"After immersing myself in Spanish studies all through high school and into college, I moved to Ecuador with the idea of volunteering for one year. That year turned into 25! Ecuador became my home and Spanish became second nature. While I was there I worked in private tutoring for 4 years, both teaching Spanish to foreigners who came to live in Ecuador as well as English to locals. I taught nine- and ten-year-olds in a bilingual elementary school for 2 years. I spent three years teaching at a prominent language institute. There I focused on exam preparation for teens, getting them ready for the Cambridge English B2 First exam. Most of my students have been teens and adults, although I love the elementary-school levels too!

I speak native-level Spanish, but I also understand the structure and rules of the language. This allows me to help you understand even more complicated, abstract verb forms that often stump students. Confused about subjunctive forms? Wondering why there’s more than one past tense? Terrified by any sentence that has the word hubiera in it? It’s ok. I’ve got you. Although sometimes there’s no way around grammar, I enjoy focusing on WHY the language works the way it does, in a way that an English speaker can understand easily. If you can understand why, then I haven’t given you a fish, I taught you to fish!

I like to maintain a friendly, casual environment where the student feels comfortable with making mistakes. This is especially important when it comes to speaking, something that can be stressful for a lot of students. I can help improve conversation skills, as I can pick out mistakes during conversation and (kindly!) correct in the moment. This kind of practice is the best way to train the brain to think in a new language. In this way I can also help diagnose trouble areas in your knowledge so we know what to work on next time. I look forward to helping you improve your skills and confidence and finally achieve your goals with Spanish. Just let me know how I can help!" less...