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Alba and a student at the Mitad del Mundo monument near Quito, Ecuador.

Alba and a student at the Mitad del Mundo monument near Quito, Ecuador.

My Spanish Has Improved Immeasurably
Andrew Howe
Fashion Designer
London, England


Having spent a couple of weeks studying Spanish in Quito at a couple of private schools I felt unhappy with my progress, and through an internet search I came across Alba Albad. I have just completed three months of daily classes with Alba and my Spanish has improved immeasurably . . . (Read more)


A Gem in a Field of Stones
Barclay Macdonald
Magazine Publishing
Vancouver, Canada


I found Alba through a friend and am extremely glad I did. She was a rare find; a gem in a field of stones. I spent three months with her; an hour a day, five days a week. We worked hard and we covered an extraordinary amount of ground in a very short period of time. At the same time, she is funny and delightful and we had a good belly laugh almost every day . . . (Read more)


A Teacher Who Actually Cares
Stefan Moore
English Teacher
Brooklyn, New York, USA


There's a difference in a teacher that only teaches and someone that knows how to teach. There's also a difference in a teacher that cares if you learn well, and one that just wants to get the job done. Alba really cares; she loves what she does, and it shows! . . . (Read more)


One-Of-A-Kind Experience
Darren A.
Attorney
New York, New York, USA


I am an attorney with a prominent law firm in New York and have been studying Spanish, one-on-one, with Alba Abad for the past two months (and will continue to do so for two more months). I have struggled to come up with the best way to repay Alba for the amazing job she has done and finally decided that this recommendation letter would be a good start . . . (Read more)


Look No Further
Jennifer Hand
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA


I studied with Alba for a total of about 3 months during my time in Ecuador. I had previously studied at another Spanish school in Quito, but wasn´t satisfied with the program there. Alba was not only professional, but welcoming, kind, and caring . . . (Read more)


No Regrets!
Shamita and Liam
India and Ireland


We heard about Alba from some ex-students of hers we met in Colombia and decided to take up their tip to get in touch with Alba and take a week of lessons with her whilst in Quito. We did not regret a single minute . . . (Read more)


Alba with her student, Liam

Alba with her student, Liam


Great Personality and an Incredible Teacher
Sarah P.
Student, Georgetown University Law Center
Washington, D.C., USA


I wholeheartedly recommend Alba to anyone and everyone interested in improving his or her Spanish! Not only does Alba have over 19 years of experience, she is also a pleasure to spend time with and has a great sense of humor . . . (Read more)


The Best Spanish Teacher on this Planet
Pranav Soneji
Journalist, BBC News
London, England


I have had the pleasure of spending a week with a brilliant Spanish teacher called Alba Abad in Quito. Not only is she quite possibly the best Spanish teacher to have spoken the language, she rivals the late Mother Teresa as the most saintly person ever to have walked on this planet . . . (Read more)


So Compelling! Returning for More!
Gareth Leech
Architect
United Kingdom


Alba was a great teacher. I was only going to take one week of intensive lessons before I traveled, but I was enjoying it so much that I decided to stay for a second week. I will also be returning within the next two years to further my knowledge as its a brilliant language taught by a brilliant teacher . . . (Read more)


Surpasses Her Peers! Highly Recommended!
Beth Jacob
USA


Alba is a excellent professor with a high level of professionalism and dedication to her profession. While traveling through South America, Alba was my teacher in Quito, while in two other cities I tried two other instructors. After having classes with two other instructors, I decided to wait until I returned to Quito so Alba could be my sole professor . . . (Read more)


Quality Education, Ethical, and Excellent!
John Nader

I remember when I first used The Ecua Traveler to find a spanish teacher. I was a little bit skeptical of the ratings for Alba because, although they were overwhelmingly positive, there were only a few of them. But my experience with Alba over the last four weeks has been absolutely phenomenal and has proven the glowing reviews to be entirely accurate . . . (Read more)


Talented, Friendly, and Outstanding!
Sarah Grossman-Swenson
Attorney
San Francisco, California, USA


Alba is a fantastic Spanish teacher. She tailors her lessons and explanations to the skills and interests of her students while ensuring that students have a strong foundation in grammar and vocabulary . . . (Read more)


