THE PULSE | DECEMBER 2025 ISSUE
FROM LONDON TO HARVEY: MR. FERRARA BRINGS CULTURE TO SPANISH CLASS New Spanish teacher Pasquale Ferrara has already made an impact on the Harvey community. Moving from London to America just this year, Mr. Ferrara has begun teaching Spanish classes at Harvey, but he is not new to the teaching world. Being an avid world traveler, Mr. Ferrara has lived and taught in three different countries: England, Costa Rica, and now the United States. Before coming to Harvey, Mr. Ferrara taught and lived in North London, where he held the position of Chair of Languages. Ferrara's language skills are not limited to Spanish; he shared that he has also taken an interest in many other languages, such as Portuguese, after living in Brazil for a year, and French, which he taught for one year in London. Mr. Ferrara’s interest in foreign languages is grounded in his love for travel. He shared that he has never been too keen on the grammar aspects of languages but really enjoys being able to immerse himself in the cultural aspects. Mr. Ferrara said that his favorite part about learning languages is being able to travel to other countries and absorb their culture. He truly takes his passion beyond the classroom. Growing up with his Spanish-speaking mother and Italian-speaking father, Mr. Ferrara has always been immersed in language. Living in a household in which multiple languages were spoken sparked his interest in the cultural abundance that comes with learning languages. When he took Spanish in school, Mr. Ferrara picked it up easily, as he had heard it his entire life.
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By Ana Failla
Mr. Ferrara at the Spanish Quarter in Naples, Italy. Photo taken by Mr. Ferrara’s wife.
As someone who has always had a love for language and culture, Mr. Ferrara has focused his teaching career on fostering such interests in his students. As one of Mr. Ferrara’s students, I can say that each class we have is engaging and unique. Mr. Ferrara brings in fun ways to learn about topics, and he focuses on the reason language is taught: it is learning about cultures different from our own and broadening our horizons. Mr. Ferrara’s favorite part of Harvey is the motivation of the students he teaches. He says students at Harvey want to learn, and they want to do well. Remarking on Harvey students’ abilities to seek help and ask engaging questions, Mr. Ferrara said he enjoys teaching when students are interested in the topic.
With his mother working in his elementary school, and his sister becoming a teacher, he said the teaching career is sort of a “family thing.” Studying languages in university just outside of London, Mr. Ferrara decided to combine his love for language and teaching. Now, Mr. Ferrara enjoys a career that allows him to share all the amazing cultural and engaging aspects of languages.
Mr. Ferrara said that traveling and living in many different places throughout his life has given him the ability to adapt to new settings and experience a multitude of different cultures. He says that “no matter where you go, people want to learn.” Outside of his travels and work in the classroom, Mr. Ferrara enjoys playing soccer once every week, and he is the middle school soccer coach, as well. He is also training for a half-marathon.
Mr. Ferrara said that he has noticed some aspects of teaching in the United States . that differs from what he had experienced in London. He remarked on the smaller class sizes, which allow him to have a better working relationship with each student, giving him the opportunity to help each individual student thrive.
In just a few months, Mr. Ferrara has already made a positive mark on students. He provides an engaging and inspiring environment to learn, not just a foreign language but also learn about the culture. Mr. Ferrara’s classroom is full of fun and thoughtful study.
THE HARVEY SCHOOL | 260 JAY STREET, KATONAH NY