After seven years teaching Spanish in Edinburgh, five of them running SALT, the moment of moving to a different career has arrived. The Spring term (April to the end of June) will be my last one teaching Spanish. But don’t worry, my decision doesn’t affect to SALT, as Jorge will take full ownership of the business.
As many of you may know, I’ve two great passions in life: films and books. In Spain I studied Scriptwriting and currently I’m finishing my studies in Spanish Language and Literature by distance. I spend most of my weekends writing – and, I must admit, fantasising about winning an Oscar for the Best Script. I tried hard to combine SALT with my vocation but as much as I enjoy teaching Spanish, working everyday in a Spanish environment means my English is stunted. In order to reach my goal, I need to work in an English environment.
The Russian playwright and storyteller Anton Chekhov, who was trained as a doctor, described medicine as his wife and his vocation as his lover. I don’t know much more about Chekhov’s biography, but I’m sure that he didn’t have the requirements that a company has. Running a successful business is like having a wife and five children – you just don’t have time for lovers.
Over the last year, SALT gave Jorge and me huge satisfaction that demands more and more time. Apart from a growth in the number of students,
the school is now an official examiner centre of the Instituto Cervantes, offers new courses like the Conversation Club, and has established a collaboration with the Spanish Consulate of Scotland in order to provide Spanish courses for Primary teachers and Immersion Days for students of Highers and Advanced Highers in Scotland.
I’d like to close this post saying thank you to all the people who helped me over the last five years of my life, a time that I’ll always remember as enormously satisfying. Apart from my loved ones and my life partner, there’re some people that I feel obliged to mention – and, at the same time, this can be a good practise for my future Oscar speech.
First of all, thank you to all the students who taught me something. Teaching is two way and, while I explained grammar points, students told me about restaurants, books, films, trips and English expressions that, otherwise, I’d never have learnt. I also want to say thank you to all the teachers who worked with us, especially some of them who now I include among my friends. And the last person who I want to express my gratitude is Jorge, my business partner over the last five years and an excellent friend. Thank you for all these years, for what you taught me, for the fun times and for the understanding when we talked about my future. I know that SALT will be in the best hands of the world with Jorge.
In order to celebrate SALT’s new direction and my goodbye, book in your diary the Saturday 6th of June. We’ll be at the downstairs room of the Cuckoo’s Nest, 69 Home Street , EH3 9JP, from 6pm.
Please, if you want to carry on being in touch, you can follow me on Twitter:
@Ed_in_burgh
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