Spanish especially for you and punto a puente

Learning a new language is like building bridges that will take you from a static point to a limitless world. If you want to expand your world with personalized guidance and content designed according to your interests, tastes and pace, the Jess Español personalized classes are for you. Regardless of the point of your journey you are at, I will build custom-bridges with you.

Schedule a meeting now so we can understand the best way for me to help you, whether with weekly private lessons of one and a half hours, with exam preparation or with personalized study plan support.

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How Spanish expanded the world of my students

Andriele reached out to me because she wanted to be able to talk to her fiancé’s family and friends, as he is Colombian. In just 2 months, we achieved this goal, she expanded her world by speaking Spanish and today she lives with Juan in Mexico.

Andriele Lorenzi

Food Engineer

After just 2 months of classes, Andriele traveled to Colombia with her fiancé and talked, for the first time, to her Colombian in-laws without needing him as a translator.

“I did’t think I could communicate so well with people that do not speak my language” [translation from Spanish].

Learning Punto a Puente

Learning is about emotion and I can prove it to you. Do you know when we recall that conversation exactly as it was?  The smell of the coffee, the wind on our skin, where everything was around you… What were you feeling? I bet you weren’t thinking about that uninteresting class or that random form you filled out.
O que você tava sentindo? 

Now think about whether you’re going to learn a language in classes that are always the same. That same type of classes that teach you the verb to be and give you an endless list of false friends, irregular verbs and genders of the verbs

No. You need to feel in Spanish.

That’s why I developed Punto a Puente. In Punto a Puente, we have 3 learning moments. It is based on a scientifically proven method, the task-based learning, and on all my years as a Spanish learner and teacher.

In every lesson or learning opportunity, we have three moments: the first one could be translated to Autonomy map, the second one is the Experience of Active Connection and the last one is the Bridge Forward. Experiencia de conexión activa is the central one, but the Mapa de la autonomía and the Puente pa’lante are essential to achieving the goal.

Let’s imagine, for example, that in a lesson we want to learn how to talk about food and communicate effectively in a supermarket.

Mapa de la autonomía en español

This is the moment when you’ll flip the switch in your brain to understand that we’re now speaking Spanish. This is your first contact with the topic.

I might suggest, for example, that you watch a clip from Spain’s Masterchef where contestants pick ingredients their competitors must use. And since this isn’t just about sitting back and listening, I’ll also ask you to write down every ingredient you recognize.

Experiencia de conexión activa

In this stage, you’ll go through multiple active connection experiences. This is that moment to bring emotion and connection—both with the language and the Puente community. I’ll always propose real-life situations, concrete things that could actually happen to you. And it’s all dynamic—you’ll actively participate every step of the way.

Here’s an example I use with my students: Imagine we’re going to Tigre, a town near Buenos Aires where rivers intertwine to form countless islands, and we’re spending a weekend there. During our immersive experience, we’ll plan a two-day menu for a riverside cottage. Next, we’ll find recipes, create our grocery list, and go supermarket shopping – all while developing these skills together. Then, we’ll virtually visit a Spanish supermarket by exploring Mercadona’s website, selecting needed items by navigating categories, and learning additional vocabulary beyond our original list – all without leaving home.

Puente pa'lante

Now comes your Puente pa’lante – your bridge forward. This is the crossing point where awareness meets autonomy. Knowing what works for you means building the fastest path to progress.

At this point, I ask you some questions, such as:

  • What have you learned today?
  • How have you felt in this class?
  • What can you do after class to keep up the momentum?

With Punto a Puente, you learn to fall in love with Spanish — and with language learning itself — because you’ll learn without it ever feeling like studying.

Aula no Zoom do curso de espanhol Jess Español

Nice to meet you — call me Jess!

I’m Jéssica Borges, a Spanish teacher, IT technician, half-computer scientist, and full-fledged architect-urbanist from UFMG. I’ve taught Spanish for 5 years and have been part of my students’ victories—like studying abroad at Spain’s University of Jaén, relocating to Mexico, or earning a master’s at Rio de Janeiro Federal University (UERJ) — all doors opened by Spanish.

My Spanish journey began 17 years ago when I wanted to expand my world by talking to Latin Americans and Spaniards. Our conversations revolved around the Mexican band we loved and my burning questions: What’s for lunch there? How’s school? Is university free? I was desperate to know how life worked in another country.

In 2014, I moved to Barcelona to study at Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Back then, I was a Computer Science student at UFMG. Inspired by the Cerdà Plan and Barcelona’s energy, I switched gears after 5 semesters in Brazil and 2 in Spain — graduating instead as an Architect-Urbanist from Minas Gerais Federal University (UFMG). By my second year, I was teaching Spanish to my Architecture classmates and professors. Ever since, my teaching path and love for Spanish have intertwined, helping others expand their worlds through language.

To sharpen my skills, I’ve trained for over a year with the Teacher’s Academy mentorship program. Blending Paulo Freire’s theories, task-based learning, and communicative approaches — plus 7 years teaching and 17 learning Spanish—I developed the Punto a Puente method: where teaching meets bridge-building.”

