THE TEAM
Morris Academy was founded in 1988 by Mikel Morris, a well-known linguist and lexicographer who saw a growing need for quality English teaching in Zarautz and the greater Basque Country. Today, the academy has grown to a team of 10 world-class professionals committed to excellence through English.
OVERVIEW
We are now a household name in the region. Many academies (both big and small) have come and gone since Morris Academy’s founding, and this is a physical testament to the importance of quality instruction and proven teaching methods.
HOW IT STARTED
MIKEL STARTS THE DICTIONARY
March 15, 1979
Mikel Morris, the owner and headmaster of the Morris Academy, embarks on a difficult and revolutionary 19-year long project: to write one of the most recognized English-Basque Dictionaries.
MORRIS ACADEMY FOUNDED
1988
Recognizing the growing need for quality English instruction (which was nonexistent at the time), Mikel opens the Morris Academy in Zarautz.
EXPANSION TO HERNANI!
September 2017
With the 29th anniversary of the founding of Morris Academy, we expanded to our second major location – Hernani!
DICTIONARY COMPLETE!
February, 1988
19 years after first setting pen to paper, the Morris Dictionary is complete and recognized as the official English-Basque, Basque-English dictionary of the Basque Country.
MIKEL STARTS THE DICTIONARY
March 15, 1979
Mikel Morris, the owner and headmaster of the Morris Academy, embarks on a difficult and revolutionary 19-year long project: to write one of the most recognized English-Basque Dictionaries.
MORRIS ACADEMY FOUNDED
1988
Recognizing the growing need for quality English instruction (which was nonexistent at the time), Mikel opens the Morris Academy in Zarautz.
DICTIONARY COMPLETE!
February, 1988
19 years after first setting pen to paper, the Morris Dictionary is complete and recognized as the official English-Basque, Basque-English dictionary of the Basque Country.
EXPANSION TO HERNANI!
September 2017
With the 29th anniversary of the founding of Morris Academy, we expanded to our second major location – Hernani!
ABOUT MIKEL MORRIS
- Lexicographer
- Writer
- Linguist
- Teacher
- Lecturer
- Translator
- Bachelor of Arts Political Science, BYU (1978)
- Master’s in Hispanic Linguistics, University of Colorado (1984)
- Master’s in General Linguistics from University of Colorado (1987)
- Licenciature in English Philology from University of the Basque Country (2001)
- English Proficiency Diploma, Official Language School in Donostia
- “D Maila” Diploma (E.G.A. diploma equivalent), Royal Academy of the Basque Language, 1984
- E.I.T certificate (Euskaraz Irakasteko Trebetasuna) issued by the Department of Education of the Basque Government, 1994
- Certificate of Proficiency in teaching through Basque, University of the Basque Country (2001)
- Member of the literature committee of the Royal Academy of the Basque Language (Euskaltzaindia), 1985-1987
- Member of the Basque-language Writers’ Association (Euskal Idazleen Elkartea) and member of the steering committee of said association, 1987-1988
- Member of the Association of Basque Translators, Interpretors and Correctors (EIZIE)
- English translator of Contemporary Basque Fiction published by the University of Nevada Press
- Author of the English teaching programme (6th grade to senior year in High School) for the Gipuzkoako Ikastolen Elkartea with a grant from the Basque Government, 1987
- English translator of Linguae Vasconum Primitiae by Bernard Etxepare, published by the Royal Academy of the Basque Language, 1995
- Author of the chapter on Basque in “Languages of Western Europe” published by “Lonely Planet Publications”, 1997
- Author of the chapter on Basque in “Spain Phrasebook” published by “Lonely Planet Publications”, 1997
- Translator of the Lingusitic Atlas of the Royal Academy of the Basque Language-Euskaltzaindia, translated from Basque and Spanish into English, 1997
- Author of the dictionary Morris Student Euskara-Ingelesa English-Basque, published by the Klaudio Harluxet Fundazioa, 1998. The on-line edition was launched on the Basque Government web site in 2001.
- Author of the dictionary Morris Pocket Euskara-Ingelesa English-Basque, 1998. Published by Klaudio Harluxet Fundazioa.
- Author of the Morris Magnum English-Basque dictionary which is the largest bilingual dictionary in Basque to date.
- A grant for an English-Basque Basque-English dictionary was given by the Basque Government in 1985.
- Project to put the Morris Student Plus Dictionary online at the Basque Government website located at www.euskadi.net/morris. The project was approved in early 2001 and the online dictionary went up in October 2001. It is the only Basque-English dictionary on the web and now includes many Basque etymologies and 45,000 English pronunciation sound files for both British and American pronunciations.
- Grant given by the Spanish Parliament in 2006 for the largest English-Basque dictionary, indeed, the largest bilingual Basque dictionary ever published.
- Lexicographer
- Writer
- Linguist
- Teacher
- Lecturer
- Translator
- Bachelor of Arts Political Science, BYU (1978)
- Master’s in Hispanic Linguistics, University of Colorado (1984)
- Master’s in General Linguistics from University of Colorado (1987)
- Licenciature in English Philology from University of the Basque Country (2001)
- English Proficiency Diploma, Official Language School in Donostia
- “D Maila” Diploma (E.G.A. diploma equivalent), Royal Academy of the Basque Language, 1984
- E.I.T certificate (Euskaraz Irakasteko Trebetasuna) issued by the Department of Education of the Basque Government, 1994
- Certificate of Proficiency in teaching through Basque, University of the Basque Country (2001)
- Member of the literature committee of the Royal Academy of the Basque Language (Euskaltzaindia), 1985-1987
- Member of the Basque-language Writers’ Association (Euskal Idazleen Elkartea) and member of the steering committee of said association, 1987-1988
- Member of the Association of Basque Translators, Interpretors and Correctors (EIZIE)
- English translator of Contemporary Basque Fiction published by the University of Nevada Press
- Author of the English teaching programme (6th grade to senior year in High School) for the Gipuzkoako Ikastolen Elkartea with a grant from the Basque Government, 1987
- English translator of Linguae Vasconum Primitiae by Bernard Etxepare, published by the Royal Academy of the Basque Language, 1995
- Author of the chapter on Basque in “Languages of Western Europe” published by “Lonely Planet Publications”, 1997
- Author of the chapter on Basque in “Spain Phrasebook” published by “Lonely Planet Publications”, 1997
- Translator of the Lingusitic Atlas of the Royal Academy of the Basque Language-Euskaltzaindia, translated from Basque and Spanish into English, 1997
- Author of the dictionary Morris Student Euskara-Ingelesa English-Basque, published by the Klaudio Harluxet Fundazioa, 1998. The on-line edition was launched on the Basque Government web site in 2001.
- Author of the dictionary Morris Pocket Euskara-Ingelesa English-Basque, 1998. Published by Klaudio Harluxet Fundazioa.
- Author of the Morris Magnum English-Basque dictionary which is the largest bilingual dictionary in Basque to date.
- A grant for an English-Basque Basque-English dictionary was given by the Basque Government in 1985.
- Project to put the Morris Student Plus Dictionary online at the Basque Government website located at www.euskadi.net/morris. The project was approved in early 2001 and the online dictionary went up in October 2001. It is the only Basque-English dictionary on the web and now includes many Basque etymologies and 45,000 English pronunciation sound files for both British and American pronunciations.
- Grant given by the Spanish Parliament in 2006 for the largest English-Basque dictionary, indeed, the largest bilingual Basque dictionary ever published.