Acquisition-Learning Español

Language is best acquired when students are relaxed and focused on something interesting to them. In order to build long lasting proficiency, where using the language to communicate is the goal, we as teachers must teach for acquisition, not learning. Acquired proficiency comes from our internal mental representation of the language, a linguistic system we build in our minds, not from learned facts, preplanned lists, or formulae.

Nothing is more powerful than expressing yourself. Being able to do that in more than one language opens doors – doors you might not have known were there. I used to believe knowledge was power; now I believe knowledge is freedom.

I have 20 years experience in Second Language Acquisition, ranging from kindergarten through university level. My degree is in Spanish linguistics and literature. I have spent the last five years developing a framework for Spanish language acquisition with upper elementary and middle school students in Philadelphia public schools.

I am committed to remaining in my own classroom, working with real students, helping them realize their own passions, and justifying their reasons for studying a second, possibly third, or fourth language. As a student, your life and your interests are the curriculum.

I also work as a coach for the World Language Proficiency Project, helping other teachers learn how to empower their students in language classrooms around the country.