From Teacher to Student: Andrea Pirlo in New York

8:47 am Kaplan school at the Empire State Building in New York, the students are preparing to enter the classroom for the first lesson of the morning.

8:53 am The sun shines on the big apple and suddenly among the international students, we see a familiar face. Rumours begin to spread and the atmosphere is mixed with adrenaline and surprise.

9.05am Now it’s almost certain among the students at Kaplan in New York that there is a world-class soccer player in their midst: Andrea Pirlo.

Andrea Pirlo studies english
People from all over the world choose to study with Kaplan.

World Champion in 2006 with the Italian national team – international club stars of AC Milan and Juventus – the "master of football" is sitting, like all the other students at their school, on the 63rd floor of the building icon of New York.

From teacher to student, they would say. Class of '79, Andrea Pirlo is one of the last VIP students at the Kaplan school in the States.

We ask him now, why he chose to study English with Kaplan in New York. "English is the official language of the locker room, and it is crucial in this professional field. I decided to study with Kaplan because I think it's one of the best schools in the States, and I was advised by some friends who live here in New York. I do not think there are better places to learn. "

With as much style as he has on the pitch outside, paper and pen in hand, Andrea Pirlo seems at ease among the other students and loves taking photos, writing autographs, and snapping selfies.

Andrea Pirlo at Kaplan
Our students learn and improve their English skills together through social interactions and classroom lessons

"I believe that the fastest way to learn English is to study abroad, read and avoid speaking their mother tongue," he continues.

Pirlo moved to New York last summer and landed in the MLS (Major League Soccer) with a two-year contract with New York City FC. After one year, his popularity increased notably in the States and, for the North American football, he is already among the foreign players with the greatest impact.

Between training sessions, matches and a new life in the Big Apple, we ask where he finds time to study English, he replies: "After the training, I go home and do the lessons with my teacher. The time to learn, if you want, you find it. I like the Kaplan method because it does not only cover the grammar but also has funny stories to read, making the class more interesting for the pupils. "

Andrea Pirlo studies English
For Pirlo, fitting English lessons into his busy schedule was easy with Kaplan's flexible programs.

The same opinion is shared by the tutor following Pirlo, Constance Stellance, which underlines its commitment "Pirlo during English lessons, demonstrates the same tenacity and concentration that he has on the field."

The commitment of Pirlo is evident already after a few weeks, he admits "I would recommend an experience of study abroad for all the guys, because it is a fantastic experience and is a linguistic and cultural growth".

12:05 pm The morning lesson it is now finished and the students are leaving the classroom. Just another day in school and the #KaplanExperience gave an unexpected aspect to the day of our students.

Andrea Pilro Kaplan New York
Learning English can be fun when you've found a program that inspires and entertains

 

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