I am a lover of all languages, but my focus is in tutoring Spanish, English, and ESL. I have been learning Spanish since elementary school, but I really began to absorb and understand Spanish when I spent time working at a restaurant in Memphis with several non-English speakers. From there, I decided to spend time living in Spanish-speaking countries to learn new cultures and meet people of other cultures who I could connect to only through multiple shared languages. I spent time living in...
I am a lover of all languages, but my focus is in tutoring Spanish, English, and ESL. I have been learning Spanish since elementary school, but I really began to absorb and understand Spanish when I spent time working at a restaurant in Memphis with several non-English speakers. From there, I decided to spend time living in Spanish-speaking countries to learn new cultures and meet people of other cultures who I could connect to only through multiple shared languages. I spent time living in both Granada, Spain and Cuenca, Ecuador. I lived with hospitable families and attended classes, meeting both students and adults who encouraged me in my learning journey. I became more confident and comfortable, and I formed several long-term friendships purely in Spanish. I believe in the power of bilingualism, and I wish that Spanish were taught more inspirationally in schools.
I decided to become an English tutor in Memphis when I was a sophomore in college there. I found a non-profit in need of volunteer ESL teachers, and I have been a tutor there ever since. I worked with adults aged 18-50 years old and taught a classroom of up to 15 students. While I conducted most of each lesson in English, I was able to use my Spanish to bond with my students, make them feel comfortable opening up, and help with translation questions. After 3 years of being a tutor with Su Casa, I know that I want to help people in their journeys to becoming bilingual.
I took several linguistics class throughout college: the Psychology of Linguistics, Linguística de las Americas, and Linguística General. Once again I learned how important and emotional the ability to speak a second language is! As a native English-speaker, I've had to teach myself to look at my language from the stance of someone trying to learn a language for the first time. New speakers look for patterns, familiarity, and naturalness. Modern methods of virtual language-teaching have forgotten about the emotional connection needed to invest in learning.