What do Jess Español students say

5/5
I’ve always struggled with learning languages. With English —my first foreign language — I started the classic way: cramming grammar, vocabulary lists, and repetitive drills in language schools. But when I studied abroad and actually needed to communicate, none of it helped. I felt paralyzed and insecure speaking. When I began learning Spanish, I knew I had to do things differently. With Jess, from the very first lesson — no matter how shy or insecure you feel—we speak only Spanish. Conversation is always the focus. This broke my need for ‘perfect control’ when speaking another language and finally set me free. If I now have the courage to speak Spanish, the confidence to make mistakes, repeat myself, and communicate—I owe it to her.Plus, her lessons are always tailored to our needs and interests. They’re creative, lighthearted. I recommend her to anyone who wants to learn Spanish. Thank you, Jess!
Marina Sanders
PhD Candidate in Architecture and Urban Planning
5/5
Jessica is an amazing teacher who made me realize that Spanish is way cooler than I thought. Before this, I always felt very limited when it came to Spanish—I never thought I’d be able to learn the language because I found it really difficult, especially verb conjugation. I first came into contact with Spanish as a teenager in school. The teaching was good, but the method was outdated, following lessons from a workbook that always covered the same basic, cookie-cutter topics. Because of how hard I found it to learn, I didn’t like the language much—I thought it sounded weird and even boring, since it seemed too similar to Portuguese, which made learning it feel pointless and not at all fun. Then I met Jessica. She created Desafio Español from Zero to the World with the goal of getting us to a point where, in just one month, we could manage in Spanish and keep learning independently through everyday things. She asked me to participate by just watching the recordings to test if it would work without live sessions. I agreed, and after just a short time, I realized I was really enjoying the language—it honestly surprised me. I followed along with the recorded lessons, did the daily activities (which were super fun), and later, we even had an in-person meetup with a Mexican guy where we chatted. These days, we speak a lot of Spanish when we meet up, and I understand most of the Spanish videos she sends me. The challenge made me realize how fun it is to learn new languages through everyday stuff—like talking about what you ate for lunch in Spanish or describing your family, just normal daily things. I even use the techniques she taught me when I study English now. During that month-long challenge, I saw how much I could learn, and it made me even more eager to keep going. Plus, I felt way more confident speaking Spanish, which helps a ton with learning. It’s really great being taught by someone who doesn’t make you afraid of making mistakes or being judged.
Letícia Maia
Civil Engineering Student
5/5
Last November, I reached out to Jess with one goal: to feel confident in my Spanish. I’d studied the language before, but after years without practice, I certainly didn’t feel ready to teach it. As a fellow Recife native, I got her contact through another foreign language teacher—someone who also used innovative teaching methods and knew Jess’s work. Over our three months of lessons, I faced what I’ll gently call ‘interruptions’—in truth, I was battling Crohn’s Disease. Hospital stays, procedures, flare-ups—but through it all, my determination to grow never wavered, and neither did Jess’s support. She walked hand-in-hand with me on this learning journey. Within just two weeks, I noticed the change: my speech flowed more naturally, my fear of mistakes vanished (because her classroom was a safe space to learn), and — maybe illness makes you bolder, who knows? — Jess even created room for me to talk openly about my health. By month one, I was watching shows without subtitles effortlessly, and my accent grew increasingly neutral, free from Portuguese interference. I tested my skills with native speakers during trips to tourist hubs like Porto de Galinhas (I love hostels for meeting foreigners and practicing languages). On two separate occasions with Argentinian travelers, my Spanish was so fluent they mistook me for a native speaker. But the ultimate proof it was worth it? I’m now not just confident enough to teach Spanish — I’ve been hired to do so at a well-known language institute
Renata Mesquita
English and Spanish teacher
5/5
I highly recommend Jessica as a teacher because she is dedicated, up-to-date, and reliable. Her lessons are well-prepared and tailored to the student’s needs. She also uses a variety of resources to enhance learning—texts, images, music, videos, and conversations. We first met at UFMG, where I was her professor in an undergraduate Architecture and Urbanism course. Later, I became her Spanish student with the goal of expanding my knowledge to attend a conference in Spain.
Helena d'Agosto
Professor of Architecture and Urban Planning
5/5
Learning Spanish with Jess Español is easy, accessible, fun, and effective. The lessons are dynamic and really engaging, helping students naturally understand and speak Spanish.
Rogéria Abalen
Occupational Therapist

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Jéssica Borges - criadora do Curso de espanhol Punto a Puente

Expand Your World by Speaking Spanish

Spanish is the world’s second most spoken language and a powerful tool for global opportunities. By learning Spanish, you’ll unlock access to thriving markets across Latin America, Europe, and North America, with bilingual professionals being highly sought-after in international business, tech, and diplomacy. 

The Punto a Puente method makes learning Spanish natural, effective, and enjoyable! And if you’re also interested in Portuguese or English lessons – we can talk about that too!

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