OUR TEAM
Teresa Jacobson
Teresa Jacobson, founder and director of AVENIDA, was born and educated in London, England, and has over 20 years of experience in business management and international training. A graduate of King’s College London, University of London, with a degree in Philology, Teresa is a specialist in teaching English as a Second Language and an accredited Cambridge examiner.
After relocating to Spain in 2002, and driven by growing client demand, Teresa founded AVENIDA out of her passion for combining professional expertise with international collaboration through event organisation, group programmes, and English teaching. Over the years, she has built a reputation for delivering highly personalised services rooted in motivation, flexibility, equality, and strong core values — all aimed at ensuring client satisfaction.
A passionate traveller, Teresa has explored many parts of the world — an experience that has broadened her outlook and deeply influences her professional philosophy, defined by openness, understanding, and a people-centred approach. In addition, she is a specialist in translation and interpretation and a qualified coach, offering her services to professionals and international companies seeking to enhance communication, leadership, and personal development.
Together with her dedicated team, Teresa brings an international perspective, professionalism, and a genuine enthusiasm for helping each student and client reach their full potential.
Sofia Lily
Sofia Lily is our wonderful teacher and Operations Director. Born in London and raised bilingual in English and Spanish, she holds a degree in Pedagogy and is a Cambridge-qualified English teacher.
Over the past four years, she has managed her own online language school while also working as an Academic Coordinator and teacher in London. She is now our Operations Director, overseeing the day-to-day management of the academies and the online teaching platform. She loves teaching learners of all ages and levels and is highly experienced in exam preparation. Her patience, warmth, and approachable nature make her a popular educator and a valued, reliable member of the team.
Sofia has travelled the world, visiting countries such as Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Costa Rica — experiences that have enriched her independence and shaped her outlook on life.
Alongside her educational and managerial roles, Sofia is also a qualified Zumba instructor and leads her own lively classes in her spare time, combining teaching and fitness as a fantastic source of motivation and joy.
Dorien
Here we have our teacher Dorien, who teaches in our academy and online classes and who is originally from Belgium and speaks three languages. She has been working in Spain as an English teacher for more than 6 years and quickly settled . Dorien is a very friendly and creative person and shows her creativity in class as her dynamic classes are a lot of fun and she loves to teach the language and motivate her students, no matter what age they are.
She says she loves to see how the students improve and it gives her great satisfaction to help them every step of the way.
In her spare time, apart from travelling, she continues to be creative with her favourite hobby of sewing, where she designs, sews and models her original and perfectly finished garments.
José
This is our dynamic teacher, José, who teaches in class and online. He is a proactive person whose teaching style shows the great experience he has as a teacher. He has always loved the language, but it was in Dublin where he consolidated his knowledge as a teacher, and where he lived for almost three years. He has mastered the different technological methods of teaching and motivates his students and shares his knowledge in a lively way. In addition, he has more than five years of experience in the preparation of official Cambridge exams up to advanced levels. As well as travelling abroad as our group instructor, in his free time he is also a sports coach and is an official referee for the Andalusian Volleyball Association and travels around Spain and Europe. Here are some of the opinions of his students: Raúl, B1: Jose is the best teacher in the world! He is a very good person and very funny. He is always attentive and always helps me with everything. Africa, B2: Jose is a teacher who is always willing to listen to his students and also tries to make the class as fun as possible, although sometimes it is not easy, he always makes us smile and makes us go to his class with enthusiasm.
Andrea
Andrea, who is our enthusiastic online teacher from Arizona, USA, is an experienced English teacher who enjoys teaching at all levels and specialises in intensive courses and conversation classes to build students' confidence.
Her travels around the world and life abroad have opened up new opportunities for her as an English teacher and she brings her enthusiasm and cultural background to her classes, having taught students from many different ountries.
Her varied experience in online teaching allows her to offer flexible, interactive and lively classes and to tailor her classes to the levels and needs of students of all ages.
Andrea is an active person and, as a qualified Pilates instructor, in her spare time she enjoys practising and teaching Pilates to maintain a healthy body and a healthy mind!
Gloria
Our lovely teacher, Gloria is an energetic, friendly, sociable and above all, dedicated person. From a very young age she has always enjoyed working with children, which is why she decided to study Early Childhood Education. During her time living in London, she discovered how rewarding it is to work with children in English.
What she likes most about her job is being able to see the great development of the students during the course and over the years. Knowing that thanks to her effort, love and dedication they are learning and gaining more confidence in themselves which for her, the greatest satisfaction she has as a teacher.
Ivona
y English Teacher
Our lively teacher, Ivona, is originally from Bosnia and Herzegovina and is fluent in three languages. She moved to the United States, where she finished her studies at the University of Montana. She has nine years of classroom experience teaching English as a Second Language and preparing students for Cambridge exams. She enthusiastically enjoys teaching English as a Second Language and seeing her students enjoy learning new things and being a part of her learning process.
Nick
Our competent and helpful online teacher, Nick is originally from Northamptonshire, England and has lived in Spain since 2011. His teaching experience began over many years in Madrid and eventually moved south to Malaga.
Nick is an expert in exam preparation, business English and the conversation classes he loves to teach. He is particularly strong in developing students' pronunciation and communication skills.
His continued success and regular online classes with Avenida make him a highly valued teacher and partner.
