Ms Maria-Jose Galan

Ms Maria-Jose Galan


I studied English and Spanish Language and Literature at University of Zaragoza, Spain. After my graduation, I worked at Universidad Internacional Menéndez Pelayo running the organization of courses at their Pirineos branch. In those days I also started my career as a translator. In the mid 1990's I came to London for a few months, but then I realized it was a place I wanted to experience for a longer period of time. I spent a few years studying English and Translation, and in 2000, I started teaching Spanish as a foreign language in different institutions to students of all levels. In 2002 I started teaching at Instituto Cervantes and in 2003 at University of Westminster's Polylang Programme; I have been working in these two institutions until today. I also combine my academic life with freelance translation and interpretating. In the summer time, I devote myself to working in the technical production department of Festival Internacional de Santander.


Teaching Spanish lead me to three different fields, which I feel extremely interconnected and useful in my teaching: 

  • Translation - completed an MA in Translation and Interpreting at University of Westminster in 2014
  • Intercultural Studies, focusing on Spanish and British cultures
  • Drama techniques in the language classroom