Student Spotlight: Zak

Zak has been a long standing student with Olé Spanish for Everyone. Since he was 9 he has been attending our classes and our summer camps, he is an Olé expert. So I interviewed Zak to find out what it's like being a student of Olé Spanish for Everyone throughout the years.

Read on for what Zak has to say about Olé Spanish for Everyone:

"How long have you been doing Spanish with Olé Spanish for Everyone?

"Maria became my primary school’s Spanish teacher when I was in year 4. Since then, I have been to the Ole Spanish camp 3 times, joined Ole’s GCSE classes in year 9 and have continued classes since.

Maria being my Spanish teacher in primary school was my first experience learning Spanish as my primary school taught French beforehand."

What were your Spanish GCSE grades?

"I received a grade 9 at GCSE Spanish."

What was your experience like at the Olé Spanish for Everyone summer camps?

"The Ole Spanish summer camps are some of the most memorable experiences I’ve had. Throughout the week we partook in many exciting activities, my favourites being cliff jumping and paddle boarding.

I am extremely lucky to have been able to talk to and learn from the Spanish kids at the camp as I believe that there is no better way to learn Spanish or any language than to talk to native speakers. I am still in close contact with many of the British students that went on the trip and occasionally speak to the Spanish students also."

We know you are expected A-stars at Spanish A-levels, how do you think Olé Spanish for Everyone has contributed to that specifically?

"Having been a part of the Ole classes for several years, I’ve seen first-hand how effective they are and how much they can aid students to get a better understanding of Spanish and reach aspirational grades. The classes, both group and 1-to-1, are catered to assist students through Maria’s expertise in teaching and her knowledge of the GCSE and A-Level course. Through this, I have been able to feel ahead of my school peers, helping me achieve a grade 9 at GCSE and be predicted an A* at A-Level."

What do you think about your teachers?

"As previously mentioned, I have been taught by Maria since I was around 9 years old and she has helped me tremendously to understand and speak Spanish at a conversational level, a skill I think many students don’t have due to a lack of emphasis on speaking Spanish within the curriculum, especially at a GCSE level. Danny has been teaching me for only a few weeks now, however he too is a very confident teacher who has taken GCSE and A-Level Spanish himself so knows the course inside-out."

We thank Zak for taking the time to sit down and answer my questions. He is one of many star students at Olé Spanish for Everyone. Each student is special, talented and hardworking and we value each and everyone of them.

Written by Amber Francesca Carvalho