Hannah
Hannah is a native English speaker from the south of England. She completed her schooling in England before relocating recently with her family to Málaga, where she is perfecting her Spanish. Having grown up in a bilingual family — with English/Spanish and Australian roots — Hannah developed an early appreciation for languages and the cultural connections they create.
After qualifying as a teacher for English as Second Language, Hannah has found great joy in seeing her students grow in confidence and improve their English skills and benefit from her English upbringing and education.
Outside of teaching, Hannah is studying towards a second qualification in wine studies, aspiring to become a sommelier and appreciates its cultural and social aspect. She also loves travelling, discovering new cultures and traditions having travelled across the world including Australia, Asia and the USA.
Diego
Diego is an anglophile teacher with a deep passion for the English language and for sharing his knowledge with others. He holds a strong academic background, including a degree in English Philology from the University of Málaga, a Master’s in Teaching English as a Second Language, and the Cambridge C1 Advanced certificate.
He spent several years living in London, where he perfected his command of English as a working language. During his time there, his professional experience allowed him to develop excellent interpersonal skills and a strong sense of customer service — qualities that now enrich his approach to teaching.
Combining his academic training, international experience, and charismatic personality, Diego brings a practical and dynamic focus to his classes. His goal is to help students gain fluency and confidence when communicating in real-life English-speaking situations. He is, without a doubt, the ideal teacher for those who wish to improve their English naturally and effectively.
Apart from teaching, Diego is also an experienced baker, having worked for many years in his family-run bakery business in Málaga. On occasion, everyone at school is lucky enough to try some of his wonderful homemade creations!
Josefine
Josephine is an English teacher originally from the Czech Republic. She studied at a bilingual school in Prague and graduated in Communication Studies from Charles University, where she is currently completing her Master’s degree in Journalism. Her strong interest in languages led her to earn the Cambridge C1 Advanced certificate and the TEFL qualification for teaching English as a foreign language.
Thanks to her academic background and love for communication, Josephine worked as a reporter at a national radio station in the Czech Republic — an experience that deepened her sensitivity to language, expression, and the power of words to connect people.
Josephine has always been passionate about languages and about sharing that enthusiasm with others. Her goal as a teacher is to help students enjoy the learning process, overcome the fear of speaking, and discover that learning a language can be a fun and enriching experience.
A great lover of travel and new cultures, Josephine has spent time in India and Thailand, experiences that broadened her worldview and deepened her cultural awareness. Beyond Asia, she feels a special connection to the Spanish-speaking world — especially Spain — a country she has visited many times with her family. She has explored several regions, particularly Andalusia, and during her Erasmus exchange in Málaga, she fell in love with the city, its culture, and its people. Since then, Málaga has become her home.
In her free time, Josephine enjoys running along the beach, singing, playing the piano, and continuing to travel — always eager to discover new cultures and ways of life.
Alberto
From a young age, Alberto has had a deep passion for English. He started his journey with Cambridge exams at the age of 12 and, after years of dedication, study, and translation and interpretation courses, he achieved a C1 level last year. This dedication and love for the language shine through in his classes, where he shares his enthusiasm and encourages his students to enjoy the learning process.
His curiosity about the world has led him to travel to many countries and live in the United Kingdom and Poland through exchange programs. These experiences allowed him to discover new cultures and improve his fluency in international environments. Alberto enjoys working with students of all ages and levels, creating a friendly, dynamic, and interactive atmosphere. He is always willing to help and adapt to each individual's needs, striving to make every lesson engaging and motivating.
Outside the classroom, he is a sociable and active person who loves meeting new people and joining any kind of plan. Passionate about travel, sports, and especially football, he combines these interests with a constant curiosity to discover new experiences and places.
Alfonso
Alfonso is a young teacher who graduated from the University of Jaén and holds a Cambridge CELTA certification in English language teaching, as well as the highest C2 level of linguistic proficiency. His connection with the language dates back to childhood, and since then, he has cultivated a deep passion for the English language and culture—something he strives to share with his students at all levels.
For several years, Alfonso has taught and carried out supervisory duties at the Guardia Civil Academy in Jaén, an experience that has strengthened his teaching vocation and allowed him to develop an approachable, practical, and motivating methodology.
With enviable pronunciation and exceptional linguistic and cultural knowledge, Alfonso remains firmly committed to his professional and academic growth. Recently, he was admitted to a PhD program. He is convinced that learning English not only opens doors but also broadens horizons.
In his limited free time, he enjoys sports—especially football—literature, and spending time with his family.
Isabel
Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, to Spanish parents who migrated there in the 1970s, Isabel grew up surrounded by two cultures and languages, developing an early appreciation for diversity and communication.
After finishing high school, Isabel and her family moved to Madrid, where she began her university studies in Political Science at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. During her time there, she played rugby in the university league, learned French, and spent her final year on an Erasmus scholarship in Bordeaux, France — an unforgettable experience that broadened her cultural and academic perspective.
Isabel returned to Australia, where she lived and worked for more years. During that time, she completed a TESOL course to teach English to speakers of other languages, combining her international experience with her passion for education.
Since 2019, Isabel has been living in Linares, where she teaches English at Avenida International. She finds great joy in helping her students grow in confidence, express themselves naturally, and enjoy the learning process.
