Student of the Semester: Summer 2023

Introducing a brand new segment to our blog:

Student of the Semester!

Each semester we will be giving a special feature to one of our students, celebrating their progress and finding out more about their language journey with us!

Kicking us off, we’re delighted to announce our first Student of the Summer Semester is… Maja!

We asked Maja a few questions about her experience with learning Spanish with Lingo Flamingo! Read how she’s grown in confidence when speaking Spanish and get her top tips for continuing to immerse yourself in language learning outside of classes!

What made you start the classes at Lingo Flamingo?

I love the sounds of the Spanish language and its culture. I was learning Spanish in high school and university, but this was over ten years ago! I always thought I would like to return to learning Spanish, but I kept postponing it. Then I saw the Lingo Flamingo advert in Glasgow subway, and I loved the idea of learning languages and contributing to the charitable work of Lingo Flamingo!

I had a family member with Alzheimer's disease, and the organisation's mission statement resonated with me on a personal level.

I think the project of empowering people with memory difficulties through connecting with others via learning languages is beautiful. 

Where did your language journey take you?

I travelled to Peru in 2019. I was amazed at how kind and patient people were when trying to express myself in Spanish!

I was positively surprised when I could make sense of more conversations I heard when I visited Spain this year. Noticing an improvement in everyday interactions motivates me to continue with the learning journey.

I want to travel to South America in 2025 and would love to communicate with people using Spanish.

The ability to speak the local language adds incredible depth to the travelling experience and allows for making lifelong friendships. 

How do you find the Lingo Flamingo classes?

I honestly never looked forward to a language class with excitement like I do in Lingo Flamingo. Fernando is an excellent teacher; importantly, he makes the classes fun and engaging.

I enjoy seeing how I and my classmates improved over time and that we are able to have longer chats in Spanish. 

I opted for online classes as I am more likely to attend these classes than face-to-face ones due to my motivation and energy levels after a workday. I would love to try face-to-face classes in the future, as meeting new people through learning languages would be great. 

Do you have any tips for continued learning?

Some exposure to Spanish is better than no exposure at all!

I used to have a bit of an all-or-nothing approach, thinking I needed to study grammar every day for 30 min to make progress or studying did not make sense. With that approach, learning languages quickly became a chore, and I did not continue after a couple of weeks of the self-imposed regime. 

Having a weekly Spanish class online has made it easier to persevere with continuous bits of learning and exposing myself to Spanish. And also allowing myself to speak freely without the need for grammatical perfection.

And that, in turn, helps me enjoy more Spanish content. I love the Duolingo Spanish Podcast on Spotify, which includes stories in Spanish/English. And, of course, watching some scandalous Netflix Spanish series with Spanish subtitles - such as 'La Casa de las Flores' (Mexico) or 'Elite' (Spain). 

Finally, when you're not at Lingo Flamingo, what do you get up to?

I am booking my next flight to Spain or South America! Haha, at least that's the dream!

I love reading, travelling, cooking Thai food and dancing with friends. I also picked up squash this year :) 

Thanks for speaking to us Maja and good luck in your Fledgling Spanish classes next semester!