Saltire Languages is a language school based in Paisley. We offer fun, friendly, and relaxed language classes for people of all levels in Spanish, French and Italian. We believe that learning a language should be enjoyable and our aim is to provide you with a friendly place to learn, connect and enjoy learning languages.
We understand that language learning isn't just about textbooks, it's about real conversations, shared experiences and building the confidence to put your skills into practice. All our classes are designed to be practical, sociable, and welcoming to everyone from complete beginner to those looking to brush up and improve.
We currently teach face to face classes in Spanish, French and Italian. Our aim is to provide language classes that are welcoming and enjoyable for everyone who attends.
Hola, I'm Caroline, the founder of Saltire Languages and one of the Spanish teachers here at the school.
I was brought up in a bi-lingual environment attending the Gaelic Unit of Sir John Maxwell Primary School. Although I don't use Gaelic very much nowadays, I am proud to be a Gaelic speaker and am passionate about keeping the language alive. I also believe this helped me develop a natural flair for languages.
Through high school I learned French and Spanish and I quickly realised I wanted to pursue a career where I would be able to use my language skills. At university, I spent around 8 months living in a tiny village in France, working in a beautiful French restaurant. I then went on to spend a year living in Madrid, Spain working in a primary school.
After university I worked as a translator for a website and I also worked in international sales travelling South America. I worked at Heriot Watt University teaching English to foreign students. After covid and the birth of my first daughter I was left without a job which was a bit of a scary time. I had always had the idea of setting up a language school in the Renfrewshire area, as my own experience of learning a language was that: there was nowhere nearby to practice!
I set up a Spanish class at Paisley North Church to see if there was a demand and was completely overwhelmed by the success of the class and the eagerness of people to attend. Fast forward to now and we are based in Mirren Court, with two classrooms and another 3 teachers teaching 3 different languages.
For me, the most important thing is that language learning is an enjoyable experience for people. I know how nerve wracking it can feel speaking a foreign language. I've made all the mistakes, struggled through endless grammar books and so many times thought "I am never going to get this'. That's why I created a school where learners can relax, have fun, laugh off mistakes and truly enjoy the experience of learning a language.