MY EXPERTISE ARE TO PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH SPANISH CONVERSATIONAL SKILLS:
Most of my students feel like they have gotten as far as they could learning Spanish by themselves. They’ve been studying with apps, at learning centers, in high school and in college, and they feel that their conversational skills should be further along. For the past 20 years, I’ve been helping my clients make a quick transition from theoretical Spanish to practical spoken Spanish.
My method of teaching Spanish is really effective because:
—I took the Spanish tests required to teach in California (CSET) and got the top scores in all the areas of the test: linguistics, reading, culture, grammar, literature, spoken and writing skills. You can rest at ease that my language skills are absolutely top notch. —I provide you with drills that I have created which will help you to quickly ask and answer questions. If you already have some grammar knowledge, you will be able to finally use it. If you dont, you will still be able to start speaking right away!
—My classes focus on speaking. Whether with exercises I’ve collected through the years, with the use of several drills I have come up with, or with conversations that we improvise in the moment, you will be speaking a lot. That’s how you know you will be able to speak Spanish outside of class, because you’ve been practicing conversations in class from day one.
—Though I focus on conversation, I also teach you grammar. Grammar takes out the random element of learning a language. Why? Because grammar rules are the formulas that will exponentialize your learning. Otherwise, learning a language is like doing multiplication by using your fingers. —I teach Spanish full time to adults. Teaching Spanish is not just something I do every so often. I have been helping professionals acquire skills that improve their work skills for years. I also tutored elementary, high school and college classes for 20 years. Now my focus are adults that need Spanish skills at work or that need to speak Spanish for personal reasons. —After 20 years of teaching Spanish, I know grammar rules by heart, and I can teach them to you at the same time that I provide you with drills, and at the same time that I converse with you in Spanish!!
—After teaching so many students throughout the years, I intuitively know how folks learn a language.
—I know English and Spanish really well so I can explain complicated Spanish concepts to you in English (especially at the beginning of the course), which expedites your learning. I will also help you understand how Spanish and English are different, so that you don’t get confused with tricky grammar rules and word order.
—I teach with a Spanish grammar book that you can follow at home for even quicker results.
About me:
I’m a native Spanish speaker who was reading novels and very advanced Spanish literature in high school. I grew up around Spanish nuns who were very serious about language skills. My high school required me to read dozens of literature books from Latin America and Spain, which really helped me be a language expert at a very young age. By the time I got to college, I was able to test out of all language requirements, and started teaching Spanish after I graduated from college.
I didn’t speak English till I was eighteen. That’s when I moved to the states to attend Ohio State University where I obtained a degree in Advertising from the School of Journalism. Afterwards, I completed a Master’s in Telecommunications at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. It was through my college studies that I learned to speak and write English well, and how I came to understand the mechanics of conquering another language, which I now teach to others.
That said, to this day my family prefers to speak Spanish, so I gladly go back and forth between speaking English and Spanish every day! It’s a total mental ping pong game that I play everyday and I love it!
Timeline:
I help my clients acquire conversational skills quickly by:
Teaching them a system that delivers basic conversational/transactional skills in three months.
Basically, in the first few months you can gain skills which will allow you to say simple sentences and which will help you do simple transactions in Spanish.
From three to six month, you will understand sentence structure and you will be able to communicate with others by using simple phrases and you will be holding on to short conversations.
From six months to a year my clients skills include:
—Handling more complex transactions in Spanish (at a hotel, ordering food, managing transportation abroad, buying items).
—Finally sustaining simple conversations with new acquaintances and old friends who speak Spanish. Getting used to speaking Spanish and holding on to one on one conversations.
—Having conversations in present, past and future tenses.
—Being able to sustain a job that requires simple Spanish skills, by being able to interact with coworkers and clients in Spanish.
From one year on:
—Students are now in an intermediate/advance phase and can now feel more comfortable exploring books, TV shows more frequently than before. At this stage, people feel that they can maintain conversations and get quite deep into subject matters. Students are now polishing their knowledge and being much more exact in their conversations with Spanish speakers.
OTHER SPECIALIZED WAYS I HELP STUDENTS:
-I have coached actors for TV auditions(with success obtaining roles on network TV)
-I have helped students who want to learn Spanish songs. Im a singer and have sang on music videos on national TV, and I enjoy helping others with musical pursuits, especially in Spanish
-I have translated scripts and even speeches to Spanish
-I have helped employees understand their coworkers and bosses. I have helped supervisors understand their employees and give instructions efficiently. I have helped business owners communicate with clients. These include lawyers, doctors, nurses, TV personalities, waiters, diplomats, contractors, financial investors, entrepreneurs, singers, working actors, thespians, writers, TV producers, editors, office staff, librarians, fashion designers, Spanish teachers, dentists, record industry professionals, and on and on.
-I have helped students integrate into a new family by being able to understand conversations at family gatherings. -Some of my students have needed my help in learning Spanish so that they can travel to South America and do business deals there, mostly in real estate. Others have worked for the Peace Corps, and others work in fashion and jewelry design, while others simply got a job in South America. -I have helped students improve their Spanish skills in order to travel abroad for pleasure. -I have helped Spanish teachers get ready for tests and I have helped them acquire skills that will allow them become a Spanish teacher
-I have supported actors trying to grasp an accent for a play
-I have helped many adults with Latin heritage get back to their roots by teaching them advanced language skills
-I have taught Spanish to folks who want to learn it so they can speak to their significant other and their children
and the list goes on and on and on!
CONTACT:
Call me, text or email and let me know why you need Spanish lessons. We’ll schedule a class. 323-405-2383.
MY TEACHING TECHNIQUE INCLUDES A MIX OF THE FOLLOWING ELEMENTS:
A. Grammar study from books
B. Conversational drills using grammar principles
C. Study of dialogue about everyday experiences
D. New vocabulary drills
E. Study of songs and movie scripts for those interested
F. Reading literature for those interested in reading novels.
I have also taught with the use of magazines and online papers.
The mix of methods depends on your immediate need and your personal preferences.
