The Hello House Language & Learning Center

For our 🌟Staff Spotlight🌟 this month, meet Grace! We are so happy to have Grace's kindness and knowledge on our team here at The Hello House.

Learn more about Grace:

Q: In which Hello House programs do you teach?

A: I teach in the kids’ English tutoring program.

Q: What’s your teacher superpower?

A: I love using my creativity to make learning more engaging and enjoyable! Students and I make comic strips, scripts, and original characters as well as play Pictionary and other drawing games. It’s super fun for my students and also for me! :)

Q: What do you wish more people knew about learning a language?

A: Good practice in the target language doesn’t have to mean poring over a textbook for hours, but can look like listening to music/podcasts, journaling, watching TV, doing crosswords, or reading comics! Little, fun bites of practice can go a long way.

Q: What’s your favorite word in another language?

A: ‘Tschüssies!’ (Pronounced ‘choo-seas’) is a cutesy way of saying ‘goodbye’ in German :)

Q: If you could teleport to any country for lunch, where are you going?

A: Definitely Korea for kimbap!

Q: Where is the best place you've ever traveled?

A: Either the Netherlands (for the bikes!) or Colombia (for the food and dancing!)

Q: What’s your favorite emoji?

A: This guy 🕺 He’s useful in almost every scenario.

Some scenes from our kids' lessons so far this month. We love reading, writing, and learning new things! 🩵💚

🍵 🍵 🍵
Saturday, February 7 >> Japanese Tea Tasting Event!

We'd like you to meet Ana this week for our 🌟Staff Spotlight🌟

Ana has been a keystone of The Hello House for years. She leads our adult Spanish program with so much knowledge and care. Anyone would be lucky to learn Spanish under her guidance!

Please enjoy Ana's Q&A:

Q: In which Hello House programs do you teach?
A: I teach the adult Spanish classes.

Q: What’s your teacher superpower?
A: Maybe my teacher superpower is relationship building, forming trusting connections that motivate students to take risks and grow while having fun!

Q: How many languages do you speak?
A: I speak three languages: Spanish, Italian and English.

Q: What’s your favorite word in another language?
A: Bululú: A term used in some Latin American countries, particularly in Venezuela, to refer to a large group of people or a crowd.

Q: If you could teleport to any country for lunch, where are you going? 
A: Mexico because its regional diversity offers endless delicious options and a rich cultural experience; from Mexico City where you can enjoy street tacos al pastor and vibrant markets, to Oaxaca for mole and traditional mezcal, to the Yucatán for fresh seafood and cochinita pibil.

Q: Where is the best place you've ever traveled?
A: The Amazon rainforest! This region offers an unmatched combination of biodiversity, cultural richness, and immersive wilderness experiences that make it a singular destination. 

Q: What is the next travel destination on your list?
A: Spain!

Q: What’s a lesson you love teaching and why?
A: I love teaching lessons that center on practical conversation skills because they give adult Spanish learners immediate, usable tools for daily life and build confidence quickly.

Q: What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever used as a teaching prop?  
A: In a beginner Spanish class I once used a full-sized inflatable flamingo as a speaking prompt. Purpose: The prop broke the ice, created curiosity, and gave students a playful way to practice vocabulary and conversational phrases about colors, animals, and location words.

Q: What is a phrase you say all the time?
A: "Say it again!"

Q: What's your favorite treat after a long day of teaching?
A: Chocolate!

Sweet friends on the first day back at The Hello House! ✨️💙

There are so many ways to teach kids a new language. At The Hello House, one of our main goals is to make sure learning is FUN! As our semester comes to a close this week, we're reflecting on all of the creative activities our students have enjoyed these past few months. We're so happy not just to be Athens' language learning center, but Athens' ✨️creative✨️ language learning center!

For this week's 🌟Staff Spotlight🌟 please enjoy this interview with Lisette! Lisette is highly intelligent, warm, and friendly, and her presence makes The Hello House a wonderful place to be! We are so lucky to have her!

Q: In which Hello House programs do you teach?

A: I teach in the kids' English tutoring program and the kids' Spanish classes!

Q: How many languages do you speak?

A: My native language is Spanish, but I am fluent in English and have an intermediate understanding of Portuguese. I would love to speak Italian fluently, so I might start learning it soon!

Q: If you could teleport to any country for lunch, where are you going?

A: I’d definitely teleport to Italy! I love pasta and pizza, and of course, gelato!!

Q: What is the next travel destination on your list?

A: I’m heading to Easter Island with my husband this summer to see my brother and his family — they recently moved there. I’m so excited!!!

