salve Reader, I am sure you have noticed I am not a native speaker of English. In fact, English was not even my second language until my twenties! I grew up and studied in Spanish and Catalan, my A-Level MFL was French, and I only really started developing my English after I received a scholarship to spend a summer in Ireland aged 21, where I kept talking to people in German because my English was still, ehem, a bit lacking. Young 20-year-old me enjoying the Irish summer Moving to England was...
15 days ago • 1 min read
salve Reader! I am not going to beat about the bush: the time to start preparing for the 2027 exams is now. You know I love my food similes, so here we go: Imagine you want to have a lovely crusty loaf of bread for dinner tomorrow. You do not start making the bread just before dinner! The dough needs kneading, resting, shaping, resting again... and then baking AND (come on, finish it for me) ... RESTING. Same with exam preparation. It is not white sliced bread: it is sourdough. OK, maybe I am...
19 days ago • 1 min read
salve Reader! I recently shared a year-in-review carousel on Instagram, celebrating everything "2025–2006" has brought. This was not intended to be 2006 to 2025, but rather 2025 to 2026! Another time, I should write about what I did from 2006 onward, which truly was another life, but my recent post was meant for just 12 months, even though some people were impressed that I had done so much in 19 years! (offending post at the bottom) Typos aside, it has been an amazing year, and I think...
23 days ago • 1 min read
salve Reader! As a tutor, I take every opportunity to get back in the hot seat, and this week it came in the form of an invitation to participate in Nightschool with Geoff Lloyd, live on Virgin Radio. Let me tell you: it was not perfect, but it was SUCH a laugh. And that, to be honest, is the way forward in a world increasingly dominated by perfectly curated bland AI content. Click to listen to the show Are you camp Caecilius or camp Sabina? Ana Martin Founder & Tutor...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
salve Reader! I thought I would send you a quick email to share that, following the most positive feedback on my A-Level Mastery Hub, I have decided to launch a companion programme featuring weekly live lessons. What does it mean for working with me at A-Level? Now there are 3 different ways to get my support: Joining the A-Level Mastery Hub, for weekly challenges, great resources and a monthly masterclass Joining the A-Level Mastery Academy, for everything in the mastery hub, plus weekly...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
salve Reader! I hope this seething time of year is allowing you some fresh air and mental rest. I am not going to wallow in the drama of the season, but I would like to acknowledge a moment that can be equal parts heartbreaking and uplifting: saying goodbye to a set text. Yes, saying goodbye to a set text can be very hard (and yes, even if it is Cicero!). This week, I am teaching the 2026 Tacitus and Herodotus for the last time, and I am putting away resources in their files, making space for...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
salve Reader! I have recently noticed some people adding spelling mistakes in an attempt to make their AI writing look human. If it is you, I am sorry to say this, but it does stick out like a sore thumb! In the same vein, I have heard from students asking AI to make their AI crafted essays look more natural by imitating what a younger learner might produce. (OK, a confession: I love my dashes and I have dramatically reduced their use to ward off any AI suspicions, so we are all perhaps...
2 months ago • 1 min read
salve Reader! Some people believe that because AI can translate and write texts for us, the future of translation studies is a bit bleak. The opposite is true. Let me show you what I mean with an example: Right now, I am at the airport waiting to take a flight to Spain. I have been invited to the launch of a new publishing house. They specialise in beautiful literary translations from Mandarin to Catalan, in physical format. Now, before you ask what the link is between the launch and...
3 months ago • 1 min read
salve Reader! Who does not love spring? I guess whoever decided it was a good idea to place all final exams at this point in the year. The bees are buzzing, the plants are flowering, but our teenagers are going through knowledge organisers and sitting indoors revising for high-stakes exams. I do not have much time for a newsletter this week, but you can see below what I have been up to this month. However, I thought it would be a good idea to send a little reminder that breaks, walks, treats...
3 months ago • 1 min read
