5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Choosing a Private Spanish Teacher as an Adult

In this post: Find the perfect Spanish teacher that aligns with your goals and expectations by asking yourself these 5 essential questions.

So, you've made up your mind that you’re going to get serious about improving your Spanish this year.

Maybe it's because you're fed up with playing charades with Spanish-speaking patients and having to dial up the interpreter.

Or maybe you've been over to visit your relatives in Mexico one too many times without being able to keep up the conversation.

You're all fired up, but, with all the courses and resources online, you’re not sure where to start. That's when the idea of a private Spanish teacher starts to sound like a pretty good idea.

So, you whip out your phone, type in "Spanish teachers near me," and, suddenly, you're swimming in options.

This is an important decision. That’s because picking the right teacher can make or break your Spanish learning journey.

Now, the trick is to ask the right questions.

You see, it’s not about finding the Spanish teacher who happens to be nearby, or who happens to be your friend’s Spanish teacher, or who is just available right away. None of those things mean you’ve found the right person to help you make Spanish an integral part of your life.

Like any formal relationship with someone you are going to spend time and money with (think, financial advisor, realtor, personal trainer), you’ll want to have an open and honest conversation with your potential Spanish teacher to see if they truly are the right person to support you on our Spanish-learning journey. You can think of it like an informal interview.

As you prepare for these “interviews” with potential teachers, don’t forget to ask the questions that matter the most, which are actually questions you need to ask yourself and get clear on first.

When people reach out to me, wanting to know if I can teach them Spanish, those are the very questions I help them answer.

I want you to have those questions on hand as you start out. You might want to grab a pen and paper and jot down what really matters to you as your read this.

So, what are we waiting for? Here are 5 essential questions to ask yourself before choosing the right Spanish teacherto guide you on your Spanish journey.

Where should you start when looking for a private Spanish teacher as an adult?

#1 What are your motivations and desired result for learning Spanish?

Not everyone has the same motivations and desired result for learning Spanish. And many people don’t realize that the learning strategies and teaching styles that will help you the most depend on this.

Think a moment about what’s motivating you to learn Spanish and how you dream of using it in the future. For a little inspiration, here are some motivating factors that might resonate with you:

• You're a nurse and want to speak to your Spanish-speaking patients

• You’re retired and want to volunteer with Spanish-speaking refugees

• You’re married to a Spanish-speaking spouse and want to communicate better with your in-laws

• You come from a Spanish-speaking family but always feel embarrassed when you visit with relatives because you want to be more fluent in Spanish

• You want to learn Spanish alongside your children so everyone can be bilingual

• You want to travel to Spanish-speaking countries and immerse yourself in local culture

If Spanish is already a part of your life, as in the examples above, that’s going to change the way you approach your learning.

Are you simply looking to order a cup of coffee in Spanish on your next trip to Mexico City, or do you aspire to discuss Diego Rivera’s murals with a local art enthusiast?

Are you just trying to help your kids with their Spanish homework, or do you dream of taking the whole family to live abroad for a year in Costa Rica?

Are you content just knowing how to ask for directions in Spanish, or would you rather be able to dive into a lively street conversation with locals?

Do you just want to be able to read a Spanish menu and order some food, or would you love to swap recipes with your Spanish-speaking neighbor?

Do you want to exchange “holas” with your Spanish-speaking family in El Salvador, or do you want to engage in full-blown family discussions during holiday dinners?

Make sure you’re clear on your goals before you hire a private Spanish teacher.

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#2 What is your Spanish learning style?

Ask yourself this question: how do you learn best? You might think back to general school situations or to language-learning experiences you’ve already had.

When your teacher takes the time to understand your learning style, it can be a game-changer in your Spanish learning. A teaching style that fits your learning style makes your experience more fun and engaging. And it’s simply a more effective way for you to learn.

In a nutshell, there are a variety of learning styles — and 4 main styles you can observe most often. Chances are, when you think back to your past learning experiences, you’ll see that you have one or two that are dominant for you. See if any of these sound like you:

Visual learner: You thrive when you learn from what you see. You will do really well when your teacher uses high-quality visuals as you learn, such as: diagrams, charts, drawings, mind maps, graphic organizers, and comics.

Auditory learner: You remember what you hear. Your teacher can help you boost your learning with a rich variety of high-quality listening materials. (think songs, podcasts, and audio versions of written materials)

Reading/Writing learner: When you listen to a talk or watch a video, do you like to have the transcript? Do learn best through books and stories? Do you write something down if you want to remember it? Then your teacher can help you find the right strategies for you — even if your dream is just being able to speak in Spanish.

