Jodie Sclare and Josh Bumgardner explain how the language centre FunTalk was created and prove that learning a language can be fun.
Where are you from, and how long have you called Barcelona your home?
Born in London, Jodie has lived in Barcelona for 15 years, whereas I come from small town Indiana in the US and arrived in Barcelona 12 years ago. Ever since I relocated, we have worked together; first by creating GetEnglish, which slowly morphed into our much bigger project, FunTalk. With our personal experience as language teachers, and now as the parents of two young kids, we understand that to really learn something, you need to be actively involved in the process.
How did you come up with the idea for your business?
After trying out several language schools to learn Spanish upon our arrival in Barcelona, we quickly realised that classes were typically boring. They only followed activities in the book, which we didn’t relate to, and the teacher always dominated the class. Nearly every language school in Barcelona—and there are many—was basically the same.
This is when the seed was planted in our minds that if we ever set up a language centre, it would have to be different, to set itself apart from the rest. It was clear to us that classes had to be fun and practical, and students had to be actively involved.
How did your business develop and grow into what it is today?
FunTalk would not have come to fruition had it not been for GetEnglish. By offering a more personalised, offsite service—small group and private classes in people’s homes, schools and businesses—tailoring that service to meet each individual student’s or group’s needs, and approaching the language learning experience in a more relaxed and interactive way, our students became extremely motivated and invested in their studies.
Our approach was working so well with offsite classes that we decided to design a centre based on the same philosophy. So, after 10 successful years with GetEnglish, we took the next step and opened FunTalk.
What are FunTalk’s core values?
Jodie and I believe in creating a learning centre where people come not just to practise a language, but to experience it. We want to give language learners a breath of fresh air, a place where they feel comfortable and relaxed, as if they were in their own home.
Instead of starting the class with ‘Open your books to page 12’, students are asked, ‘Would you like coffee or a glass of wine?’ And most importantly, classes are enjoyable and entertaining, but still practical and useful.
It’s about time to discard the century-old, traditional methods of teaching that have somehow weaseled their way into present-day learning. We believe in changing the status quo and utilising innovative educational tools that are proven to work.
What were some difficulties you had to overcome when setting up FunTalk?
The beginning of our business venture was very difficult and time consuming, with many sleepless nights, struggles with electricians, building certificates and so on. We were prepared for a few bumps in the road, however.
It’s not easy setting up your own business in Spain, but despite all the red tape and frequent disheartening moments of discouragement, we still believed in our project, and eventually found the right people to help us realise our dream.
What’s it like having a business in Barcelona as a foreign resident?
We feel very lucky to have landed in a city as wonderful as Barcelona. Combining family life with running your own business isn’t a walk in the park, but fortunately for us, our kids enjoy it here just as much as we do, and we have proven to ourselves that it can be done.
We’re extremely grateful to our team and everyone else who has helped make FunTalk a reality. We have got to know many people in the neighbourhood because of FunTalk, and as word spreads about the centre and our unique teaching methods, we are becoming more and more well-known, and that’s a nice feeling.
Overall, the pros of owning a business as a foreign resident in Barcelona outweigh the cons. To others with an idea for a business, we believe that if it’s something you really believe in, you should go for it! As they say: ‘The only things you’ll regret in life are the risks you didn’t take’.
For information about classes, packages, testimonials and more, visit the FunTalk website.