiency levels 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 C2 Mastery level
In the classroom, SEPA students learn grammar with the emphasis on conversation instead of the other way around. Then, they take their learning ‘on the road’ by doing such Spanish immersion activities as shopping expeditions to the market; working with students in public schools; working in health institutions; doing volunteer work in environmental protection; going to the bank to make a transaction; buying food in a restaurant; going to the movies; amongst other real-life, project-oriented strategies that make the learn Spanish faster and deeper.
“I liked that we did not only have class, but other activities such as going to the movies and talking in Spanish to Tico students. I feel that I have become much more confident when talking in Spanish!” Matthew Toulouze, OVERLAND 2015
Here is a little bit about each of our amazing teachers:
Karina Young:
I am an English Teacher, graduated from Universidad Latina de Costa Rica. Also, I am a Spanish Teacher with 4 years of experience, teaching Spanish as a second language. I have participated in every training of Spanish methodology and grammar giving by SEPA School.
The experience of teaching Spanish to others throughout these years has given me the great pleasure of knowing different people with extraordinary qualities. As a teacher, I make sure to give my biggest effort to my students. The greatest satisfaction is teaching Spanish and Latin culture to students from different nationalities, and learning other cultures as well.
“This has been a wonderful trip for me. It really made a difference for me getting to stay this long and getting to live with a local family. I loved our professor Karina. I was not sure how I would do with four hours of class every day, but it was really good. We were able to see a lot of beautiful places around the area in our time off of school, which I really enjoyed and was important to see more of what Costa Rica has to offer. My stay with a tico family was so great. It was a really good fit for all of us. They were so welcoming and helpful with my studying Spanish and understanding the culture. I think it would have been better if I knew more Spanish before a came, but the timing was good for me so I came anyhow. We learned a lot of new information every day and it was hard to absorb it all. But also I learned a lot and can have basic conversation when I meet other Spanish speaking people in town. My professor was organized and thoughtful and I really appreciated her teaching style. Very helpful for all us in our group. Overall, it’s been a wonderful experience and I am so glad I got to be here! ¡ Muchas gracias!” Jennifer Light-Oregon MHCC.2017.
Adriana Calvo Cubillo:
I have worked as a Spanish teacher for 4 years and it has been one of the best experiences of my life. Currently I am studying ‘Teaching Spanish as a Second Language’ at the Technological Institute of Costa Rica.
I love teaching Spanish to people from other countries, showing the beautiful culture and biodiversity of my country; taking fieldtrips to the river, the mountains, seeing students enjoying themselves and at the same time learning so much. I know that, without a doubt, this is an incredible experience for them and it fills me with satisfaction to be a part of that.
Evelyn Ceciliano: 
I am a Spanish teacher from The Universidad Metropolitana Castro Carazo. I have received all the spanish tranning from SEPA SCHOOL. I like to teach about our culture, traditions and customs so each student will take with them a beautiful memory from Costa Rica. Being a Spanish teacher has a second language has been one of the best experiencies, not only because I love to teach our language but because I have the opportunity to know and share with students from different contries.
Luis Rojas Calderón:
I graduated from Universidad Castro Carazo as a teacher for primary school. I have received all the training from SEPA School, specialized in Spanish methodology and grammar, specifically in the communicative approch. . I have been working with SEPA for more than a year and my experience as a Spanish teacher is fantastic. I meet very special and nice people from many countries around the world. I like to share information about my country about the culture, traditions and learn about the student’s countries or places. I really like to help people in the adventure of learning the Spanish language.
Yuliana Solís:
I am an English teacher graduated from Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, and currently studying at Universidad San Isidro Labrador specializing in teaching children. I have received all the trainnings from SEPA School, specialized in Spanish methodology and grammar, specifically in the communicative approch. My experience as a Spanish teacher at SEPA School has been wonderful. I love teaching not only the language but also our culture, traditions and many different things of Costa Rica. I have had the opportunity to meet great people with extrordinary personalities. I always do the best I can when giving the class and at the same time, I enjoy learning a l ot of things from the students. I am completely sure that studying in our school has been one of the best experiences for every single student we have had here.
Ready to learn from our amazing teachers at SEPA Spanish School?
