¡APRENDAMOS ESPAÑOL! Experienced native teacher helps you build confidence and fluency to accurately speak Spanish

Find out more about Gabriela

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

  I am a native speaker of the language; however, I am also a language learner. I've learned English and Italian, and I'm currently learning French. I love languages and former teachers have also played an important role in my life and have been of inspiration for me.

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

  Among all the characters I can think of, this time I would like to name Rubén Darío, from Nicaragua. An important poet and writer in Latin America, he's known as the mayor promoter of Modernism in Latin America and he also modernized the rhythm of Castilian verse with his poetry.

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

  This is a difficult question since there are many I like. But today, I'll choose this one I love and repeat to myself "El que persevera, alcanza"; which means "those who persevere, achieve…" When you set goals in life, you'll find obstacles, so you must be perseverant and persistent to keep focused on achieving those goals. And this is also true when it comes to language learning, there will be difficulties, but with perseverance and commitment, you can learn the language and learn it well.

• 4) Why does speaking this language matter to you?

  First, it's my mother tongue. Secondly, Spanish is spoken in more than 20 countries as the official language. That makes Spanish a very important language in the world; for business, tourism and travel, study, among others. More and more people are deciding to learn Spanish nowadays and globalization is one of the reasons for this.

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

  The use of the subjunctive for English speakers, since this form doesn't exist in English. However, if practiced in context, with real-life interactions in and outside the class, readings of authentic materials, and other exercises, the students can learn it and internalize it. It will take some time, but they will make it!

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

  I was an English learner, and my level was intermediate high (B2), I had the opportunity to serve as an interpreter for a brigade that came from the US to Honduras, my country. It was indeed an enriching experience not only because it was an opportunity to practice and develop my language skills, but also because I had the opportunity to help, in some way, my people.

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

  I lived and studied in Italy for two years. Even though Spanish is not spoken there, the Hispanic community of students in the university was quite large. How did this help me increase my skills? We were from different countries in Latin America and there were people from Spain, too. All of us speaking the same language, but with different accents and traditions. I learned a lot about idiomatic expressions that are not used in my country, but they are in others and one amazing thing was to learn that some words change meaning from one country to another and there can be misunderstandings. So, after that I started including the more common words of that type in my classes as well.

• 8) What makes you a Superprof in language?

  Besides being qualified as a language teacher, I am passionate about language learning since I'm a language learner; I love to transmit that very same passion to my students. When you're passionate about something, you don't do it as an obligation, but as a pleasure. And that's my feeling in every lesson I teach; it's a pleasure for me, I enjoy the lessons and make them enjoyable for my students as well, I also love learning from my students' cultural backgrounds and experiences and above all, I love witnessing my students' progress as they achieve their Spanish learning goals.