Hello! My name is David, and I am a linguistics-informed language coach and tutor specializing in Spanish, Portuguese, and English as an additional language. My interest in languages began early: my mother enrolled my brother and me in private Spanish classes with a native-speaking teacher, and that early exposure gave me a deep appreciation for the structure and human richness of foreign languages. I continued studying Spanish through middle and high school, where I excelled and discovered...
Hello! My name is David, and I am a linguistics-informed language coach and tutor specializing in Spanish, Portuguese, and English as an additional language. My interest in languages began early: my mother enrolled my brother and me in private Spanish classes with a native-speaking teacher, and that early exposure gave me a deep appreciation for the structure and human richness of foreign languages. I continued studying Spanish through middle and high school, where I excelled and discovered how rewarding it could be to express myself in another language.
After high school, I went on to study Linguistics at the University of Florida, where I am currently completing my degree. Through this program, I have developed a strong foundation in the scientific study of language, including phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and language acquisition. At the same time, I continued developing my Spanish independently and later taught myself Portuguese from the ground up. My linguistics coursework transformed the way I understand language learning: instead of seeing languages as lists of words and arbitrary rules to memorize, I began to see them as interconnected systems of sound, meaning, grammar, and communication. That perspective now shapes the way I teach.
My specialties are phonology-informed pronunciation training and clear, structured grammar instruction. I use linguistic models and concepts to make language learning more systematic, precise, and effective. While these ideas can seem complex at first, I break them down in a clear and approachable way so students can use them to improve pronunciation, grammar, listening, and fluency. I have experience working one-on-one with English language learners and creating personalized materials for pronunciation, listening, grammar, speaking, and fluency. I tailor my lessons to each student’s needs, goals, learning style, and target language, helping them recognize patterns independently and communicate with greater clarity, confidence, and autonomy.
