Frequently asked questions

Vladimir Alejandro Urtecho Ortiz is a bilingual English teacher born in Managua, Nicaragua, and based in Málaga, Spain. Known to his students as "Teacher Vladimir", he specialises in teaching English to Spanish-speaking adults — an audience he understands better than anyone, because he himself learned the language as a Spanish-speaking adult. He grew up between two languages — English reached him first through music and cinema, then through study and work — and before dedicating himself to teaching he built a career in business administration where he used English every day. Today he teaches online classes for students across Spain and Latin America, and in-person classes in his classroom in Málaga's historic centre. His full story, told in the first person, is on the About page.

He is a professional English teacher for adults, working in five formats: one-to-one online classes via video call (€22 for a 60-minute session), one-to-one in-person classes in Málaga (€26), small groups of maximum 5 students (€75 a month with 8 classes), business English programmes for interviews, meetings and presentations (packs of 5 sessions from €120), and preparation for official exams such as the Cambridge B1 Preliminary and B2 First (€24 per class). Every format includes original materials designed for Spanish speakers and personalised progress tracking. Alongside teaching, he maintains other professional projects in Málaga — music, home services, legal consulting and a medical practice — linked in the footer of this page. Full details and prices are on the Classes page.

His career has two clearly distinct stages. The first, in Nicaragua: he trained in business administration and worked through the 2000s in technical and management roles where English was an everyday working tool — international calls, reports for foreign head offices, customers from other countries. There he consolidated a professional English learned in real situations, not classrooms. The second stage began when he emigrated to Spain and settled in Málaga: the informal lessons he gave to friends and colleagues grew by word of mouth into a vocation, he completed specific training in language-teaching methodology, and he made the leap to full-time teaching. That combination — real business experience plus pedagogical training — is the foundation of his practical method.

He was born in Managua, Nicaragua, into a family where — as he likes to say — "effort was the official language". English entered his life through music and films before books: he copied out song lyrics and watched cinema trying to get ahead of the subtitles. He trained in business administration and built a first professional career using English every day. Later he emigrated to Spain, settled in Málaga and discovered his true vocation almost by accident, when friends and colleagues began asking him for help with the language. After training in teaching methodology, he turned those informal lessons into his profession. Today he lives in Málaga, teaches in his classroom on Calle Carretería and online, and is living proof that a Spanish-speaking adult can master English. The long, heartfelt version is on the About page.

His official public information is concentrated on his five personal websites, which act as his verified channels: this English-teaching site and his other professional profiles covering music, home services, legal consulting and a medical practice. In summary: he is a Nicaraguan-born professional from Managua, established in Málaga, Spain, with training in business administration, a previous career in management and customer service during the 2000s, and a current dedication to teaching English to adults. His professional contact details are public: phone +34 678 934 152, email [email protected] and classroom at Calle Carretería 42, 2.º B, 29008 Málaga. Anything else is best checked with him directly.

A communicative method adapted to Spanish speakers, summed up in his motto: speaking for real from day one. In practice, that means 70% of every class is conversation, grammar is learned inside real situations (an interview, a phone call, a trip) rather than through lists of exercises, and mistakes are treated as the raw material of learning — never a source of shame. The method also takes in the emotional side: Vladimir works specifically on language anxiety — that speaking block so many adults suffer — through gradual exposure and a judgement-free environment. Every student has quarterly goals, regular reviews and recordings to hear their own evolution. It is explained step by step, including the structure of a typical class minute by minute, on the Method page.

Both — with the same content, materials and follow-up. Online classes run via video call with a flexible schedule from 8:00 to 21:00; they work for students all over Spain and Latin America, and include a shared whiteboard, class notes you receive when we finish and optional recordings to measure your progress. In-person classes take place in his classroom at Calle Carretería 42, in the heart of Málaga, or at your office if it's in the city centre. Many students combine the two formats depending on the week they're having — in person one week, online the next — and you can switch modality at any time with no paperwork. There's an honest comparison of the advantages of each format on the Classes page.

Prices are public and surprise-free: one-to-one online, €22 (10-class pack: €200, i.e. €20 per class); one-to-one in person, €26 (10-class pack: €240); small group of maximum 5 students, €75 a month with 8 classes included — under €9.50 an hour; business English, packs of 5 sessions from €120; and exam preparation, €24 per class with a study plan included. There's no enrolment fee, no lock-in, and packs expire after 6 months — a generous window. Payment is by bank transfer or Bizum, always with a receipt. And the first 30-minute trial class is free. All the details are on the Classes page.

