Spanish beginners: module 2

Pilar Villanueva-Martinez is a Ph.D. Candidate in Latin American Cultural Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. With over eight years of experience in education, Pilar has become a specialist in teaching courses on Latin American cultures, history, social movements, music, and literature. In addition, she has taught Spanish courses catering to beginners, intermediates, and advanced learners at esteemed institutions like Bucknell University and the University of Texas at Austin. Moreover, she has extended her expertise to various community-engaged organizations, including the Biblioteca del Bicentenario and Casa Cultural el Chontaduro in Colombia. She is also the founder and editor of the Latin American magazine Zánganos, dedicated to disseminating arts, cultures, and activism from the region.

Amaia is a Spanish teacher from the Basque country in Spain. She grew up in Mondragón and studied in San Sebastián and Bilbao where she completed a teaching degree at university. She has always been interested in teaching and, as well as her work in adult education, she has experience teaching at universities and companies. Amaia has Qualified Teacher Status in England and has taught Spanish at all levels. She has a keen interest in exploring those areas of the language that her students find difficult. She takes great pleasure in seeing how her students progress in the language, in their motivation and dedication, and in the dialogue that takes place among adults in the context of the classroom.

Adriana holds a qualification to teach adults. She has taught Spanish to adults and teenagers for more than 8 years at different levels ranging from beginners to proficiency, including GCSE exams, in groups and one-to-one lessons -face to face and online-. She has worked as a Spanish tutor in educational institutions such as City Lit; Bishopsgate Institute; Morley College, UK Government departments as DEFRA, and for agencies tutoring private students for well-known organizations namely BBC, Arthur & Gallagher, AON, AHJ, among others. She got a degree in Anthropology from the Central University of Venezuela. A career in which she developed her knowledge and passion about Languages and Culture. Additionally, back in her country she worked in cultural research in the publishing area, events organization and organizational structure.

My name is Keylor Murillo Moya and I am from Costa Rica. I studied Hispanic Philology at the Universidad de Costa Rica and I also have a Master Degree in Online and Distance Education from The Open University. Currently, I am at the final stages of my PhD in Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies at King's College London. I've been teaching Spanish as a foreign language for over 20 years, in the UK, Egypt and in my own country. I've worked for several higher education institutions in the UK and I've taught all levels of Spanish. Apart from languages, I'm also interested in literature (poetry, especially), philosophy and art. I do like to teach grammar in my classes, because I think that if you are learning a language you need to understand how it works and where it comes from. However, conversation and speaking are an obvious fundamental part of my classes and I always try to maintain a relaxed and friendly atmosphere among my students.