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Manuel Gaitán

 También puedes leer este artículo en español, La Voz de la Herencia

For Manuel Gaitán, academic director and co-founder of Momotombo Spanish Language School, teaching Spanish is about much more than grammar and vocabulary. 

“Language isn’t just something you learn to speak, it’s a way to reconnect with your identity,” he says.

Momotombo, named after the volcano in Nicaragua, was founded in Nicaragua in 2020 in response to a need for teacher training in Spanish as a foreign language. Today, the school operates out of Arkansas and offers three main programs: Spanish for heritage speakers, Spanish for specific professional purposes and Spanish as a foreign language.

Classes are offered entirely online, with flexible scheduling tailored to each student’s needs. The school works with teens and young adults, while also welcoming older learners who want to strengthen their bilingual skills. “We teach a Spanish that’s meant for real life, not just to pass a test,” Gaitán says.

A core part of Momotombo’s mission is to boost students’ linguistic self-esteem, especially among those who grew up in Spanish-speaking households in the U.S. “A lot of students think they speak Spanish poorly because their speech is shaped by English,” Gaitán says. “We help them see that their way of speaking is valid; it carries a history and a culture.”

In the classroom, students are exposed to the rich variety of Spanish through videos, readings and popular expressions. “There’s a Spanish from Mexico, another from Argentina, another from Spain, and they’re all equally valid,” he says.

Gaitán also emphasizes the historical context behind calling the language “Spanish” or “Castilian.” Castilian refers to the dialect that originated in the Castile region of Spain, which eventually became the basis for standard Spanish. “Both terms are technically correct, but ‘Spanish’ better reflects the diversity of speakers around the world,” Gaitán says.

As an immigrant entrepreneur, Gaitán admits the journey hasn’t been easy. But what drives him is the belief that Hispanic communities deserve educational spaces made with them in mind. “Our language is memory, culture and power. If we don’t empower heritage speakers, all that’s left is silence.”