ViaSpanish International Staff

Agustin Vignale - Director

I studied Business Economics at the Torcuato Di Tella University, during which time I also worked on fundraising and public relations for the Fundación Iniciativa, promoting youth participation in society. After graduation, I worked as a Business Consultant at Proguide, and then spent time working and traveling overseas, mainly in New Zealand and Southeast Asia, where I worked in Business Process Reengineering (BPR) and as a Coordinator at the Auckland City Council. I helped found ViaSpanish after returning from my travels, as a result of my experiences abroad.

Argentina

Languages Spoken

Spanish, English

Laos, New Zealand, Vietnam, Brazil, Thailand, Malaysia, Bolivia, Cambodia, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina

My experience abroad helped me realize how important it is to be immersed in the culture surrounding a language, rather than just sitting in a classroom with fellow foreigners. Contact with locals, volunteer work, and hands-on activities are vital experiences while studying abroad, which we have tried to reflect in the organization mission.

Born in the north of Argentina and raised in Buenos Aires, my parents encouraged me to undertake my own projects from a young age and gave me my first opportunities to travel and explore new places. Once I got older, I studied Economics in college and went on to receive a Masters in Finance (I obviously love numbers!). After graduation, I worked on government research projects looking at public debt and for Price Waterhouse Coopers as a business consultant. During this time I did some traveling abroad, and realized that being truly immersed in different cultures is an invaluable experience that profoundly changes the way we think, letting us view the world through a different lens. We created ViaSpanish with the hope of helping others realize this experience.

Nationality

Argentina

Spanish, English

Argentina, Europe, the Caribbean, United States, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay

Background

I was born in Australia but I have lived in the United Kingdom since I was very young. I studied Business & Finance in university, which lead me to working for a medical insurance company for 5 years in the Sales & Marketing department. I took a career break and spent 6 months working on the Greek island of Zakythos as a holiday representative for tourists before returning to the UK to work in Sales & Marketing again for a distributor and installer of big screen televisions and plasmas in bars & clubs. I was in need of another career break and took myself off backpacking around Latin America. I have now been living in Buenos Aires for 1 1/2 years.

British

Languages Spoken

Spanish, English

Ireland, Wales, Spain, Greece, Mexico, Australia, Argentina, Chile, Brasil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Columbia and Panama.

I work with ViaSpanish because I think that having a language travel trip is one of the best experiences that people can have and I love being able to advise people of the benefits and helping them decide between all of our great schools and destinations.

Besides working for ViaSpanish, I am currently doing my MBA at the University of Torcuato Di Tella. Before coming to Argentina I graduated with a degree in translation from the University of Heidelberg in Germany. Thanks to my love for and curiosity about new countries, I have gained much experience living and studying abroad. After finishing high school I spent half a year traveling and working in Australia, New Zealand and Asia. During my university years, I studied at the University of Granada in Spain as an exchange student and later also worked as a language teacher in Bologna, Italy, for six months. Soon after graduating, I felt I needed a new challenge. This brought me here, to a job I deeply enjoy and an interesting postgraduate degree in Buenos Aires.

German

Languages Spoken

German, Spanish, English, and some basic of French and Italian

France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Netherlands, England, Wales, Ireland, Morocco, Egypt, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Indonesia, Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, United States, Canada

Languages and foreign countries have always been my passion. Combining this with a position that lets me put my more recently acquired skills to work in a friendly, international and never boring environment is more than I could wish for.

Born in Barcelona, Spain, I moved to the United States when I was three and grew up in the forested state of Oregon, where my love for the outdoors began. I headed off to college in Los Angeles where I studied psychology and anthropology at the University of Southern California, and afterwards went on for my M.A. at the University of Chicago. I have worked in the field of education at various levels, along with extensive experience in the academic research sector. In college, I studied abroad in Madrid and explored western Europe, and I currently call the enchanting city of Buenos Aires home amidst my South American adventures.

USA/Spain

Languages Spoken

Spanish, English

Argentina, United States, Canada, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, England, Scotland, Uruguay, Northern Ireland, France, Monaco, Italy, Ireland, and the Netherlands

I love researching issues surrounding language learning and language politics, immigration, and culture, and I am a big promoter of bi- and multi-lingualism, so being involved with ViaSpanish, my coworkers, and our students is the perfect outlet.

I was born and raised just outside the town of East Grinstead in the south east of England.  When I was 18, I worked and traveled around France for a few months before studying Politics & International Relations along with French at the University of Kent, during which time I spent a year living in Grenoble, France.  I have had a few of customer service-oriented jobs in the past, most significantly working for The Caravan Club in Europe before coming to Argentina (as exciting as it sounds!).  Like everyone here I love traveling, meeting new people and experiencing new things and it was this that brought me to Buenos Aires!

