Teachers
Academic Director
Graciela Arguedas Arguedas
Graciela Arguedas has a university degree in English linguistics, together with a specialization in the teaching of Spanish as a Second Language. She has been a language teacher (of both English and Spanish) for 23 years, including 14 years at the Spanish Language Institute.
Graciela is committed to taking the Institute's academic program to a new level of excellence, by strengthening conversation classes and encouraging teachers and students to utilize resources available through computer technology.
Sandra Sotela Garat
Spanish teacher
16 years at the Institute
Favorite pastimes: reading, walking, exercising
I came to work at the Institute in September 1981. Since then, I started receiving training to teach Phonetics and Language. In 1988, I left the school to be at home as a full-time mom for a period of fourteen years. In 2002, I came back and since then, I have been teaching Grammar and Language. During all this time, I have taken some courses at the University of Costa Rica and at the National University to learn how to better teach Spanish as a second language. In addition to this, there has also been constant training here at ILE which has helped us to become better professionals.
Dixiana Sagot Calderón
Spanish teacher
4 years at the Institute
Favorite pastimes: cooking, going to the beach, dancing
Working at The Spanish Language Institute has been a great blessing in different areas of my life. Spiritually, it has allowed me to be involved on the mission field from my classroom. It has also given me the opportunity to serve and grow in love, patience and mercy. In the area of academics, the Lord has blessed me with a gift to work with older adults and students who have difficulty learning the language. I teach grammar and language classes, as well as the FARO course. In all of my classes I have been able to teach Spanish using the Bible. I have been able to show my students the Latino culture and have been able to share how God works in us. In the FARO program I learned how to guide a student so that they are not fearful of speaking Spanish and are able to start their missionary work.
Anabelle Sanchez Mora
Spanish teacher
26 years at the Institute
Favorite pastime: travel
I started working at the Institute in 1981. These years have been very good for me spiritually as well as professionally. God has allowed me to meet missionaries that have had a profound influence on my life in difficult moments because they have been like balm when I needed it. Here at the school, I have taught Grammar, Language for advanced students and Phonetics. In 2010, I had the blessing of teaching a Bible class which was a great challenge for me, but at the end of the course, my students were very satisfied with the results. I know God brought me to this place with a purpose that I have been fulfilling through all these years.
Maritza Rosabal Ramírez
Spanish teacher
13 years at the Institute
Favorite pastime: reading
I have been a professor at the School of History of the National University and have also worked in various private universities as a part of the education faculty. I also have experience teaching Spanish to businessmen at the university level. At The Spanish Language Institute, I specialize in teaching Advanced Grammar. One of the things I enjoy is coming up with games and thinking of activities to use with the students to practice the rules learned in class. My work is gratifying and it fills me with joy when I hear the students using what they have learned.
The best thing about ILE is the amazing quality of teaching. The teachers have decades of experience and know how to target specific language issues that students have. They make the classroom experience a great one, and make sure to include lots of cultural lessons into the language practice. Beyond that, there's no substitute for an immersion experience, so I'd recommend ILE to anyone.