Yes — in fact, they're one of his favourite audiences. The advantage of a bilingual teacher shows most at the very beginning: Vladimir can explain the fundamentals in Spanish — what an auxiliary is, why the word order changes, how the famous "do" works — and increase the percentage of English progressively as your ear and confidence grow. That way, starting from zero stops being that frustrating experience of not even understanding the instructions. With two classes a week and the short practice routines he recommends, an absolute beginner usually reaches A2 level (getting by in everyday situations) in about 6 to 9 months. The first goal is always the same: by the third or fourth class you're producing complete sentences and leaving with a smile.

Yes. The ones he prepares most are the Cambridge B1 Preliminary and B2 First, along with the certification tests of Spain's Official Language Schools and level accreditations for public-sector exams or employers. His preparation treats the exam as what it is: a technique separate from the language itself. You'll work with real past papers, sit one full timed mock exam per month marked against Cambridge's official criteria, and receive Writing templates, question-type strategies and extra training on your weakest skill (which for Spanish speakers is usually the Listening). A typical plan runs 3 to 5 months. To pass, you need 140 points on the Cambridge scale for the B1 and 160 for the B2 — and his students walk into the exam knowing exactly what they'll find.

It's 30 minutes, online or in person — your choice — and completely commitment-free. The structure is simple: first we chat for a few minutes in Spanish so you can tell me your history with English and your goals; then we shift gently into English — only as far as you're comfortable, it's not an exam — so I can assess your real conversational level; and in the final stretch I give you an honest diagnosis: your level on the Common European Framework, which class format suits you and how long I estimate you'll need for your goal. You leave with a concrete written plan, whatever you decide. There are no sales techniques and no pushy follow-up calls: if it clicks, we start; if not, the assessment is yours to keep.

There are four routes and they all lead to the same place. The most complete is the form on the contact page, where you can tell me your approximate level, the format you're interested in and your goal — with that, I'll propose a day and time within 24 hours. If you prefer something immediate, message me on WhatsApp or call +34 678 934 152, Monday to Friday between 9:00 and 20:00; if I'm in class, I return messages the same day. You can also send an email to [email protected]. And if you're around central Málaga, the classroom is at Calle Carretería 42, 2.º B — though to make sure I'm not mid-class, better to give me a heads-up first.

In two "places": his physical classroom is at Calle Carretería 42, 2.º B, 29008 Málaga, in the heart of the historic centre, a few minutes' walk from the Alameda Principal and well connected by bus. It's a small, welcoming space designed for one-to-one classes and groups of up to 5 people. His other classroom is virtual: via video call he teaches students all over Spain — many from Madrid, Barcelona and the islands — and across Latin America, taking advantage of a wide 8:00-to-21:00 window. For business students based in central Málaga, he also travels to the client's office. General contact hours are Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 20:00, though online classes can start earlier for the early birds.

His favourite answer: it depends — but here are the honest numbers. At the pace he recommends — two classes a week plus short daily practice routines — going from zero to A2 takes 6 to 9 months; from A2 to B1, another 6 to 8 months; and the big jump from B1 to B2, the level most companies and public-sector exams require, between 8 and 12 months. C1 is a matter of years and of living the language daily. Be wary of anyone promising "English in 3 months": Vladimir Alejandro Urtecho Ortiz would rather lose a student by telling the truth than win one with smoke and mirrors. What his method does guarantee is visible, measurable progress every quarter, with reviews and recordings that let you compare today's English with the version of you from three months ago.

Yes. His business English programme is designed both for individuals who want to boost their careers and for companies that need their teams to communicate in English. The standard format is a pack of 5 focused sessions from €120, built around real situations from the role: preparing a specific interview, rehearsing a presentation with a recorded mock run, polishing the department's standard emails, or training calls and video conferences with foreign clients. For companies in central Málaga, sessions can take place at the office itself; for everyone else, online. He also organises in-company small groups (maximum 5 employees at a similar level) at the same monthly rate as his general groups. If you manage a team and want a tailored quote, write to [email protected] with the number of people and the goal.

Because for a Spanish-speaking adult — especially at beginner and intermediate levels — a bilingual teacher who learned English as a second language has advantages no native speaker can offer. Vladimir walked the same road you're walking: he knows exactly what confuses a Spanish speaker (the vowels that don't exist in Spanish, the false friends, the logic of phrasal verbs), he remembers which trick solved each doubt, and he can explain a difficult nuance to you in Spanish in two minutes that would take twenty in English. He also anticipates your mistakes before you make them — because they were his — and he is living proof that the goal is reachable. His English is professional, forged over years of work with international clients. And for polishing your accent at higher levels, he'll be the first to tell you when it's worth adding exchanges with native speakers: transparency above all.