Multilingual masters' student with 7+ years of Spanish experience has a passion for tutoring, traveling, and making Spanish fun!

Find out more about Ahavah

• Do you speak this language fluently because of your origins or because a teacher inspired you to learn?

  I fell in love with Spanish in high school. I took a class in middle school, but I owe my high school intermediate Spanish teacher for showing me how to deeply engage and interact with the language and culture. From her class, I worked in my high school Spanish Club, went on to win a nationwide Spanish achievement award, graduated with my B.A. in Spanish, lived abroad, and eventually, enrolled as an M.A. Spanish student!

• Can you name a living, historical or fictional character that you think is the emblematic representative of the language's culture?

  The Spanish language can't be attached to just one specific culture, and that's what I love about it! It's spoken as an official language across four continents, and there are endless things to learn. Caribbean and Latin American countries, for example, are a testament to the fusion of indigenous, European, and African cultures that shape the dialects, customs, and values of each region.
  
  Celia Cruz, an iconic Afro-Cuban salsa singer, is the perfect representative of the diversity and richness of Hispanic cultures. Cruz began singing with the goal of keeping Afro-Latin music alive. She transitioned into singing salsa music, and slowly but surely found international success. She moved to the US but performed and collaborated with artists from all across the globe.
  
  Cruz inspired countless artists, and her influence is still evident in the modern music industry. Her career and her music are an example of the fusion birthed from the various influences across Hispanic cultures. As I dive deeper into the history and cultures associated with the Spanish language, stories like Cruz's are a pleasure to discover.

• Is there a typical word, phrase, tradition or behaviour in the language that you particularly like?

  I've spent a lot of time in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and one Argentinian word that I love using is "piola." The literal meaning of "piola" is "rope," but it's used informally to describe something cool or someone nice, friendly, or likable. I hope my students think that I'm "piola"!

• Why does speaking this language matter to you?

  When I started studying, I thought that studying Spanish was just going to be verb charts and class projects, but now I realize that there's so much more to learn than that. There are hundreds of years of culture and history involved, and it is a pleasure to study. There is a wealth of experiences in each of the 22 Spanish-speaking countries in the world, and the Spanish language stretches across continents, races, religions, and more.
  
  As an American, the Spanish language is so important in my country. I believe the Hispanic community is a fundamental part of what makes my country great! I have been able to use my Spanish to help people in my local communities and make connections and long-lasting friendships. This language matters to me because I want to continue learning about Hispanic cultures and be an ally that supports the Hispanic communities in the US and abroad.
  
  In conclusion, I would encourage any Spanish student to discover the world of history, art, music, food, friends, and travel opened up to them through learning Spanish.

• What is the main difficulty in learning this language, and what can help the process of learning?

  Learning any language is a mental challenge and requires lots of discipline. With Spanish in particular, lots of English speakers need help with the verbs. There are a ton of versions of verbs that we don't have in English. With my students, I have a host of visual aids, practice exercises, chants, and online resources ready that are proven to help in the process of mastering verbs and general grammar in Spanish!

• Provide a valuable anecdote related to your language learning or your days at school.

  During my first year of high school Spanish, I worked hard in my class. I scored well on my quizzes and did all the homework. When our end-of-year academic achievement award ceremony rolled around, I hoped that I would be one of the 5 students in the entire school to be called onstage and receive an award. Or, even better, I would even be the one who gets the gold medal!
  
  When the time came, my Spanish teacher began to call up the names. My name wasn't the first, second, or third called. I started to get worried. I remember comforting myself, thinking, "My last name starts with W, she'll probably call me last." Unfortunately, I was wrong. I wasn't called up that year, and I didn't win an award in any other subject. I went home very disappointed. The next year, I made up my mind: I would work on my weaknesses, practice outside of class, and try again. I ended that class with a 100% average. For the next two years, I was not only nominated, but I won Spanish gold medals at both end-of-year award ceremonies. In addition, I ranked nationally on the US National Spanish exam, scoring one point short of a perfect score.
  
  I learned that failure is natural and that you can turn your weaknesses into strengths. I also discovered, with the help of my teacher, how to interact with the language and customize my learning process!
  
  At the time, I didn't realize I would become a tutor, but that experience prepared me. I can now assist Spanish learners in their learning journey by relating to their frustrations when they fail, encouraging them to work on their weaknesses, and helping them recognize their strengths!

• How has travel or a specific trip helped you to increase your skill and knowledge of the language?

  I am privileged to have studied abroad twice―once in San José, Costa Rica, and then in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Going abroad, you are forced to speak Spanish in many settings, not just in a classroom. I learned problem-solving skills to help me get around miscommunications. I used context to translate new words and phrases. My pronunciation and listening skills also improved exponentially!
  
  Textbooks are a very useful learning tool, but they can't capture everything about a language. Language is always evolving, and there are endless differences in the way native speakers use the language across the globe. I am now familiar with lots of slang and many variations of the Spanish language. I also developed a more intimate understanding of Spanish by picking up on patterns, noting what language forms sound most native, and correcting my mistakes.

• What makes you a Superprof in language?

  I think that my experience and attitude toward learning make me a Superprof in this language! Over the years, I'm proud to say that I've helped students from ages 17-55, tutored online and in person, tutored both one-on-one and classroom-sized group sessions, and even tutored through a pandemic. As a non-native speaker, I've made plenty of mistakes in the language, and I understand all the difficulties that my students may face in their learning process. In my graduate classes, I also have the opportunity to study the language-learning process from a psychological and social standpoint.
  
  My number one piece of advice to students learning Spanish is to "take the lesson off the page of your textbook." With me, students learn by customizing the lessons to their goals, interests, and learning styles while examining how they can use Spanish in the real world.
  
  In my sessions, it's okay (and expected) to make mistakes, no question is a dumb question, there's no judgment, and most importantly: we always make learning fun!
  
  My passion for the language and cultures associated with the Spanish language makes me a great tutor, and I look forward to helping as many students as I can!