Spanish Tutoring From A Spanish Master Of Arts!
About
I recently graduated from UCF with a Master's of Spanish with a 4.0 GPA. I pursued a Linguistics concentration within the Master's degree, and my thesis focused on processing dialectal variation in Spanish. Prior to that, I spent three years as an undergraduate at the University of Florida, graduating with a 3.9 GPA with a double major in Spanish and Linguistics. This dual perspective has provided me with a background in language acquisition and teaching that has allowed me to shape my lessons to better suit my students’ needs as a language learner. Throughout grad school, I worked part time as a Spanish tutor and supplemental instructor. Thus, I have years of experience tutoring and developing lesson plans for all levels of Spanish, from middle school to the college level. In addition, I have been able to add to my teaching experience by accepting a part-time English-teaching (ESL) position with a company called VIPKID shortly after graduation. This position has challenged me to develop a variety of teaching strategies to engage students, even those with no prior English exposure, in language learning. However, Spanish has always been my first love and I have a passion helping students master the language to which I have dedicated most of my academic and professional life.
Highlights
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Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
Learning a language is all about exposure - the more opportunities you have to use it and hear it, the better. My approach to language tutoring provides the means to both reinforce what is being learned in the classroom and challenge you to implement that knowledge in an engaging manner. As the language classroom is not working for the students who come my way, I go outside the traditional verb conjugation charts and vocabulary flashcards; I instead develop activities and games that instruct and push without seeming like memorization or a repeat of what you heard in class. My goal is to not only help you ace your tests, but also come out of a Spanish class with the ability to actually use the language.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I have a Master's degree in Spanish from the University of Central Florida. Additionally, I have two Bachelor's degrees, in Spanish and Linguistics, from the University of Florida. Throughout my Master's program I was employed as a Spanish tutor and supplemental lecturer. Thus, I have years of experience tutoring all levels of Spanish - from the very first "hola" to college-level courses.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
I provide both private and group tutoring sessions. I charge $40 an hour for private sessions and for group tutoring sessions I offer a discount off of my hourly rate per student.
How did you get started teaching?
I began teaching while working as a private Spanish tutor during my Master's program at the University of Central Florida. In addition, I have been able to add to my teaching experience by accepting a part-time English-teaching (ESL) position with a company called VIPKID shortly after graduation.
What types of students have you worked with?
The students that I work with most frequently are Middle and High school students in Spanish 1 - 4. However, I do have experience tutoring AP Spanish and College-level courses. All of my students are incredibly diverse and struggle with different aspects of the language learning process, whether it is vocabulary, grammar, pronuncation, or spelling/acentuation. Thus, I tailor each lesson to every student's individual needs.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
I would suggest reviewing teacher's educational backgrounds. Many Spanish tutors are simply people who happen to speak Spanish and have no teaching experience, which means they do not have the background necessary to develop learning plans to aid student's understanding. Personally, I believe non-native language teachers are often the best sources of information. As they have had to learn the language themselves, they have sat in the same place as yourself in the Spanish classroom. This means they have experienced first-hand what is necessary to become a successful language learner.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
Students should ideally come to their first tutoring session having thought of what aspects of learning Spanish they find the most difficult. Do they struggle with grammar concepts or is vocabulary knowledge the real problem? Can they correctly place accent marks or are speaking assignments giving them troubles? Additionally, it is always best if a student thinks about how they prefer to learn so that they can articulate to tutors what kinds of activities work best for them.