About FlowOut · Guillermo Costa and the method

Founder

Guillermo Costa

I teach languages so people can do more with them Teaching students from different countries taught me one thing: understanding a rule and being able to use it in a conversation are different skills. That step is where I focus my work

I teach English, Spanish and Portuguese as a foreign language, with an international TESOL/TEFL certification from UNI-Prep Institute and a degree in Graphic Design from the Lebanese International University in Beirut

I've taught in Brazil, Argentina, Portugal, Costa Rica and Lebanon. Today I have students from more than 9 countries, and over the years from more than 15

Over the years I've worked mostly with Brazilians, Americans and Spanish speakers living abroad

Teaching people with different native languages is how I started building many of the strategies FlowOut uses today, especially for pronunciation, listening and communication

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The method in action

It's not memorizing it's being able to use it

I build the training from what you need to do: ask, explain, disagree, understand a fast answer and keep the conversation going. Grammar comes in when it helps you communicate

Chunks

Instead of single words, ready-made combinations you can pull up and adapt when you need to speak

Listening

You learn to notice what happens when words connect in real speech

Pronunciation

Sounds, rhythm and linked speech, because speaking better also helps you hear better

Practice

You speak, answer, ask, try a sentence, adjust it and try again

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You don't start from zero

Your language becomes a bridge

An English speaker and a Brazilian don't hear the same sounds the same way. So, when it helps, we use English spelling and sounds to bring closer what still feels strange in Spanish

It's a temporary bridge. With practice, you start to recognize and produce those sounds on your own

¿Cómo estás?

Natural pronunciation

KOH-moh-ess-TAHSS

How are you?

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How we think

Knowing about a language isn't the same as using it

From knowing to doing

Knowing rules and vocabulary helps, but it doesn't mean you can answer an unexpected question. FlowOut works on that step: from what you know to what you can do

Pronunciation isn't about losing your accent

The focus is clarity, rhythm and noticing how words connect when people speak. An accent isn't a flaw

Mistakes tell you something

Not every mistake needs to stop the conversation. Correcting also means knowing when to correct

Learning is also organizing information

My design background shows in how the material is organized: what you need to notice, what you need to do, and in what order

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Principles

What guides every class

01
Starting simple doesn't mean staying simple
In class: «Necesito ayuda» becomes «Necesito un poco de ayuda con el informe hoy»
02
Speaking and studying don't have to happen at different times
In class: you learn a structure and use it right away in a real question
03
Grammar is a tool to understand and build language
In class: the past tense comes in when you need to tell what happened in a meeting
04
Pronunciation serves communication, not getting rid of your accent
In class: practicing the rhythm of «¿Cómo estás?» (KOH-moh-ess-TAHSS), not copying an accent
05
The language you already speak can help you learn the next one
In class: words that look like English become shortcuts, and false friends become warnings
06
A mistake tells you what needs to happen next
In class: a mistake that keeps coming back becomes the focus of the next activity
07
Adults need to understand what they're practicing and why
In class: before each activity, you know which situation you're practicing