Kinesthetic learner: Kinesthetic learners love to move and learn by doing. Traditional education might seem a little painful to you — because you don’t get to move! The right teacher will know how to help you tap into your kinesthetic learning style by having you watch videos while you’re on your elliptical machine, for example.

#3 What are your expectations?

You might be surprised that the best Spanish teacher for you will sometimes ask you to rethink some of your expectations. It sounds counterintuitive, but, someone who says yes to all of your expectations may be setting you up for failure.

You might already know what that’s like if you’ve ever had someone who told you that you can learn a language in 30 days. Or that you can use an App for 15 minutes a day and be able to speak.

Take a moment and think about what your expectations are going in — and whether they are realistic. You may want to ask yourself the following questions:

How much time do you have to commit to lessons and studying?

The reality is that you need at least 30 minutes a day to study for at least 12-18 months if you want to see real progress.

How fast do you expect to learn Spanish?

Spanish is one of the easier languages for English speakers to learn, but research shows that reaching proficiency in Spanish takes between 500-600 hours.

The reality is, if you have a trip to Peru planned next month, and you haven’t touched Spanish since last year, then you might want to adjust your expectations of what level of conversational fluency you’ll be able to achieve by then.

And a truly experienced teacher will be honest with you about the process and never sell you on false claims.

Are you focused on goals — or habits?

In everyday life, we often learn to be focused on goals. But when you’re learning Spanish, that strategy can actually be counterproductive. I’ve had a lot of people lose motivation because they couldn’t reach their (unrealistic) goals.

But even with realistic goals like ‘becoming fluent,’ focusing on your end goals is not always as helpful as it seems.

Do you want to be really successful with your Spanish learning? Then focus less on the ultimate goal (which is hard to measure when it comes to fluency) and focus on your systems - how are you going to show up every day to improve your Spanish?

A truly effective Spanish teacher will know how to help you do that.

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#4 What accent do you want to learn?

You may feel unsure about what type of Spanish you want to learn when you’re just starting out. To help you answer that, you’ll want to revisit the first question you asked yourself in this post:

What are your motivations and desired result for learning Spanish? (And who do you think you’ll be interacting with the most?)

If you are learning Spanish to be able to speak with patients from Latin America or your in-laws from Mexico, that’s a really important consideration.

Choosing one style of Spanish to learn at first will make things easier for you as a beginner. So you’ll want to start with the style of Spanish you think you’ll use the most (and hear the most) right away.

Make sure your teacher speaks the accent you want to learn!

For example, don’t take lessons with a Castillian Spanish-speaking teacher when you want to learn Mexican Spanish.

#5 What is the teacher's teaching approach?

This is where you can start to ask your potential teacher questions about their preferred style of teaching. But you’ll notice that the question still points back to you — and how you’ve decided to learn.

If you are more laid back about the learning process and are studying more casually, make sure your teacher also mirrors your intentions and keeps things “light”.

If you’re driven and motivated to really dedicate time to learning Spanish, make sure your teacher matches you in that intensity and has a solid study plan for you.

Here’s one last question (and a topic near and dear to my heart) to ask yourself as you are considering who is the best Spanish teacher for you:

Does your teacher value biliteracy?

Biliteracy means that you’re not only able to hold a conversation in Spanish but also to read a Spanish book or write a proper email to your child’s Spanish-speaking teacher.

So, the question is, does your teacher have you covered for both, or is he/she just prepping you to speak and listen?

You may not have asked yourself this question yet. But there is growing evidence that biliteracy is really important and helps you become a competent, well-rounded fluent person.

Being able to ‘just be conversational’ and ‘get by’ speaking and listening is fine if you want to use Spanish for occasional travel or to buy pottery on an occasional trip across the border.

But if Spanish is going to become a part of who you are, you will want to aspire to be literate in Spanish from the very beginning.

Make sure you find a teacher who has an approach to help you get started in this way (i.e., lessons that integrate all 4 competencies - listening, speaking, reading, and writing).

Your key takeaways when choosing a private Spanish teacher as an adult

Learning Spanish as an adult is an incredibly rewarding experience — and it’s also a commitment to show up and make your Spanish practice a true habit.

Finding a Spanish teacher who shares your values and who can help you stay on track — especially in the beginning when you’re in need of the most guidance.

But it’s essential to find the right Spanish teacher for you — and to do that, you have to know who you are as a Spanish learner.

I hope you’ll reflect on these 5 questions I’ve asked you today before you choose the person to help you on your way to reaching your Spanish goals.

It will take you a few minutes, but you’re about to start down a new path — one you’ll follow for months, maybe years.

Take a moment to reflect so that you’re headed in the right direction from the start. Because the right Spanish teacher can help you stay on your path and travel it better and faster.

But first, you and your Spanish teacher have to agree on where you want to go.

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