Q: What’s your favorite part about teaching at The Hello House?

A: My favorite part about teaching at The Hello House is the amazing diversity of my students’ backgrounds! I have explored cultures from Asia to Latin America through speaking practice and other activities, which has greatly enriched both my professional and personal development. I also love having the freedom to teach creatively, giving my students the chance to travel through their imaginations and create their own and awesome unique writings!!!

Q: What do you wish more people knew about learning a language?

A: I wish people knew that learning a language is not just about grammar or phonetics; it is also about culture and social forms. While learning a new language, you are engaging with different cultural codes, which may differ from your own — and that is precisely the point: to open yourself to new ways of coexisting!! Likewise, I wish people agreed that the main objective of learning a language is communication: you don’t need to sound like a native speaker to express yourself freely or be understood. Accents are part of who we are, and that’s beautiful!!

🦃 Come join us for a fun, literacy-focused camp that features storytime, Spanish, music, and art!
Our Turkey Tales Camp is for kids ages 5-8 and takes place the week of Thanksgiving: Monday 11/24, Tuesday 11/25, and Wednesday 11/26. You can sign up for any of the days.

🍁 Hours: 8:30am-3:30pm
Cost: $50/day

Register online on our website.

🎂🎉🎈It's Melia's birthday today! Happy birthday from all of us here at The Hello House! And she's also our 🌟Staff Spotlight🌟 today!

Melia is The Hello House's warm and artistic free spirit, with a gift for language learning and a passion for using the arts in the classroom.

Here's a Q&A with Melia:

Q: In which Hello House programs do you teach?

A: I teach English in both the kids' and adults' program.

Q: What’s your teacher superpower?

A: Talking must be my superpower! Students who are afraid to speak in their new language usually begin speaking for me.

Q: How many languages do you speak?

A: I speak 3 languages: English is my native language, Spanish is my second, and Portuguese is my third. I continue to enjoy studying many other languages including Persian, Hebrew, Turkish, and, once, I even took Russian classes with my kids.

Q: If you could teleport to any country for lunch, where are you going?

A: Thailand

Q: Where is the best place you've ever traveled?

A: Switzerland

Q: Where’s your next travel destination?

A: The Mediterranean

Q: What’s your favorite part about teaching at The Hello House?

A: My students are my favorite because they always brighten my day and make me feel I have done something important.

Q: What’s one thing your students have taught you?

A: English is full of strange inconsistencies, many of which, we do not even notice!

Q: What do you wish more people knew about learning a language?

A: Learning a language makes a person more intelligent, communicative, adaptive, and empathetic to other cultures.

🍫☕️🇲🇽 Ms. Lisette's Spanish class learned how to make chocolate caliente mexicano (Mexican hot chocolate) in class today! It was a big hit!

Do you know these ingredients?
- leche
- chocolate
- azúcar
- canela
- polvo de chile

Our 🌟Staff Spotlight🌟 this week highlights our owner, Charlee! Learn more about her from this Q&A:

Q: Why did you start The Hello House?

A: For as long as I can remember, I've been fascinated by languages. I saw a need in Athens among international communities seeking to learn English as well as a local interest in learning foreign languages. I wanted to create a place that blended creativity and joy with language learning.

Q: In which Hello House programs do you teach?

A: I teach kids and adults in our English tutoring program, and I teach our kids' Spanish classes.

Q: How many languages do you speak?

A: I speak English and Spanish! I've also studied French and Latin extensively, though I can't speak those well.

Q: What is your favorite word in another language?

A: My favorite Spanish word is rompecabezas, which means puzzle. It translates literally to “headbreaker.”

Q: What’s your teacher superpower?

A: I'm great at getting kids to write even when they think they don't like writing.

Q: What’s a lesson you love teaching and why?

A: My favorite vocab lesson to teach kids in both my English and Spanish classes is 'I like / I don't like.' I always use the 'Do You Like Broccoli Ice Cream?' song to teach this vocabulary, and it's so fun every time! I also enjoy teaching poetry lessons and leading poetry workshops.

Q: What is the next travel destination on your list?

A: In the U.S. - Maine
Internationally - Denmark or Portugal

Q: What do you wish more people knew about learning a language?

A: There are many different forms of ‘fluency’ in a language. Sometimes you can be conversationally fluent but not understand TV shows in the language. Or you can read and write the language but not be able to speak in a group conversation. Other times you can travel with the language but not understand it in an academic setting or on the phone. There are many kinds of ‘knowing’ language, and it can be helpful to identify in which contexts you need to use the language and what kinds of fluency you want to improve!

Q: What is your favorite emoji?

A: 🎉