A local entrepreneur, Sarah Spencer, who has worked for one of the biggest English language agencies in the UK recently met with Ronda Today for an interview about how she can help Rondeños find English academies in England, Ireland, Canada, the US, in fact any country where English is the native language Sarah can help with.
Sarah moved to Spain two years ago and started learning Spanish, even going to an intensive Spanish class in Granada and staying with a host family who are now good friends so that she could understand what Rondeños feel when they study in English speaking countries.
Sarah’s website www.geminicourses.com provides information for Spanish people who want to study abroad with a beca (grant) from MEC/MEPSYD (Spanish government department of education), and Gemini Courses is already getting ready for 2011 as well and it is never too early to register your place.
Intensive English courses in an English speaking country are very popular with Spaniards who like learning English and believe that they learn better abroad, coining the phrase ‘inglés en el extranjero‘, full immersion in a language is always better than learning with an academy in Spain or from a private professor.
Gemini Courses is well known by English schools in English speaking countries because Sarah knows the directors of the schools and also knows the best course or school for students. She is able to recommend schools that offer general English, intensive courses, IELTS, TOEFL & Cambridge Exam preparation courses, and English for Business.
Aside from recommending schools and courses, Sarah and Gemini Courses also liaise with schools to make sure students from Ronda are placed with the best host families who will help Rondeños feel at home when studying abroad.
We asked Sarah where the most popular destinations are for intensive English courses, and in order of most popular they are Dublin, New York, Cambridge, Malta, and London. In a quick poll of students at the Escuela Oficial de Idiomas students confirmed that Ireland and New York are the two places most Rondeños would choose.
All of the schools recommended by Gemini Courses are professional schools that have been teaching English for many years. Students do a placement exam when they first arrive, but this is only to test their knowledge of English and determine which class they go to.
Rondeños planning to study abroad should read the Gemini Courses website for ingles en el extranjero, try to read it in English, but if this is difficult, Sarah’s website has also been translated into Castellano and Sarah will be happy to communicate in English or Spanish with any student.
I’ve been living in this lovely area of Western Andalucia for the last 20 years or so and dedicate most of my time to the running of English language tourist information websites for the towns of Cádiz, Ronda, Grazalema, the famous or infamous Caminito del Rey, and also Wildside Holidays, which promotes sustainable and eco-friendly businesses running wildlife and walking holidays in Spain. My articles contain affiliate links that will help you reserve a hotel, bus, train or activity in the area. You don’t pay more, but by using them you do support this website. Thankyou!
