Teaching Staff

Hannu Arvio

DIRECTOR
Head of Administration, Marketing, Sales, and Finnish Department.

Oulainen, Finland

Tampereen yliopisto (Tampere University)

In Barcelona since 1995

At Institut Nòrdic since 2003

Finnish, Spanish, English, Catalan, Swedish. Learning Modern Greek

Hannu is a Finnish teacher with a broad vision. He knows the language he teaches, the language of his students, and has extensive experience, so his students can trust they’re in good hands. He’s also a great connoisseur of Finnish history and society. According to him, Finnish isn’t difficult; you just need to explain it well, while the students do their part and study.

To learn well, it's important to have an extra dose of perseverance and enough time, but also to write, speak, and listen to Finnish in your free time. Whenever possible.

Martine Hansen

DIRECTOR
Head of Academic Affairs, Pedagogy and Norwegian Department

Porsgrunn, Norway

Universitetet i Oslo, Autonomous University of Barcelona

In Barcelona since 2007

At Institut Nòrdic since 2012

Norwegian, Spanish, English, Swedish, Catalan, Italian

Martine has extensive experience teaching Norwegian. Any questions, she’ll answer them. In addition to her management responsibilities, she also works as a Norwegian teacher at Institut Nórdic. As a native Norwegian with linguistic studies in Norway, she is the ideal person to lead the school academically and ensure that the courses are exactly what they should be: effective, up-to-date, communicative, and motivating.

If the goal is to become an independent communicator in a Nordic language, the learning path must be well-constructed and organized. A good deal of application is required on the part of the student.

Sofia Feith

Teacher and head of Swedish and SWEDEX exam

Växjö, Sweden

Uppsala University

In Gran Canaria, Spain, since 2003

At Institut Nòrdic since 2020

Swedish, Spanish, English, German, French

Sofia has extensive experience teaching both Swedish and Spanish. Her native Swedish language skills and fluency in English and Spanish make her the perfect teacher to guide students toward becoming increasingly proficient. In addition to being a great teacher, Sofia knows how to motivate students to learn and cultivate the most interesting and current aspects of Swedish culture in her classes.

Education isn't about filling a bucket, it's about lighting a fire. You have to be eager, curious, and have fun both in and out of class—that's how you learn best.

Desirée Falter

Teacher and head of Danish

Copenhagen, Denmark

Professionshøjskolen UCN and Universitat de Barcelona

In Spain (Valencia and Sant Cugat del Vallès) since 1999

At Institut Nòrdic since 2022

Danish, English, Spanish, German, Swedish, Catalan

Desirée is a native Danish teacher. She’s a teacher by profession with a master’s degree in Mindfulness. She has extensive experience as a language teacher, which makes her students feel in good hands. Desirée is well aware that the most important challenge in Danish is pronunciation. Therefore, in her teaching, she creates a friendly and open environment, allowing students to express themselves freely. She believes that laughing at your mistakes is an opportunity to grow and learn.

Learning a new language as an adult is like embarking on a beautiful journey to a new and unknown country. It requires curiosity and a desire to learn, motivation to pursue, and tools to pursue it. Teachers provide the tools, and students provide curiosity, desire, and motivation. Together we open new paths.

Anna Svensson

Swedish teacher

Stockholm, Sweden

University of Barcelona

Place of residence: Barcelona

At Institut Nòrdic since 2021

Swedish, Spanish, Catalan and English

Being fully trilingual in Swedish, Spanish, and Catalan, Anna is an ideal teacher for the students at Institut Nòrdic . With her extensive teaching experience, she shares her knowledge with an enthusiastic and engaging approach. As a teacher, she is aware of the cultural dimension of learning and brings a broader perspective with her deep knowledge of Swedish culture.

Swedish is a melodic language with an accessible grammar. With time and dedication
anyone interested can learn it.

Lubna Zaidi

Norwegian teacher

Oslo, Norway

University of Oslo

At Institut Nòrdic since 2022

Norwegian, English, Urdu, Icelandic, studying Spanish

Lubna has extensive experience teaching Norwegian online. She also has in-depth knowledge of two Nordic countries, having been born in Oslo and lived in Iceland. Lubna is a polyglot and fluent in languages as diverse as Icelandic and Urdu. Her cosmopolitan approach makes her an invaluable resource for language teaching. Like all Norwegians, she is a great nature lover and enjoys mountain trips.

Daily practice and exposure to the language through media are essential to seeing progress and improvement in your language skills in another language—every day counts.

