INFO CORNER

Here you will find general information about obtaining a student visa, information differing in origin country (if the information does not appear here, ask us, we have our legal assistents!)

INFO CORNER

Here you will find general information about obtaining a student visa, information differing in origin country (if the information does not appear here, ask us, we have our legal assistents!)

About

BCN LIP (Language Immersion Programs) Language School is an academy founded by school director Sofia Pariente Buzón in 2008. Our name demonstrates the philosophy that we wish to impart, that our programs are based on real life learning in useful contexts.

Our Staff

Director

Born in Barcelona in 1974, Sofia Pariente Buzón traveled to the United States at the age of 17 to finish high school, and received a BA in English and Spanish Philology from the University of Barcelona in 1997. In 1998, she received a postgraduate degree in Postcolonial Literatures. And in 2001, she completed a course in Spanish as a foreign language for teachers at the International House. Since 2002, she has worked as an educator in different centers in Barcelona, and in 2008 founded BCNLIP. She has been the director and a teacher at the school since its inception.

 If there is one unique difference between BCNLIP and other schools, it is that we treat our students in a very personal and real way. As director, I like to get to know all of the students personally and help them with everything they need. For this reason, I do my best to spend the majority of my time at our school meeting their needs and ensuring their satisfaction at all times. For me, among all of the duties involved in management, caring for the students is the most important part.

Elena García Lorca
Alejandro Danilo Saenz
Fabián Lousto Giovio

Elisenda Torrell Cascalló

Coordination – Catalan courses

Bachelor’s degree in translation from Pompeu Fabra University in 2006. Certified in Pedagogical Aptitudes from the University of Barcelona in 2006. Postgraduate degree in Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language from International House in 2007. Master in Teacher Training for Teaching Second Languages from the University of Barcelona in 2010. She has been working as an ELE teacher for 8 years and has been teaching Spanish and Catalan at BCN LIP since 2011.

To teach a language is not only grammar, it’s to explain a culture, a way of understanding the world, and way to socialize, and I try to prepare my students so that they can integrate into our country with success.

Judith Benítez Ávila

Coordinación – Cursos solidarios

He graduated in Arabic Studies from the University of Barcelona and later did a Master’s in Spanish as a Foreign Language. Since 2009 she has been linked to the world of education, she began to work as a teacher and monitor of school reinforcement activities in different educational centers. In 2013 she underwent her first experience as a Spanish teacher in Granada. Between 2017 and 2020 she was a Spanish teacher in Morocco.

When we really learn a language, something changes in us and we are able to empathize with its speakers and broaden our understanding of cultural aspects that ​we might not previously have been able to understand.

Irada Gardashova

Coordination – Accreditation

Born in 1982 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Bachelor’s degree in English and Spanish Philology from the Pedagogical University of Saint Petersburg. Certified in Slavic Philology. She has been teaching since 2003. For 3 years, she taught Spanish as a foreign language at Estatal University of Saint Petersburg. Since 2006, she has worked at different language schools in Barcelona and since 2011 has been a part of the BCN LIP team, teaching Spanish for Russians and Russian.

I enjoy the interaction with the people and I have a true interest in them. The majority of our students are foreigners and for this reason I strive to have the most updated information related to new immigration laws of the Foreign Consulates. I do my best to convey trust and confidence, providing the necessary information and help when it is time to select a group or level and my background as a philologist helps me greatly with this.

The goal of my classes is to teach a “living” language and not the outdated constructions that are not used in the current version. Interesting, dynamic classes and a creative comfortable environment form part of the motivation for a student

Nothing is a mistake, everything is a lesson. – Unknown author

Maria Selezneva

Coordination – University pathway courses and vocational training

Bachelor’s degree in Sinology from the University of Chita, Russia in 2007. She lived 4 years in Harbin, where she worked as a translator while completing her Master. She started her career as a teacher in 2012 and since 2013 has formed part of the BCN LIP team.

Language is culture. I feel like a bridge connecting people. I like to help people bring the cultures of different countries alive. The nicest thing about being a teacher is to see the sincere smiles of children in the faces of adults, when they make a correct sentence in the language they are studying.

Viktoriia Uskova

Head of administration and student attention

Born in 1989 in St.Petersburg, Russia. She has a master degree in Public Relations and a bachelor degree in Linguistics. She has been working in Marketing and Public Relations since 2008. She has formed part of BCNLIP´s team in 2017.

When you know languages, you are at home anywhere. – Unknown author

Lidia Zhukova

Visa and NIE
Department: Other countries and regions and Catalan courses

Lidia studied Tourism and Hotel Management doing one exchange year in Cyprus. She worked mostly in Event Management and Business Education in Moscow since 2014. She moved to Barcelona in 2019 and joined BCNLIP team last year.

