I am Alex. I have taught Spanish in local high schools for nearly 20 years. I have taught all levels, introductory to AP/ACP, and had excellent student retention.
As an English speaker I learned Spanish exactly like you are doing, and hour a day for 180 days a year. However, I was very interested in Spanish. As such, I used it whenever I could, I would practice as I did various physical tasks that allowed my mind to wander. I guess that makes me a bit of a language nerd. I am proud...
I am Alex. I have taught Spanish in local high schools for nearly 20 years. I have taught all levels, introductory to AP/ACP, and had excellent student retention.
As an English speaker I learned Spanish exactly like you are doing, and hour a day for 180 days a year. However, I was very interested in Spanish. As such, I used it whenever I could, I would practice as I did various physical tasks that allowed my mind to wander. I guess that makes me a bit of a language nerd. I am proud of that. At St. Norbert College I continued my studies with majored in Spanish. I chose to become an International Student my Junior year. I chose to study in Logroño, La Rioja at la Universidad de la Rioja. My formal major when I was there was Spanish Philology. If you don't know what that means, I will define it as "only something a REAL Spanish nerd would choose". I got my Master's Degree in Secondary Education at Ball State, where I met my lovely wife.
As I said I have taught in local highschools here in Indiana for nearly 20 years. Over the course of those years I have had many students participate in the Indiana University Honors Program, where they lived and studied Spanish in either Mexico or Spain. I took great pride in the students' abilities once they returned. Their Spanish was absolutely AMAZING. Yes, I am a good teacher but I know that immersion is the best way to fast track learning.
As an educator I tried to find all the coolest and most interesting field trips I could. We would dine at local Mexican and Spanish restuarants to experience the food and culture. I also organized and chaperoned trips abroad; one to Puerto Rico and 4 to Costa Rica. Each of those trips were unique and absolutely amazing. If you don't believe me, just ask and I will gladly show you journals that the students wrote at the end of each trip!
I sincerely hope that you choose me to help you in your endeavours to learn Spanish!
