See more details about AmeriSpan's Valencia Summer Camp in Valencia, Spain

Meet María Sabas Elías, Academic Director of AmeriSpan's Valencia Spanish school

What is your background?
I’m 47 years old. I have a BA in Spanish Philology, I studied 3 years of Journalism, and I did the Pedagogical Aptitude Course (CAP). I worked for the Ministry of Defence for 11 years assisting in the recruitment of professional soldiers, having won the Best Worker medal in 1995. I’m originally from Bilbao but I moved to Valencia in 2003. I have an 11-year-old daughter.

Do you travel abroad often?
I travel abroad whenever I have the opportunity to.

Have you studied abroad?
I did a summer course at the Alliance Française of Paris to improve my translating competence of Literary Criticism texts. I also spent a month in the United Kingdom to improve my speaking skills in English.

Which languages do you speak or have you studied?
I’m a native speaker of Spanish. I have studied English, French, and classic Latin and Greek. I also speak Euskera.

How and why did you get into the Study Abroad market?
When I graduated, I decided to engage in teaching Spanish as a second language and that has been, and continues to be, my professional career.

When did you start/join your organization?
I started working at ENFOREX when ENFOREX VALENCIA was first created in 2005.

What is your job or function at the organization?
I’m the Academic Director of ENFOREX VALENCIA.

What do you enjoy the most about your job?
What I most enjoy is to coordinate my staff in order to promote teamwork with the other school departments, to personally address and assist students, to organize the groups and Fam trips and, above all, to develop any activity that leads to the improvement in the quality of the education staff.

Was a person, group of people or organization that were instrumental in your success?
Mª José Gelabert was my mentor at ENFOREX. She provided me with a model to be followed and at the same time gave me enough independence so I could find my own line of work, always respecting the standards and the philosophy of the organization. Her professionalism, knowledge, and teaching inspired me and most certainly helped me become the professional I am today and the improved the overall quality of our staff.

Tell us one of your biggest challenges in starting your organization?
One of the biggest challenges was to harmonize the work team promoting cooperation and to create such an environment that the staff would develop a bond with the organization, as to the point that they would always return.

Tell us one of your biggest mistakes in your job, studying/teaching a language and/or traveling abroad?
The first time I traveled abroad, I failed to understand the important connection between a local culture and the language they speak, prioritizing the knowledge of grammar and the technical aspects of a language over the cultural ones. I then learned how social rules are intertwined and a spoken language and that one can never really speak a language if they fail to see the world through the native speakers’ eyes.

How did you and AmeriSpan begin working together?
AmeriSpan was born in 1993 as an agency affiliated with our schools.

Can you tell us about your schools philosophy, specialty and/or why you think it is special?
Our organization enjoys an outstanding Academic Direction working within the same network in all our schools, a wide range of academic courses that aim at communicative competence found within our general curriculum and the specific one of each school, and a credit system with foreign universities. What makes our organization special lies also in the fact that the our school's connections last beyond the time the students remain in the school and that, through social networks, ENFOREX remains patent in the student’s lives.

Anything else? 
In order to travel abroad and successfully learn a language, we need to set out certain personal and specific goals. It’s essential to keep an open mind, free of preconceived prejudices, to build up tolerance towards cultural diversity, and, of course, to hold certain intellectual curiosity. Regarding ENFOREX VALENCIA, I must stress the quality of our staff, their professionalism and specialization.

It’s also worth mentioning the wide variety of specialized courses that we offer (tourism Spanish, digital photography, football, cooking, volunteering, flamenco) along with the courses offered at all our schools (DELE, business Spanish, Christmas Program and Internships). I must emphasize our teen program and the possibility of combining our Spanish classes with the extracurricular activities to discover our city, the culture (architecture, painting, sculpture, pottery), its folklore (the Fallas, the Tomatina, regional dances and outfits) as well as its unique beautiful and diverse natural surroundings (the Albufera, the Mediterranean beaches, its mountains, and its landscape). Furthermore, Valencia is the city of light in Spain and as such provides the tourist with a wide variety of daily and nightly possibilities.

Learn more about studying Spanish in Valencia

Meet Halina C., Fundraising participant who will study at AmeriSpan's Valencia Spanish school

What is your background?
I am 20 years old living in Santa Cruz, CA. I have a older brother who is 24. My mom was born and raised in Offenbach, Germany. I currently go to a local Community College called Cabrillo in Aptos, CA and am studying International Business with a Minor in Spanish, next year I will transfer to CSU Monterey Bay for my Bachelor's. 

Do you travel abroad often?
As much as I can! I haven't as much in the last 5 years, but I try to go to Europe almost every other year now. 2 years ago I went to study Italian in Naples, Italy and it was amazing.  

Have you studied abroad?
Only once before, when I was in Italy two years ago, and it was the most fun I had and the most amazing experience to be really immersed in all aspects of the culture.  

Which languages do you speak or have studied?
I speak English but have studied Italian and Spanish.