Simple, Clear, and Always Prepared
Sumi Yokota
Tokyo, Japan


Alba is an excellent Spanish teacher. Any student who decides to learn Spanish couldn't make a better choice than Alba for a teacher. She is always punctual and never late to class. Her preparation for class includes various teaching materials designed to give students different approaches to learning Spanish . . . (Read more)


A Dedicated and Inspiring Teacher
Carol and Thomas Oberschmidt
Berlin, Germany


For our first time in Latin America, my husband and I decided on a two-week intensive course with Alba in a one-teacher-two-student setup, including a cultural program with Alba in the afternoons, a home-stay with a family and also--fortunately--airport pick-up. Our plane arrived late in Quito and our baggage did not come with us. Alba, who had waited hours at the airport, came to our aid and helped us fill out the "search" papers for our baggage. Then Alba and her husband Marcelo drove us to our host family and helped us to get settled in. The next day Alba walked with us to her apartment where she holds her classes, making sure that we would find our way.

The lessons with Alba were characterized by the same warmth and care we had experienced upon our arrival . . . (Read more)


Wonderful Teacher
Walter Grössl
Medical Doctor
Austria


I had Alba Abad for four weeks as a teacher and it was almost a miracle what she did with my Spanish. From zero, I was able to understand and speak Spanish after her instructions . . . (Read more)


Alba Makes Studying a Pleasant Experience
Birgitte Bowen
Sydney, Australia
birgittebowen@yahoo.com.au


Alba Abad is possibly the best and most patient teacher you could ask for, and she was an absolute pleasure to spend time with in Quito. I was a complete beginner, yet after only a week, I couldn't believe how much Spanish I was actually able to understand and mumble. And although I did change my plans to stay a little longer in Quito to learn a little more, I wish I could have packed her into my backpack when I really had to leave! . . . (Read more)


A Genuin, Kindhearted Person
James Peek
Canberra, Australia


My time spent with Alba was one of much learning, many laughs and, arguably most importantly, great fun. Alba is a genuine, kindhearted person and went through everything at a slow and consistent pace. She had the wisdom to know when there was something I needed explained but did not know how to get it across and the patience to keep with it until I finally understood . . . (Read more)


 

 

 

 

 

 



An Excellent and Enthusiastic Teacher
Maria and Peter Marzahl
Foreign Langauge Teacher and University Professor
Berlin, Germany


My husband and I spent 2 weeks in Quito in February 2011 studying Spanish with Alba Abad. Having lived in Latin America long ago, we know Spanish but it was quite rusty. We found that Alba met our needs perfectly, providing just the right mix of grammatical explanations and practice, vocabulary building and conversational practice . . . (Read more)


Ida Razick (on left) stands with Alba at a vista for the Virgen de Quito statue (at the top of the hill in the background).

Maria Marzahl studying with Alba.


Ida Razick (on left) stands with Alba at a vista for the Virgen de Quito statue (at the top of the hill in the background).

Maria and Peter Marzahl with Alba.


A Jewel of Quito
Theresia In der Maur
Tourist Guide and Actress
Vienna, Austria


I loved learning Spanish with Alba. It was an amazing experience and I can easily recommend it to anyone who comes to Quito; it will be a jewel of your experience in this interesting city. Not only is she very patient and generally always in a good mood, but she is very flexible to whatever you feel like learning and at whatever pace you prefer. We had a great mixture of conversation and grammar. I absolutely loved studying with her!


An Excellent Teacher!
Jordan England
Sacramento, California, USA


I studied with Alba for approximately 3 months (from January to April of 2010) and would highly recommend Alba to anyone coming to Quito who is serious about learning Spanish. Having previously taught English as a second language in South Korea, and knowing that there is considerable variation in the skills, talents, and levels of personal commitment that foreign language teachers bring to their profession, I was very picky in my search for a Spanish teacher . . . (Read more)


Fun learning con Alba in Quito
Liviana and Ashley
Australia


We don´t have much to compare her to, but for us, studying Spanish with Alba was a great experience. Initially, we were nervous about studying with a teacher who didn´t speak English, as we had very little Spanish between us, but Alba made it easy. Within a week, we had enough vocabulary to understand most of what she was saying, and our conversations with her over the 3 weeks progressed loads. We talked about everything from family, holidays, to politics! . . . (Read more)


Patient, Experienced, and Wonderful!
Ida Razick
California, USA


I had come to Quito to live for 5 months and further my Spanish studies in efforts to become a translator. I was seeking a very qualified and knowledgeable teacher. It took me one month, many visits to many schools and four teachers later to find Alba . . . (Read more)


Ida Razick (on left) stands with Alba at a vista for the Virgen de Quito statue (at the top of the hill in the background).

