Meet Tatyana Malyk, a foreign language teacher at a boarding school in western Massachusetts. Her autobiography is online, and you can read more about her there. She attended Kiev Shevchenko State University in Ukraine, and teaches four languages; Latin, Spanish, French, and Russian. It was only five years ago that she discovered her love of the Spanish language during an immersion program with us, ECELA Spanish Schools.
VV: Good afternoon, Tatyana, and thank you for this opportunity!
VV: Which ECELA school(s) have you attended? When did you go?
TM: I attended ECELA in Buenos Aires and Santiago de Chile in 2006.
VV: How would you describe your Spanish level before beginning your Spanish program with ECELA?
Tatyana and two of her students on graduation
TM: My Spanish level was really just a beginner. I took a year of the night classes of Spanish at UMASS Amherst.
VV: How would you describe your Spanish level after finishing your Spanish program with us?
TM: I started hearing and talking. Of course, I made mistakes but I was able to express myself, felt confident going places.
VV: What is one main reason that you have recommended ECELA Spanish Schools to other Spanish language learners?
TM: I really liked both Argentina and Argentineans, I liked Chile and Chileans. At that time I discovered my South America. I knew before about both these countries, I followed political events in these countries, knew Neruda, loved Victor Hara, had sorrow for Salvatore Alliende, respected idealism of Ernesto Che Gevarra. But when I came first to Buenos Aires I was astound of its beauty, culture, people. Everybody I met was very approachable and intelligent. I completely fell in love to South America and of course Spanish language. After that I decided to come to every country of this continent.