Today we’d like to introduce you to Natalia Zavislak.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I grew up in a humble family in Spain. My dad was a hard-working business owner. Despite sometimes struggling with his business, he never gave up. He was a dreamer. I have to say that he transmitted to me his passion for studying different cultures and thanks to my mom I didn’t quit my studies. She encouraged me to study English in college. She was always pushing me to work hard and go further, and that was what I did. Once I finished my degree in English Linguistics and Literature, I continued towards a graduate degree in Education.
After teaching English for several years in Spain, I moved to London to become familiar with the educational system, and there I studied a master’s to teach Spanish as a second language. That’s when I met my husband who was American and the one who brought me to the USA. I arrived in Maryland over 10 years ago, where I taught Spanish at the university level until 2017 when I got pregnant with my daughter Nicole Isabel (named after my dad and my mom). As soon as Nicole was born, we moved to San Antonio, partly to raise her in a bilingual environment. A year later, I had the idea of creating a company to teach Spanish virtually from Texas and Spain in collaboration with some colleagues who were residing in Spain.
Initially, “My Spanish Virtual Spanish Classroom” was born to offer immersion in Spanish virtually. In October 2019, my idea was expanded to aim for something bigger, something international. The company name was changed to Distant Language, based on the broader concept of teaching languages from any distance. In December 2019, I started recruiting tutors, teachers, and professors, creating a team of 9 women spread across Spain, Portugal, México, Perú, Chile, and San Antonio. The idea was to offer Spanish from different areas, providing immersion in different cultures and dialects, plus English and Portuguese as well.
However, without having a physical office, I struggled to get started a bit. I believe that everything happens for a reason and that made me remember what was really my dream. My dream was to teach the Spanish language and culture to students from different backgrounds and ages and bring them the essence from my home country in combination with the richness of other countries of Latin America. I wanted to make a big impact bringing unity in different communities by means of the vehicle of language and the bridge of culture.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Roses are beautiful but they also have thorns, so the same with your dreams. In the beginning, there are always bumps in the road. I opened my business in March 2020, precisely when COVID hit. Crazy, isn’t it? Apart from that, I experienced technical problems. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) took me 6 months and still the keywords weren’t working well and potential customers couldn’t easily find my website.
In June, I applied to be recognized as an official school but a 100% online structure with teachers located in other countries didn’t match the conditions to be approved. In the meanwhile, I decided to teach on my own and used social media to advertise my company. In the fall, I was able to teach some students from Spain to prepare them for official English exams. In my deepest heart, I knew that wasn’t what I wanted to do. My dream was to have a dual school where the main focus was Spanish and its culture.
It was in February, after having the severe snowstorm in Texas, when I had the idea of recreating the school putting me in the front line like the primary dual language teacher teaching in-person in San Antonio. The team abroad would be just the visiting faculty members to assist in virtual cultural visits abroad.
I presented that idea to the Dual Language Organization and I was finally recognized as a dual language school in May 2021 and between June and August, I started having my first students from San Antonio. There is still a lot to do, but I believe that I will pursue my dreams step-by-step.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Distant Language, LLC?
Distant Language is an Online International Dual Language School, officially listed in San Antonio and recognized by DualLanguageSchools.org. It has been created for English speakers and Spanish heritage speakers. Its goal is to unite cultures, supporting bilingualism and biculturalism.
I am a member of both the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) and the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP). In addition to handling administration, I teach Spanish and English, including dual-language programs. Lessons are offered online, in-person in Leon Springs, or hybrid. Furthermore, I arrange opportunities for students to virtually meet students from Spain for exchange or visiting faculty from Spain, México, Perú, Chile, and Colombia.
As an academic school, we offer quarters for students in grades 1-10. Credits can be earned by completing three quarters. For grades 11-12, our Baccalaureate program in Spanish is intensive college-prep with a diploma for completion. Adults can take courses aimed at purposes such as corporations, academic institutions, and government affairs, with the opportunity to earn the Functional Certificate & International Diploma of Spanish for Adults (FCIDSA).
For flexibility, we offer the same quality in private lessons, doing our best to accommodate the student’s level and schedule. Lessons are personalized for each student. Our star packages are Express Professor (grades 11-12 or further education) and Express Teacher (grades 1-10) where students can be immersed in Spanish and its culture in a series of 10 sessions. At the end of the package, a virtual language exchange can be arranged and they will receive a language exchange diploma, which is very exciting for them.
As something unique, we offer private lessons for families, where parents can attend the classes with their kids. For us, communities start with families, and parents play an important role to create a bond and a more united community. Watching your child learn, or even learning alongside them, is an enjoyable experience. What sets Distant Language apart from other schools is our hearty intention to share the world with our students, inspiring them, and giving them confidence.
To use the movie Aladdin metaphorically, there is a scene in the movie where Aladdin offers his hand to Jasmine and she is scared of the unknown. She sits down on the magic carpet and flies with Aladdin, pleasantly mesmerized as she sees the world from a new perspective, far away from the limitations of the big palace. To me, Jasmine represents the student figure and the unknown would be the challenge of learning a new language.
The magical carpet would be Distant Language: The school in San Antonio, our programs, the faculty members, and the students who are abroad waiting to interchange experiences with them. Aladdin represents me, the supportive figure guiding the students and showing them a new world: A different culture, the way of living in different countries, a new mentality, another perspective, and, in sum, a whole new world.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success for me is a combination of three things: Perseverance, motivation, and patience. The one who is perseverant will not give up. If things don’t work out, they will change the strategy to reach that goal.
The one who is motivated will not give up because motivation will keep them encouraged on the path. The one who is patient, will not give up because they will know to wait until the opportunity comes. That, for me, is the secret to success.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.distantlanguage.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/distantlanguage/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DistantLanguage
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/DistantLanguage
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCOBdBB-EmA4Xn2plZ4rUPWQ
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/distant-language-san-antonio-2?utm_campaign=www_business_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)
- Other: https://duallanguageschools.org/school/distant-language-online-international-language-school/
