AMIDON STUDIOS
About Us
ABOUT THE FOUNDER & LANGUAGE COACH
Jackie Amidon Donaldson
I help adults who understand Spanish but struggle to speak it feel confident using the language in real conversations. My work focuses on helping learners move past the mental freeze that often happens when it’s time to speak.
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My path to language teaching began through years of living, working, and building community abroad, especially in Peru, where Spanish was something I had to use daily, not just study.
After managing an English language institute there, I founded Amidon Studios in 2017 to create a practical, conversation-based learning experience centered on real communication rather than perfection.
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I’m a certified Spanish and English teacher with 15 years of experience. I hold a master’s degree in Applied Anthropology and a certificate in Intercultural Education and Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Bilingual Education from the Universidad Pedagógica Nacional in Mexico City. I’ve also published work on second language teaching.
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I’m fluent in English and Spanish, conversational in French, and continue learning languages myself, which keeps me deeply connected to the challenges and breakthroughs language learners experience.
How We Teach
At Amidon Studios, we focus on using language, not performing it.
Many of our students already understand some Spanish. What’s missing isn’t intelligence or effort. It’s confidence, repetition with real people, and permission to speak imperfectly.
Our approach is conversation-driven, supportive, and practical. We prioritize listening, responding, and building comfort over memorizing rules or chasing fluency benchmarks.
Meet The Teachers
Our teachers share the same conversation-first approach and commitment to helping students feel at ease while speaking.
Lilia Medina
Spanish & English Teacher
Lilia is an online Spanish and English teacher from Lima, Peru with a strong background in language instruction and cross-cultural communication.
And she's completed teacher training at Instituto Cervantes London.
She lived in London for several years, which refined her English to a near-native level.
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She’s fluent in English and Spanish and conversational in French and Italian, so she knows first hand what it's like to be a language student.
Lilia’s classes are engaging,
dynamic, and supportive, helping students stay present and confident while speaking.
Students appreciate her warmth, clarity, and ability to keep lessons both focused and enjoyable.
Paulina Sáenz
Spanish Teacher
Paulina is a Spanish teacher from Guadalajara, Mexico, with a deep love for language, culture, and meaningful communication.
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She holds a Master of Fine Arts from Florence, Italy, where she spent several years living and studying before returning to Mexico.
Her time abroad shaped her understanding of language learning from the student’s perspective and deepened her appreciation for cultural nuance and expression.
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In addition to teaching, Paulina works as a realtor in Guadalajara, which keeps her closely connected to real-world communication and everyday Spanish as it’s truly used.
Paulina brings enthusiasm, cultural insight, and encouragement to every class, helping students feel comfortable speaking and confident using Spanish naturally.