Hello. I’m James Bretherton, and welcome to James Spanish School. If you’re an English-speaking adult living in Spain or planning to, you probably realise that learning Spanish isn’t just about vocabulary, it’s about confidence, clarity and being able to join in the conversations around you, and that’s exactly why I built JSS.
This isn’t an app. It’s not one of 30 AI-generated courses. JSS is a specialised system crafted over decades, designed to teach real-world Castellano, European Spanish for everyday life in Spain.
I’ve been teaching face-to-face for over 25 years, and Spanish is my first language. I know what works, especially for adults who want to integrate quickly and comfortably. Most of our students are over 60, and they are not looking for grammar drills. They want results.
We focus on spoken Spanish. From lesson one, you’ll learn how to build correct sentences on the fly. We strip away all the jargon and prioritise what really matters, tuning your ear and helping you speak with confidence.
Our 50 core lessons build the foundation. Then we go deeper with 50 spoken Spanish practice modules with over 75 hours of listening content, because listening is the most challenging part and the most important. We also cover cultural essentials, how to navigate a Menu del Dia and what to expect at a Spanish wedding and a funeral, and how to integrate seamlessly.
And it does not stop there. Every student gets lifetime access. 24/7, no expiry. Repeat the lessons as often as you like, along with detailed notes, Q&A support, and self-assessment tools.
If you ever finish a core lesson and genuinely learn nothing new, we’ll credit you with extra spoken Spanish practice lessons, which is our cast-iron guarantee.
And for vocabulary, we’ve built WordAmigo, our custom AI-powered system designed to improve memory retention, especially for senior learners.
You get access to 11,000 plus word pairings, pronunciation testing and intelligent flashcards that adapt to your progress.
So if you’re ready to learn Spanish the smart way —with humour, clarity, and real results —join us now at JSS. I will be with you every step of the way.
Below are four common student groups. Click on the one or ones that you seem closest to your situation and discover much more. Vamos,