School history

ELA has been the reference point for English Language Teaching in Ubeda since 1989. ELA is the only language academy in Ubeda which has always been exclusively dedicated to teaching English as we believe in concentrating on what we know best. ELA is unique in being completely staffed by fully-qualified native teachers.

ELA focuses on communication and our goal is that everyone who studies with us will go out into the world really being able to speak English and holding an internationally recognized certificate which is testimony to the fact.

The Director

Hello, I’m Paul Hillman and I have been the director of ELA since 1997. I originally trained as an experimental psychologist and taught as a tutor at the University of Auckland Medical School, I then went on to work in the Higher Education Research Office in the Education Department of the same university before moving to London to begin a career in teaching English as a foreign language. After retraining at Westminster College and obtaining the Cambridge University Certificate I moved to Spain. Over the years I have spent time teaching in both the UK and Spain. I am also currently a Team Leader for Cambridge speaking examiners in the Jaen province. I like to foster a supportive and creative environment in our workplace and actively encourage the teaching team to attend seminars and workshops throughout Spain. I have a particular interest in integrating new technologies into the classroom and have overseen the installation of interactive whiteboards in all our classroom ms.

The Teaching Team

The teaching team at ELA is made up exclusively of native English speakers who originate from the United Kingdom, Ireland or the Commonwealth. All hold official qualifications as teachers of English as a Second Language from either Trinity College or Cambridge University. The team has been selected not only because of their excellent qualifications, but also their willingness to bring enthusiasm and creativity to the classes they teach. Most of our teachers have many years of teaching experience in the UK, Spain and other countries around the world.

Classrooms

We believe that a bright and stimulating classroom helps to make the learning process more enjoyable and productive. All classrooms at the school are large and equipped with interactive whiteboards.

Office Hours

The school office is open from 11am to 1pm and 3:30pm to 9pm.