Let’s experience communication without borders and make bridges between people!

Nikita Tikhoniuk

Visa and NIE
Department: Other countries and regions

She decided to move from Moscow to Barcelona just at the right time, one month before the pandemic hit and bureaucracy was on the brink of total collapse. “That unexpected experience confirmed to me that if you have the desire and persevere, things can turn out the way you want.” Before that, she worked as a creative producer and manager of digital marketing, public relations, and special projects for various international brands such as LVMH, Adidas, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Condé Nast. She has an academic background that could be called fossilized: in 2011, she earned a degree in theology from the Moscow State Linguistic University, and since then, she has been using her linguistic and cultural knowledge in her professional activities.

By the way, no, Nikita is not a woman’s name. It’s Greek and a bit older than that movie.

Polina Kovaleva

Visa and NIE
Department: Other countries and regions

She was born in Moscow and in 2009 after graduating from the Russian State University of Physical Culture and Sport, he went to live in the Dominican Republic where he fell in love with Spanish and its Caribbean version. In 2020, he moved to Barcelona to begin his master’s studies at the UB.

What surprises and fascinates me the most about the Spanish language is that it is very diverse, it is like speaking many languages ​​in one. Speaking Spanish you have access to the culture and traditions of so many countries, that at least half the world opens up to you. There is nothing more fun than guessing what country a person is from by listening to their accent and lexicon.

Aleksandr Zaitsev

Tech department

I was born in 1967 in Russia, and I graduated as a mechanical engineer at St. Petersburg Technical University. I have extensive experience in engineering and management. In 2019, I came to Barcelona to learn Spanish at the BCNLIP school from level zero. And now I became a part of the work team. I really like the school, the team, and the principal.

I believe that our lives are shaped by the studies we receive and the experience we accumulate!

Soufiane Knidel

General student attention

Born in 1997, in Tetouan-Morocco. He has come to Spain to continue his higher degree studies in Hospitality and Tourism. He has started with BCNLIP as an agent, bringing students from the countries of the Arab world, to later become part of the school team.

Keeping in mind to reach the top, with very clear ideas, in this world no one fights alone.

Daniil Onishchenko

General student attention and Coordination of the Cambridge Exam Preparation

I graduated from the University of Saimaa, Finland, with a major in Tourism and Hotel Management. Later, I received my second TEFL degree in Teaching English as a Foreign Language. I have been working as an English teacher for 7 years and prepared my students for the Cambridge exams.
I worked as a marketing manager for an English school in the Philippines and for 2 years in China as an English teacher.
I ran a private language school in St. Petersburg and opened a successful online department there during COVID-19, which helped the school maintain its operations.

Si quieres alcanzar tus metas, da al menos 1 paso en esa dirección todos los días. Disciplina, enfoque, actitud positiva y gratitud hacia todo lo que te rodea es una clave para convertirte en una persona feliz y próspera.

Felicitas Laprida

General student attention

I am Felicitas Laprida, born in 1989, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Since I was a child, I’ve been fascinated by art in all its forms. After finishing school, I spent two years working in analog photography laboratories. Later, I graduated with a degree in Visual Arts from the Regina Pacis Institute of Fine Arts in Buenos Aires. After completing my degree, I leaned toward music and worked with duos and bands, performing soul, funk, pop, bossa, salsa, and cumbia.

I believe there’s nothing more enriching for art than living new experiences, going through things, and meeting new people. That’s what brought me to Barcelona in late 2017.

Jhade Saad

General student attention

Manal Karim

General student attention

Mohammed Chbab

General student attention

Born in 1993 in Tangier Morocco, graduated in physical and energy sciences in Tetouan 2015. Higher degree in Guide, information and tourist assistance in Madrid / Starsburg 2017, followed by the higher degree in Management of tourist accommodation in 2019 in Madrid. He has always been passionate about being a teacher, teaching, explaining and helping students, that is why I have worked for years as Frances’s teacher. Speaking four languages ​​(Arabic, French, Spanish and English), for him, communicating with students helps them to achieve their objectives easily. For Mohamed, learning a language is opening a new door on another culture and its experiences.

I have grown up in a different city, but fighting every day I have been able to fulfill my dreams, travel, and change my life. Yes, I have been able, you can also, step by step the impossible is achieved

Olena Samokhlib

General student attention

She was born in 1996 in Horlivka, Ukraine. She holds a master’s degree in Finance, Banking, and Insurance, although she has gained work experience in various areas since 2018. In 2021, she decided to fulfill her dream and moved to Spain. Since then, she got to know BCNLIP and realized that she wants to be part of its team. She has a deep admiration for the Spanish people and their culture.

