What position do you hold at Habla World? What has been your career path so far?
Rafael: I am the Social Activities Manager at Habla World. I coordinate the different workshops and activities that we offer. The workshops are always a chance for our students to meet new people and discover new aspects of the country’s culture. Learning a language is, in my perspective, a unique experience and the perfect opportunity to immerse oneself and become familiar with all the interesting and fun aspects of Spanish culture.
When I became a music teacher in a French bilingual high school in 2004, I never thought that I was going to use all my experiences ten years later to make a social activities program at Habla World. The truth is that I have realized since then that teaching and learning a language is a process that interrelates many issues apart from just knowing grammar and specific vocabulary.
As a musician, I have become aware of how cultural and social activities like singing a song or listening to a Flamenco concert’s lyrics can improve language learning by creating a more natural environment. Therefore, when we applied a practical methodology to develop language skills such as: pronunciation, use of specific expressions, comprehension, etc., the students’ motivation increases hugely, helping them to relate to others and use the language in real situations.
Did you study abroad? If so, where and what inspired you to go?
Rafael: Yes, I’ve lived in several places that have actually changed the way I see life! Sharing different experiences and cultural encounters is always a good way to develop language skills. I went to Belgium when I was twelve years old and I learned French as a regular student there. My next trip was to the USA when I was seventeen.
I lived in Chicago and Ashville, North Carolina. When I came back to Granada to start university, I was really excited about the fact that learning English and French gave me the means to understand and express myself to so many people. Three years after that I left Spain again and studied in Innsbruck, Austria.
My motivation for that trip was to study at the Musikwissenschaft Institute where I learned new perspectives in musical research and, also, began to study German as a third language. I came back to Seville and begun a career as a teacher. Afterward, I became very interested in Italy, and started my master’s degree in Venice. I researched Spanish music influences in Venice at the Fondazione Cini.
After two years I got a scholarship and lived in Paris at the Cité Universitaire de Paris. I enjoyed continuing my studies there so much! I discovered the “City of Lights” and improved my French. After six years teaching music in Seville I decided to go to Boston when I got accepted at Berklee College of Music.
It’s every musician’s dream to learn and produce Jazz music there and I loved Boston for everything that it had to offer! When I came back to Seville the Habla World project started to develop. I can say with certainty that every time I have traveled it has been an enriching experience on so many levels. I always recommend it!
Why is language learning and cultural immersion important to you?
Rafael: In many cases, language learning involves motivating the student to make an effort to study and relate to a new way of expressing him/herself. For most of my students, and myself when I was one of them, cultural activities, sports and workshops are the perfect excuse to make a learning experience whole. Given the right environment and situation, the acquirement of new language skills happens naturally.
“Immersion” means to me, not only being in a different country or a new place, but also in participating in social activities that will help the integration of the students in the local culture. Habla World’s social activity program has always given our students a chance to understand the diversity of cultures by interacting with the locals and improving their language skills.
What unique qualities does your company possess?
Rafael: There are characteristics about our team that make Habla World a very special place to learn and discover Spanish culture. Our qualified teaching staff and our unique teaching materials are two characteristics that make us different. Also, the location of our facilities gives us the possibility to arrange excursions to the Alcazar Palace, the Cathedral, the river, and museums, as well as plan cooking tapas workshops, a course on the typical Spanish breakfast, a Flamenco music appreciation course, etc.
As a team, we share a passion for teaching through the culture of the language and learning from others while we do so. In the case of Spanish, learning can be a discovery process of Seville and Andalusian culture. As our goal in every workshop or activity, we make the difference by giving to our students a chance to discover what Seville is, what is sung and eaten, what azahar perfume is in Spring, what the river has meant to a city 3000 years old, and helping them form memories that they will never forget.