Tell us about one of your biggest challenges you've encountered abroad.
Probably the biggest challenge was first getting my barings down when I was in Naples. I come from a pretty small town in the Bay Area, and Naples was a bit overwhelming with 3 million people. I was a little intimidated at first, but eased right into everyday life after my first couple days of school.  

Why did you choose an AmeriSpan program?
I didn't want to go with my college again on a trip, I wanted to do something on my own so I decided to look around online. When I found AmeriSpan i got really excited because it looked like a really good school and had such great reviews.

Do you have any tips or advice for others planning to studying abroad?
Anybody you who wants to study abroad, all I have to say is to keep a open mind and try everything! To get the full experience you have to try everything at least once and do as the natives in the country you are in do!

Read Halina's Fundraising Story

Learn more about AmeriSpan's Fundraising Program or make a donation

What is your background?
I am 24 years old and a graduate of City university in Hong Kong. I live in Hong Kong with my family – my mother, father and brother.

Do you travel abroad often?
Actually, no, not very often. I normally go traveling abroad every 2-3 years.

Have you studied abroad?
No, never- this is my first time studying abroad!

Which languages do you speak or have studied?
I can speak Chinese (Cantonese and Mandarin), English, and a little Spanish.

How and why did you decide to Study Abroad?
After graduation, I found that learning a third language would give me an advantage for finding a job in my city. So I went online and found this Spanish school!

Tell us one of your biggest mistakes in your job, studying/teaching a language and/or traveling abroad.
I think it was my preparation. Since I had never studied Spanish at home, I had a hard time when I started school. I couldn't communicate with people easily the first month I was here and had to study every day!

Can you tell us about the school’s philosophy, specialty and/or why you think it is special?
I can say that this school is great! The teachers are very professional. They recognize students' language levels, make learning easy, and are even helpful after class.

Anything else?
I am so glad I came to this school. I want to advise my city to start a Spanish program, because Spanish is an important (and fun) language.

Find out more about AmeriSpan's Spanish school in Valencia

What is your background?
I have a university degree in Education Sciences and Philosphy.

Do you travel abroad often?
No

Have you studied abroad?
Yes

Which languages do you speak or have studied?
English, French, and Spanish

How and why did you get into the Study Abroad market?
Because I liked teaching Spanish!

When did you start/join your organization?
2006

What is your job or function at the organization?
Director of the Spanish school in Valencia

What do you enjoy the most about your job?
Meeting people

Tell us one of your biggest challenges in starting your organization.
Mixing culture and knowledge

Can you tell us about your school’s philosophy, specialty and/or why you think it is special?
We are very open and we never say no to new possibilities!

Anything else?
Valencia is the third largest city in Spain, perfect for students seeking beautiful weather and a low cost of living. In Valencia, you get the advanatges of a town and a city, because the distances are not long and communication is very good!

Learn more about AmeriSpan's Spanish school in Valencia, Spain

 What is your background?
I am 21 years old and am studying medicine in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. 

Do you travel abroad often?
I travel abroad at least once a year. Since 2005,  I have been to the US 3 times, once to Canada, and I'm currently on my third trip to Europe.

Have you studied abroad?
I've studied abroad for a month in Vancouver, Canada. 

Which languages do you speak or have studied?
I speak Portuguese, have studied English since I was 8 years old, and have been studying Spanish since 2010. 

How and why did you decide to Study Abroad?
There are several agencies in my town that promote study abroad trips. 

Anything else?
A great thing about the program here is that we have the ability to get to know more about Spanish culture. The "normal" classes are fun, we learn grammar while talking a lot. And at the culture classes, we can relax while talking, watching Spanish movies, reading Spanish poems, etc.

Discover more about AmeriSpan's Spanish school in Valencia

What is your background?
I'm 34 years old, I'm a teacher and I live in Valencia. I have a child and have studied Hispanic Studies. 

Do you travel abroad often?
I did before but I can't do it now.

Have you studied abroad?
Yes, some years ago I studied in Germany.

Which languages do you speak or have studied?
I've studied two languages, English and German.

When did you start/join your organization?
5 years ago

What is your job or function at the organization?
I'm a teacher.

What do you enjoy the most about your job?
The thing I enjoy most about my job is getting to know people from all over the world.

Was a person, group of people or organization that were instrumental in your success?
My colleagues

Tell us one of your biggest challenges in starting your organization?
The most challenging thing is ensuring our students reach a good language level and leave the school feeling satisfied.

Tell us one of your biggest mistakes in your job, studying/teaching a language and/or traveling abroad?
Sometimes I try to translate directly from Spanish into the new language.

Can you tell us about your schools philosophy, specialty and/or why you think it is special?
Our method is based in developing all language skills at the same time.

Anything else?
If you come to Valencia, you can enjoy one of the world's most unique festivals – "Las Fallas" – which is a world of music, colors, and fireworks!

Find out more about AmeriSpan's Spanish school in Valencia