Trine Mølgaard Jensen

Danish teacher

Aalborg, Denmark

Aalborg University, Manchester University and Tecnológico de Monterrey (Mexico)

In Spain (Pamplona, Navarra and Gijón) since 2020

At Institut Nòrdic since 2022

Danish, English, Spanish, German and Arabic

Trine is a native Danish teacher. She has experience teaching English and Danish and is familiar with her students’ native languages. With a master’s degree in international relations and having lived abroad several times, she has always had a keen interest in intercultural communication and languages. In her classes, she creates an open and relaxed environment where students feel free to express themselves without fear of making mistakes. She adapts her lessons to each student so they get the most out of them.

Learning a new language requires patience, but it's very rewarding. The best way is to expose yourself to the language as much as possible and in a way that's enjoyable: a TV show you can't stop watching or a book you love to read. Combined with our lessons, you'll quickly feel the world of Danish opening up to you.

Erik Sjöberg

Swedish teacher

Tällberg, Sweden

Mälardalens universitet and Karlstads universitet

Resident in Mallorca, Spain

At Institut Nòrdic since 2022

Swedish, English, Spanish, Mallorcan, German, learning Chinese

Erik moves easily in the world of languages and knows how to pass on his knowledge to his students. He’s an outgoing person who loves nature hikes with his dog, but also loves staying home with a good book. Erik is a big fan of Tolkien’s universe.

My motto is "Repetition is the mission," and this is true in language learning: you have to repeat a lot. Likewise, you have to know how to make mistakes without giving up (because you might make a lot of mistakes). Time and dedication are the best combination.

Noemi Altarriba

Administration, marketing and communication

Barcelona, Spain

Pompeu Fabra University and LCI Barcelona

Barcelona

At Institut Nòrdic since 2021

Spanish, Catalan, English, Norwegian

Noemí is responsible for the day-to-day management of Institut Nòrdic and for creating content, such as the weekly publication “Un Lugar Nórdico.” A graduate in Business Administration and a master’s degree in Marketing and Communication, she has the ideal combination to lead the Institut Nòrdic back office. She has extensive experience in language training management, especially for companies and professionals.

Good planning and organization are essential to the success of any educational project.

Hanna Puhakka

Finnish teacher

Pori, Finland

University of Helsinki

Kerava, Finland

At Institut Nòrdic since 2022

Finnish, Spanish, English and Greek

Hanna is a native Finnish teacher with extensive experience teaching Spanish. In addition to being an educator, she is also a translator and strives to instill an interest in and appreciation for cultural diversity through language learning. Hanna is committed to providing an enriching educational experience for her students.

Language is the gateway to a culture, and culture is the soul that gives life to the language.

Espen Jacobsen

Norwegian teacher

Drammen, Norway

University of Oslo

In Quito, Ecuador since 2011

At Institut Nòrdic since 2021

Norwegian, English and Spanish

Espen has extensive work experience in various fields where Norwegian is the main language, although his main occupation for over 10 years has been online education. In addition to teaching Norwegian, Espen holds a law degree, giving him a broad understanding of Norwegian society. His knowledge of Spanish makes him an ideal teacher for Institut Nòrdic . Espen currently also collaborates with a family business dedicated to promoting Norwegian tourism in Ecuador.

In my experience, the three pillars of learning a new language are enthusiasm, good humor, and patience. Anyone can learn Norwegian, but these are the traits that help students adapt to the language more quickly.

Steinunn Björk Bjarkardóttir Pieper

Teacher and head of Icelandic

Reykjavík, Iceland

Brigham Young University (Provo, Utah, USA), Durham University (Durham, England)

Reykjavík, Iceland

At Institut Nòrdic since 2024

Icelandic, English, Danish, German and learning Spanish

Steinunn is an Icelandic language teacher who enjoys teaching her native language and supporting her students throughout the learning process. She has extensive experience teaching Icelandic on two continents (Europe and America), as well as working for gender equality and human rights. In her classes, this enthusiastic teacher does everything she can to make studying Icelandic as interesting and fun as possible, as it is a language with many rules and exceptions, which can be motivating if you have the right attitude. Steinunn enjoys good music, animals, and long walks in the mountains.

 

A language is learned both inside and outside the classroom. A student who finds an activity outside of class that interests them and can combine with language learning will become familiar with the language and learn its nuances. When that connection and motivation exist, what they've learned internalizes much better. It's often said that Icelandic is a difficult language to learn, but it's totally doable. You just need the motivation to delve into the world of an ancient and unique language. And, of course, practice every day! Do it, make mistakes, laugh at your mistakes, and learn from them.