This US man failed Spanish in school. Now he’s running a language school in Spain

(CNN) — Relocating to another country is a dream come true for many people, yet when the language is a nightmare it can be a major deterrent.

But a 36-year-old former gardener from California who flunked Spanish language at high school embraced his fate when a short-term stay on the island of Mallorca led to him finding the love of his life and starting a flourishing business – one that he’d never have dreamed of starting.

Ted Purdom, from San Anselmo, California, graduated in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in English and enrolled in an overseas language program, aiming to learn Spanish.

He ended up in Mallorca, the capital of the Balearic islands off the east coast of Spain, for the nine-month program.

That should have been an interlude before returning to real life. But 13 years later, he’s fluent in Spanish and Mallorquin, the local Catalan dialect, and has opened his own English academy on the island.

For anyone who was at school with him, this may come as a surprise.

“Foreign languages was always my most difficult subject,” he says.

“My high school required two years of a foreign language in order to graduate. I failed second-year Spanish twice and the third time (my senior year) I was able to pass by the skin of my teeth.”

In order to qualify for his English degree at the University of Oregon, he also needed to learn a foreign language for two years.

Aware of how difficult foreign languages were for him, he sought alternatives as to how he could accomplish the two years of study without having to suffer the shame of failing another Spanish class.

Luckily, Purdom discovered that by participating in a three-month student exchange program in Spain, he could achieve a year’s worth of credit towards his degree.

“So in the fall of 2009 I found myself in Oviedo [the capital of Asturias in northern Spain]. A truly unforgettable experience – I enjoyed every minute of immersing myself in Spanish culture. I would be lying if I said my Spanish language skills improved greatly but the culture and lifestyle left an everlasting impression on me and left me craving more than the three months I was fortunate to experience,” he says.

Back in the US, as he was approaching graduation, he felt a desire to return to Spain. A friend told him about another program that placed American “language coaches” in Spain, called “Auxiliares de Conversación,” (conversation assistants), run by the Spanish Ministry of Education.

He applied, hoping to return to Oviedo. In order to increase his options he also selected Mallorca as another potential destination.

“When I Googled the Balearic Islands, I was blown away by the thousands of photos of pristine beaches and breathtaking scenery,” he says.

Much to his surprise, he was accepted on the program and sent to Manacor, an hour east of Mallorca’s capital Palma, to teach English. He arrived with zero teaching experience in October 2011, planning to see out his nine-month work contract.

The best laid plans

Things didn’t end so neatly. Towards the end of his nine-month program, another job opportunity popped up: working as the English-speaking monitor of a local language school’s summer camp. At the end of that contract, the school offered him a job as an English teacher.

“I decided to stay because the job opportunities in the US weren’t great in 2013, so I felt another year wouldn’t be such a bad idea,” he says.

“My first summer, I lived the Mallorquin lifestyle of going to the beach during the day and going out at night and experiencing the incredible Mediterranean vibe. Two of my closest friends brought me to every social event, helping me integrate into their culture. Many Saturday nights I would go out with groups of 20 people. It was difficult at the beginning trying to follow a conversation with 20 people speaking loudly and talking over each other, but these immersive experiences helped me pick up the local language.” His nine months on Mallorca had turned into a permanent job.

In 2014 he started dating his future wife – Lluïsa, now 39, a technical architect, who had previously been one of his students. Three years later they got married. They now have a four-year-old daughter, Apollonia, and are expecting a boy in November.

Mallorca didn’t just gift Purdom with a family – it gave him the chance to start a business.
Before that, the only job he had had in California was watering plants and trees at the nursery in his hometown.

In 2017, after working for five years for the language academy, he felt he had acquired the necessary know-how and contacts to start his own venture.

So that November he opened The Bridge English Academy in Manacor, converting a former wine store into classrooms to give English language courses to locals. This year, he bought the office space next door and plans to enlarge the academy.

