Spanish beginners: module 3

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.

Analía is a native Spanish speaker from Argentina. She holds a BA and Postgraduate Diploma from Universidad de Buenos Aires. Since she graduated, she has taught English and Spanish language at various levels from Primary School to Adult Education in different settings. As a teacher, she has developed a passion for digital tools which she has incorporated into her teaching practice to enhance the students’ learning experience. Since June 2020, she has worked collaboratively with the Tutor Development Programme (TDP) to plan and deliver tutor training sessions about teaching online as well as student inductions to support students with different digital tools. Analía has recently received the Inspiring Teacher of the Year Award at City Lit. This award recognises tutors who have provided a high-quality online learning experience, demonstrated exceptional knowledge of their subject matter, and provided a memorable classroom experience.

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.

Maria is a native Spanish speaker from Spain. She has taught all levels, at a variety of institutions including universities, adult education colleges and government organisations. Maria has a degree in Hispanic Studies and a master’s degree in Translation. She has a passion for languages, travelling, learning about other cultures, and interacting with people from all backgrounds. She believes that studying languages should be an enriching and uplifting experience. In her language classroom she uses role-play which encouraging communication in pairs and/or groups, fill-in-gap exercises, speaking, reading, and listening to promote effective communication in the target language.

Dr. Óscar Salgado-Suárez teaches Spanish language and cultural courses at Birkbeck, University of London; Imperial College and City Lit. His cultural research interests are 20th and 21st Century Spanish and Latin American visual and literary representations with a focus on storytelling, affects and humour studies in relation to historiography, national identities and power formations.