"Hi! I fell in love with Spanish over a decade ago and now enjoy guiding others to better understand it themselves. While completing my Bachelor's degrees in Linguistics and Spanish at the University of California at Santa Barbara, I studied for a year in southern Spain at the Universidad de Granada, taking courses alongside local Spanish college students and living with Spanish roommates. My daily life in Spain exposed me to continuous dynamic conversation, and my classes at home and abroad delved thoroughly into the mechanics of Spanish. My goal is to set students on the path to proficiency so they, like me, can converse freely with native speakers, compose strong academic essays, enjoy Spanish-language media, and generally feel comfortable making the language their own.

An important step in my personal Spanish learning experience was adjusting my expectations for what Spanish should sound like. I now use my training in phonetics to help students overcome this hurdle to listening comprehension and fluent speech. I break down vocabulary and grammatical topics so they are clear and intuitive, and I shape my lessons to best meet each student's learning goals.

I have tutored students of all ages, from elementary-school children to high schoolers to adults, and I have done so in various formats, from creating my own curriculum to assisting students with their homework to stepping in as a conversation partner. My qualifications include Advanced-Mid levels of speaking and writing proficiency according to ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) as well as passing CSET and WEST-E subject competency exams for language teachers in the states of California and Washington, respectively. Spanish and teaching are strong passions of mine, and I hope my enthusiasm shines through in our sessions.

Feel free to send me a message if I sound like a good fit, and let's schedule a lesson together!" less...