About Me
I am from Madrid and studied Spanish Language and Literature at Madrid’s Universidad Complutense.
Besides classical languages such as Latin or Greek, Western languages such as English or Italian, and German for some time, I also studied languages such as Hebrew for a while. Why? Well, I am a linguist because I love languages and what it means to learn a language, I mean, to understand the culture. You cannot be proficient in a language if at some point you do not experience a cultural immersion in the country, with local people. And if you attend a programme or course, preferably, with experienced native teachers who really will be the best qualified to explain each of the cultural aspects associated with the language and its many possibilities in different contexts. This very interesting part of a language is what we call pragmatics and should also be taught...
Over the years I have had continuous academic training specialising in Spanish as a foreign language through a Master's degree at the University of Valencia, as well as training related to different subjects such as intercultural education and local development, and ELE at the Instituto Cervantes, although the best school has proved to be everyday life!
My first experience as a Spanish teacher was twenty years ago… Time flies!! I was involved with teaching through intercultural programmes in Madrid. Back then I understood how gratifying and rewarding this profession is due to contact with people with different backgrounds and nationalities.
I hope that if you go ahead with learning Spanish the experience becomes a pleasant one for you as much as for me teaching it. We will keep in touch through this website or if you decide to give it a go, online or personally here in Mallorca.
¡Hasta pronto!
Ana
Testimonials
We are a travel agency from Bulgaria. For one of our very special clients, we had to organize private Spanish lessons in Palma de Mallorca.
Ivan Ivanov 12 Travel Ltd, Bulgaria
We contacted Mrs Ana Càrdenas and we are amazed at how professional and cooperative she is. It was very easy to organize the lessons with her and with no doubt, we can say that she is a wonderful person and a teacher.
Our client told us that the lessons were perfectly organized, meaningful, interesting and tailored to the needs of the student. Lessons were definitely effective and raised the level of comprehension and command in Spanish of our client.
For us and our client, it was a great pleasure to work with Mrs Ana Càrdenas. She is important partner for us and we hope we can work again soon.
We and our client would like to thank you for your excellent service and highly shown professionalism.
Ana is a fantastic teacher. As an absolute beginner i booked her for week to bump start my Spanish. Energetic and inventive, kept me fully engaged and looking forward to every lesson. If you want to improve your Spanish book her ....... you won't regret it !
Gareth, London
Talkshop is a fun, exciting and challenging way to improve one´s Spanish language proficiency. Set among a group of students of similar skill levels, this fast-paced, Q&A style exercise incorporates useful phraseology from everyday life, combined with references to popular culture as well as to the personal interests of the participants. The "round robin" format encourages interaction, facilitates learning in a practical way, and builds confidence through positive reinforcement. Of course, Ana´s preparation, enthusiastic moderating and boundless energy make Talkshop an event well worth your time and energy. I highly recommend it!
David, New York, USA
I have had the pleasure of having Ana as my Spanish teacher for sometime now, learning with Ana is so enjoyable as she has so much passion and energy when you are in her company. Learning a new language is tough but Ana makes you feel relaxed and at ease. Every lesson I have is fun and relaxed and she has helped me immensely I couldn't recommend her more highly.. Many regards Ana
Martyn Quinton, London
I can’t speak highly enough of Ana as a teacher and the Spanish lessons I received. I initially signed up for her classes just to practice conversation, but it didn’t take long to realize I needed a lot more grammar help first. I came to Ana with all of my doubts, whether they were about grammar, or what to do/say in real life situations, or how to write different types of texts, and she was able to help me with every question I had. Because of her background in teaching Spanish as a foreign language, she knew exactly how to explain “why” the answer was what it was. Ana is a very dedicated teacher and devotes a lot of time to make each class specifically tailored to your needs. She is really outgoing and enjoyable to be around and makes each class very engaging. Over the six months of classes we formed a close friendship and I can’t thank her enough for all her help!!
Lindsay Cooper, Baltimore, USA