I am bilingual in English and Spanish, and happy to help you work to improve either language, whether for school or social reasons. My academic history gives me a solid foundation for tutoring, but I also know that language is bigger than the classroom. My friendships, volunteering, and professional life have kept me in touch with native Spanish speakers throughout my career. This history (and these relationships) help me give context for some quirks of the language. I have a lot of...
I am bilingual in English and Spanish, and happy to help you work to improve either language, whether for school or social reasons. My academic history gives me a solid foundation for tutoring, but I also know that language is bigger than the classroom. My friendships, volunteering, and professional life have kept me in touch with native Spanish speakers throughout my career. This history (and these relationships) help me give context for some quirks of the language. I have a lot of experience with adult learners, along with high school and college level students.
I studied Spanish through both high school and college, where I graduated Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa. Though my time in school, I recognized the need for immersive experience to truly become fluent in a language, so I studied abroad in the Dominican Republic. I worked at the university's tutoring center helping my peers with Spanish, and volunteered at the local literacy center helping immigrants learn English. In the early 2010s, I spent summers teaching at Concordia Language Villages, a summer camp where kids ages 5-18 are immersed in the target language every day. Making learning fun is important to me, so while there I helped American-born high schoolers create and direct their own "telenovela" (soap opera) in Spanish for the rest of the camp. Since then, I have worked with native Spanish speakers for more than 10 years, and helped many adult learners understand basic conversational Spanish. I enjoy digging in on grammar and reasoning, but I also highlight the importance of fundamental vocabulary.
As the student, you can set the pace and focus of our tutoring. Some people benefit from more repetitive practice and memorization, while others prefer a focus on the structure and the "why" of language and grammar. Both styles can be helpful, and we will see what works best for you! I want to keep your goals in mind, whether that's higher grades, conversational fluency, or passing a test. I look forward to connecting!