British

Languages Spoken

English, French and (improving!) Spanish

Wales, Scotland, France, Spain, Portugal, The Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Dubai, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Barbados, Argentina, Uruguay (and many more in the pipeline!)

Having lived and worked abroad I know the value of being immersed in the culture of a place in order to learn a language so it’s great to be involved with a company that shares my views and can help me improve my Spanish whilst working here!

I'm originally from Chicago but have lived all over the U.S., and the
world, for the past ten years.  After studying Communications and
graduating from Loyola University in New Orleans, I lived in London for a
year where I worked at a non-profit in the tourism industry and had the
amazing opportunity to travel all around Europe.  My adventures continued in New York, where I was lucky enough to work in an international environment as an Admissions Manager for a company that helped to organize English language programs for students studying at our schools in the U.S.
Being in contact with people from all around the world made me realize
how much I missed living and traveling abroad, so I also decided to learn a new language in a different country...this time Argentina!  I have lived in Buenos Aires for six months now and am enjoying everything this incredible city has to offer!

USA

English, Spanish, and a little bit of Bulgarian  : )

US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Morocco, France, Germany,
Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, Hungary, Czech Republic,
Netherlands, Costa Rica, Chile, Uruguay, Argentina

Working for Expanish is the perfect fit for me - I realize how valuable the experience of living in another country can be, and I am thrilled to be able to work for a company that encourages others to travel, explore, and get involved in the world around us!

My name is Maria and I consider myself to be from all over, so when someone asks me where I am from, I never know how to answer them! I have lived in Los Toldos, where Eva Perón was born; in Catamarca, in the north of Argentina; in San Pedro, and most recently in Chivilcoy. For the last six years I have been living in Buenos Aires while I studying Communication at the Universidad de Buenos Aires. I have helped coordinate our students since Expanish’s inception several years ago. Where will you find me in the next few years? Who knows…

Languages Spoken

Spanish, English

Argentina

I work at ViaSpanish because I enjoy the interpersonal contact and above all, contact with people from around the world. Each week I get to know a new student, and the routine normal to any job simply doesn’t exist at ViaSpanish. Through exchanges of experiences and stories, students get to know my culture, my customs, and through them, I can “travel” and get to know their countries. Many of our students have now become some of my closest friends.

Background

I have been always interested in aesthetics and proportions and curious about the world and its people. I studied photography and filmmaking and then explored the old world of Europe. I have currently gone back to school in order to study Physics at the University of Buenos Aires. I am quite eclectic.

Argentina

Languages Spoken

Spanish, English, and some basic of French and Italian  

UK, France, Germany, Italy, Malta, Croatia, India, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Uruguay

The environment is great, enthusiastic and challenging. I really enjoy the diversity of the workplace because it keeps me learning all the time.

Background

Born and raised in Bahía Blanca, Argentina, (southern coast below Buenos Aires) I was the youngest child of the family. I graduated university with a degree in Industrial Organization, and I also took courses of Literature, Design, and Psychology. After I graduated university, I moved to Buenos Aires. I have an extensive experience in administrative and accounting jobs working for different organizations such as banks, big and small businesses and NGOs (charity and educational foundation). I love learning languages, making handcrafts, spending time with friends and drinking “mate”.

Argentina

Languages Spoken

Spanish, English, German, Italian, a little Portuguese

Argentina

Because I love languages, and I also love to work in a multicultural environment. It’s great to be in an organization that allows foreign people to live the experience of learning Spanish in the place where it is spoken.

Background

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, I have always been curious about how people interact with each other, and I love the Internet and technology. So, I study "communications" (I am in my second year at the University of Buenos Aires) and I administrate an Internet community website: two things that I do to understand and analyze people’s behavior.

Argentina.

Languages Spoken

Spanish, English and some basic German

Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Chile

I'm passionate about the Internet, communications, publicity, etc. so ViaSpanish brings me the opportunity to work in a cool mix of things I like, and the environment is great!

Background

I grew up in Kansas City, Kansas and later attended the University of Kansas where I majored in Cultural Anthropology. My parents have always encouraged me to travel and I became a travel addict early in life. After graduating college I decided to backpack through South America, and to be perfectly honest, I just fell in love with the continent. I have started my masters at FLACSO in Social and Political Anthropology. I have been lucky enough to call Buenos Aires my home for the last year and a half.

USA

Languages Spoken

English and Spanish

New Zealand, Fiji, England, Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Greece, Czech Republic, Belgium, Chile, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Uruguay, Argentina

I study culture, and I know from my own experiences what it is like to arrive in a new place and try to immerse myself in the culture and in the life of that place. I really like and appreciate what ViaSpanish is doing and think that this job is a great opportunity for me to grow and learn. I hope to help others get as much out of being abroad as I have been given in my travels.