Each language is a different way of seeing life.

Shailesh Kharel

General student attention

Vakhi Abdulalim Akhmed

General student attention

Carlos Puga

HR and CCSE exams management

Born in Mexico City, 1982. I have a degree in Finance from the Technology University of Mexico and a Cambridge International Business Diploma (in Spanish) from BEEI Barcelona. I have a Diploma in practical accounting adapted to NPGC from the Financial Studies Centre in Barcelona.

My experience as an acountant has been very varied and I have been able to work in different companies with various profiles. The most enlightening period was during the time following the 2008 crisis when my work required a lot of management and precision in the valuation of all financial information. One of my favourite phrases is a quote by Robert Kiyoshaki “Our most important asset is our mind”.

Marta García González

Finance and accounting

Our teachers

All of our teachers meet the following academic requirements:

Academic requirements

  • University degree in a humanities or language field, preferably Hispanic philology
  • Having completed an ELE course, or a language teaching course
  • Minimum of 2 years experience as a language teacher
  • Having mastered a foreign language
  • Publications related to teaching are valued
  • Interest in continued training is valued

Personal requirements

  • Dedication to teaching.
  • Responsibility and punctuality.
  • Motivation capacity.
  • Interest in other cultures.

Spanish Teachers

In order to provide our students with quality education, updated curriculum, and to enable learning in a way that is dynamic and interactive, our teaching team meets monthly to discuss the latest developments and coordinate the different school activities. Each teacher has an important role in this process:

María Carmen Domingo Bernal
María Velázquez Prados Student of the Month
Andrés Mercado
César Rojo
Carlos Alberto Garzón
Valeria Dimaté Campos
Miguel Cano Díaz
Carlos Hernández Martín
Ferrán Martínez
Karina Fernandes
Nenad Paunović
Diego Rodríguez
Judith Benítez Ávila
Elena Jrisoulas Lafuente
Ángel Alfonso Poza
Rafa Aguilar
Nerea Yera
Juan Carlos Villar
Marta Martínez Corpas
Lluís Pérez
Mohammad Kangarani
Viviana da Costa da Silva
Silvia Bedmar Pérez
Silvina Garrido Hermann
María José Figueroa
Julia Rearte Gil
Saúl Chaza Ibáñez
Begoña Vinaixa
Esteban
Esteban
Miguel Ángel Valenzuela
Alejandra López
Xavier Escudé
Mónica López
Estefania Montero
Cristina Valera
Juan Martinho
Alejandro Otero Paz
Clara
Natalia
Pablo Abril Sánchez
Alicia
María C.
Victor González
Elisenda Torrell Cascallo
Ferrán Martínez
Nerea Yera
Lluís Pérez
Gagandeep Singh
Xavier Escudé
Estefania Montero
Victor González
Eric Stone French
Marina Kétlerova Russian
Ali English
Alice Doran English
Salvatore Cattogno Italian
Lucas Principe English
Emeline Goupille French

Testimonials

Just as we are a language school situated in the most cosmopolitan and multicultural part of Barcelona, our students are of all nationalities, cultures, and ages. If you would like to know more about our open-minded environment and the openness that characterizes us, check out what our students think about our classes and hear about their experiences. All in all, they are the heroes!

Who is Our Student of the Month?

Who is Our Student of the Month?

Testimonials

Our Philosophy

The language is the home for everyone.
In it, we meet, know each other, and share our history and our culture.
In it, we are accepted, included, we feel part of a community when it embraces us.
In it, we have the opportunity to grow and build our professional life.

Educational principles

Values

Objectives

Student profile

Perfil del docente

Our Method

Click the image below to check out our community guidelines

Why BCNLIP? Only One Reason…

We can talk about our method, our teachers, our facilities, our location, our warm relationships with students, our effectiveness … but we wouldn’t be saying anything different from other schools. Our commitment and dedication is absolute and we strive to achieve a dynamic and effective learning environment. But that’s something you will see for yourself when you come to visit us.

However, there is one essential aspect which is rarely spoken about, not only for a school but for everything in life, the love and care we put in to everything we do. And this is something you notice the first moment you walk through the door of BCNLIP: a mix of professionalism and personality that makes us very different.

If you want to learn effectively in a warm and personal environment, BCNLIP is your language school.

Press about us

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Accreditation

BCNLIP Language School has been accredited by Instituto Cervantes, the only International accreditation exclusively focused on teaching Spanish as a foreign language.

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