Ida Razick (on left) stands with Alba at a vista for the Virgen de Quito statue (at the top of the hill in the background).


An Amazing Teacher and a Great Resource
Rick Jackson
Seattle, Washington, USA


Alba is an amazing Spanish Teacher. I spent about 3 months taking lessons from her and learned much more Spanish than I had with other teachers. She made it fun even when I started to burn out and she got me right back into learning . . . (Read more)


Superior Knowledge and a Wonderful Friend
Sanaz Azizi
Berlin, Germany


Alba is not only the best Spanish teacher, she also is your friend, in her way of teaching she is determined to make sure that her students understand the subject. With her patience and knowledge, Spanish grammar all of a sudden becomes fun and easy to learn . . . (Read more)


Punctual, Knowledgeable, and Great
Masashi Tsujita
Tokyo, Japan


I lived in Quito for a year and studied with Alba for a majority of my stay. She not only has a great teaching technique but also is very punctual. Generally in Ecuador, people are rarely on time, but she is an exception . . . (Read more)


Great for the Family, One of the Best
Glenn Good
Alberta, Canada


I have had Alba for a Spanish teacher on and off for almost 4 years. She is likely one of the best teachers here. She has also taught my wife and daughter. None of us spoke a word of Spanish when we arrived here, but now my wife and daughter speak very good Spanish (I am not so good as languages are not my strength) . . . (Read more)


Organized, Flexible, and Very Precise
Laura Bowers
England


With very little Spanish comprehension, I arrived in Quito before starting a voluntary project in an area where there are no foreigners and only Spanish is spoken, to have a one-week crash course in Ecuadorian culture and language. I'm very glad I chose Alba to guide me through my one-week intensive class . . . (Read more)


Laura Bowers and Alba spending time on the TelefériQo.

Laura Bowers and Alba spending time on the TelefériQo.


Alba is Passionate About Teaching Spanish
Jason McKillop
Colorado, USA


I completely agree with all of the wonderful things Alba's former students have to say about her. Alba is truly a fantastic person: Exceedingly friendly, a true professional, and as honest and sincere as they come. What really stuck out for me is the true passion Alba has for teaching Spanish. Anyone who has been fortunate enough to learn any subject from a teacher who is passionate about their work will understand. . . (Read more)


My Experience with Alba
Christopher Moore
USA


I had the opportunity of spending two full weeks of Spanish instruction with Alba. Throughout my two weeks, I found her to be extremely helpful and flexible with my abilities and time constraints. In two weeks, I became conversational in Spanish, able to hold long intellectual conversations with my crazy, Marxist, couch surfing hosts in Spanish. I credit this TOTALLY to Alba, who made me feel very comfortable in her classroom with her totally honing my strengths and weaknesses . . . (Read more)


Simply Great
Nicky Pear
England
nicky_pear@hotmail.com


In June of this year, I spent 3 weeks studying with Alba in Quito and found her to be one of the most incredibly kind people I have ever met. In addition, her Spanish teaching skills were by far and away the best I've come accross . . . (Read more)


Can't Say Enough Good Things About My Classes
Alan Crabtree
USA

I studied with Alba Abad last year and I can't say enough good things about my classes with her. I really made a big leap in my Spanish. We had both regular lessons with homework and spent some parts of the class just talking. She is very organized and uses a variety of material from books and of her own design . . . (Read more)


A Very Gifted Teacher
William S. Havens, Ph.D
Professor, Simon Fraser University
British Columbia, Canada


If you are interested in taking Spanish language lesson in Quito, I can recommend a very good private tutor. There are many Spanish language schools and tutors in Quito and it is hard to know how to select a good teacher or school. I would like to recommend Alba Abad . . . (Read more)


An Absolutely Invaluable Week
Joel Hambrook
Brisbane, Australia


Unfortunately, I only got to spend one week with Alba, due to travel deadlines, but that week was absolutely invaluable for my time in South America. Apart from being a great teacher, she was also great fun and a very affable character . . . (Read more)


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