Start with your real life
A presentation, a landlord, a dinner with your partner’s family, a doctor’s appointment: the material comes from the situations you need to handle.
A practical teacher, not a textbook.
I am Sebastian Lenders. I teach languages the way people actually use them: in kitchens, at work, in waiting rooms, and in the middle of a sentence you are not sure how to finish.
One-to-one online50-minute lessonsCamera optionalAdults (18+)
My story, briefly
I am a native Dutch speaker and grew up bilingual in Dutch and Portuguese. I have lived in Portugal for fifteen years and in Brazil for one. I know what it feels like to be fluent in one room and a beginner again in the next, and that shapes every lesson.
I studied Spanish Language and Culture at Radboud University Nijmegen and immersed myself at don Quijote in Salamanca, living with a Spanish host family. Since then, I have learned most from teaching: real learners, real situations.
I speak Portuguese, Spanish and English at C2 level and hold the Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English with a C2 result. I have taught for more than five years, with more than 25 students across four languages. My background in Latin and Ancient Greek helps me show you how words are built, so one new word unlocks five more.
How a lesson works
Every lesson is 50 minutes, one-to-one, and online. The camera is optional. We agree times personally in Europe/Lisbon, including evenings and weekends when available.
Work on the sounds
Pronunciation is not a side note. We slow down the sounds that do not exist in your first language and practice them in sentences you would actually say.
Connect the words
Etymology, cognates, false friends, and patterns give your memory a route in. You will still need repetition; this simply gives repetition more handles.
Make it enjoyable
A song, a film scene, an expression someone used, a joke that finally lands. Enjoyment is not the opposite of serious learning; it is what makes it last.
What a lesson includes
- A personal plan based on your goals and current level.
- Spoken practice, pronunciation feedback, and useful corrections during the lesson.
- For homework packages: tailored exercises reviewed together in the next lesson.
- A schedule agreed personally in Europe/Lisbon time; twice weekly is recommended, once weekly is welcome.
Who this is for — and what it is not
Who this is for — and what it is not
- Professionals who need a language at work.
- Expats and people relocating or building a life abroad.
- Adults (18+) who want practical, one-to-one help.
What this is not
I don’t do specialist exam preparation. If an exam is your goal, tell me and we’ll decide together whether I’m the right fit. Camera-shy? No problem: the camera is optional.
At a glance
- 01
Native Dutch speaker, raised bilingual in Dutch and Portuguese.
- 02
Fifteen years in Portugal, one year in Brazil.
- 03
Studied Spanish Language and Culture at Radboud University Nijmegen.
- 04
Immersion at don Quijote, Salamanca, living with a host family.
- 05
C2 in Portuguese, Spanish and English.
- 06
Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English, C2 result.
- 07
5+ years of teaching, 25+ students, four languages.
- 08
Trained in Latin and Ancient Greek.
From A2 to B1 in two months.
A Dutch couple who had just moved to Portugal. Groceries, letters, pronunciation and unfamiliar words became our material. In two months their spoken Portuguese went from A2 to B1, and they now chat with the neighbours.
Bring the real situation.
Tell me what you want to be able to do in Dutch, Portuguese, Spanish, or English. The intake is where we start.