Lina Polonsky-Doyle

Director/Teacher

After living in Mexico, Italy, Holland and Yugoslavia, Lina taught bilingual students in public schools in San Antonio, Texas, and Woodburn, Oregon. She started the Colegio de Axixic in 1999, when she concentrated on early childhood language acquisition. Beginning in 2009 she has taught Spanish to Americans and Canadians living in Ajijic.

Over the last 8 years the experience she acquired teaching older students has been invaluable to improving the lifestyles of the retired residents of the area.  Not only have they learned to speak to their neighbors, new friends and service people, but they have found that their brains are more alert and their memories have improved.

Many of her students have become movers in the community to help the less fortunate; working with children with special needs, resale stores and other non-profits that improve the community.

Native Speakers

An integral part of the course is access to native speakers who are trained to listen, speak slowly, and encourage the beginner to talk and who are also able adapt their speech to students at different levels of fluency.

Ramona Diaz is a retired primary school teacher, whose patience and knowledge of learning styles is very popular with the students.

Josefina “Chepa” Ibarra is a moher, grandmother, and great grandmother from the barrio, whose great sense of humor and stories about Ajijic make the students see how the language is a living and exciting way to get to know the town of Ajijic.

Daniela Perez is a college student who is studying English and loves dogs and all kinds of animals and is a fresh face at the school.