“The business has grown, we have close to 200 students, beginning at seven years of age and all the way up to adults. Our courses run from September to June, where we either help students with their school work, or we provide English courses in order to obtain official titles in English which are essential today in Spain for completing one’s degree at university or applying for numerous jobs where language skills are required,” he says.

His own background has helped come up with ways to motivate reluctant learners – in his words, “to make students more enthusiastic about a subject that some may not find the most interesting, or as was my case, a subject that was and is very difficult in which to be successful.”

Purdom admits that initially he was worried he might not succeed at teaching English to locals. But by the time his academy was up and running, he already spoke fluent Spanish and Mallorquin.

“There was a constant fear at the beginning of addressing a class of students who perhaps would not understand a word I was saying, or if I would be unable to properly communicate the lesson I was trying to teach.

“I had never planned or dreamed of becoming a teacher so I had lots of self-doubt if I would actually be good at teaching,” he says.

Then there’s the fact that the islanders’ first language isn’t Spanish, but Mallorquin, a dialect of Catalan.

“What is challenging for an American to understand is how a certain dialect in a region like Mallorca can be crucial to a culture’s identity. So, by accepting to learn the local dialect and in essence embracing another culture’s identity has been an invaluable asset,” he says.

Another challenge he faced in kickstarting the academy was finding additional native English-language teachers, as housing prices and rental costs have been going up considerably on the tourist-filled island, deterring many people from seeking employment in Mallorca.

Drinks on the beach

So what’s so good about Mallorca that it meant Purdom never went home?

Life is even more laidback than in California, and extremely social, he says. Things are more spontaneous, with last-minute lunches and beach events.

“Plans usually involve taking a ‘capfico’ (a quick dip) or meeting up for a drink close to the sea,” he says.

Where in the US, restaurant clients are promptly served the bill and expected to leave, on Mallorca the act of “sobre mesa” (where a group of friends can remain at the table for hours after the bill) is a way of life.

“I don’t know if I would say the Spanish lifestyle is better than the US as I am sure there are many people who would find the at-times lackadaisical approach to life a bit maddening, but for anyone who may be seeking for a slower pace of life, then yes, the Spanish lifestyle could be attractive to many expats,” says Purdom.

What appeals to him the most about Mallorca are not only the beaches and scenery,

but also its rich history, with the remnants of other cultures that have conquered the island over the centuries, as well as the complex facets of an island belonging to an autonomous region where separatist stances are strong.

The cost of living is also much cheaper compared to the US. In 2021 Purdom built a three-bedroom home with a swimming pool on 3.5 acres of land. Between purchasing the land and the mortgage to build the house he paid roughly 500,000 euros ($555,000).

“The price of what we paid would be one third of what it would cost to purchase a ‘starter home’ on a basic lot of land in the San Francisco Bay Area,” he says – although of course the Balearic islands are not as sought-after as San Francisco, and salaries are much lower.

Prior to building the family home, he had rented various houses and apartments in Mallorca for 250-400 euros ($277-$444) a month. For his family of three, a meal at a restaurant costs around $60-70.

“If I were to go out and take a drink with some friends, a beer could cost between $1.50 and $3.00. Whereas in the Bay Area, that same beer would probably cost between $6-10,” he says.

Groceries are also much cheaper and it is easier to find organic products. Every week Purdom goes to the center of Manacor to shop for fresh produce. A box of seasonal fruits and vegetables generally costs $9.

And while there’s a national healthcare system in Spain, residents must pay into it through the tax system. Every month Purdom pays 300 euros in social security tax, which covers all medical care as well as pension and parental leave.

Unsurprisingly, there are mostly pros of living on an island where the sun shines year-round.

The close proximity to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, the many restaurants and late-night spots to soak in the relaxed Mediterranean vibe are all plus points.

Overtourism in summer is the only downside – the Balearics’ problems with too many tourists have come to a head this summer. But winters, he says, are very pleasant: “There are far fewer tourists and it is much easier to explore and visit other parts of the island.”

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