Belen Vila

I have taught Spanish to English speakers for twenty years, the last five of them online. During this time, I’ve worked in schools, language academies, and businesses across the UK, the US, and Spain. This international experience has shaped my culturally sensitive teaching style.

I specialize in TPRS (Teaching Proficiency Through Reading and Storytelling) but I’m also highly skilled in more traditional grammar-based approaches, allowing me to adapt to a variety of learning preferences. I tend to use grammar-based approaches when I help students to prepare an oficial exam.

When I teach through stories, I make them 100% comprehensible using visuals, gestures, repetition, and carefully structured, simple questions. I ask yes/no or either/or questions, and students respond with single words or short phrases, always at a level that feels manageable. We focus first and foremost on comprehension and confidence. Speaking is never forced—it emerges naturally when students feel ready.

The goal is for learners to understand and connect with the story, not to memorize isolated grammar rules or vocabulary lists.

My classes are immersive and interactive, allowing students to experience the language in a way that mirrors how we learn our first language—by listening, understanding, and gradually producing.

I am deeply passionate about teaching through stories because when students become emotionally invested in what’s happening, they forget they're "studying" and instead become curious participants. Stories offer meaningful context for vocabulary and grammar, making them more memorable and easier to internalize.

Most importantly, stories awaken emotions—curiosity, surprise, empathy—which, as research consistently shows, enhances memory retention and makes the entire learning process more enjoyable, natural, and effective.