The only thing you really need to learn a language Happy 2019! It’s a new year, and if your goal is to learn a language or improve your language skills, I’ve got just the trick for you. All you have to do is…. make it a priority! Easier said than done, I know, but ov
No more “Does that make sense?” This pro tip – or pro reminder – is for anyone teaching and facilitating out there. Do you ever find yourself in front of a group of people, explaining an activity, and then asking something like, “Got it?” “Does that make
Three things I have learned while learning Arabic – again I have studied Arabic in books, learned from a teacher, and learned from a tutor. Now I have the pleasure of learning Arabic during the language exchange sessions that I am coordinating between 10 English speaking women and 10
5 Reasons Teachers Make the Best Employees, and 2 Reasons We Might Not 1. We show up on time. Whether we are teaching a class of 20 or a tutoring a person one-on-one, the show doesn’t start without us. We have to show up. On time. Being late or canceling last minute simply doesn’t fl
Spanish Fluency in Five Not-So-Simple Steps What does it mean to be fluent in a language? Does it mean that you can read, write, speak, and understand everything in the language with no mistakes? Or is getting by with most day-to-day conversations good enough? This question has been t
My final post for Esperanza I have been writing for this blog for just shy of a year, and my words here have been the first that I’ve really let go into the universe. Writing on the internet is scary; anyone (anyone!) can read it, love it, hate it, comment on it, ignore it, shar
One of the hardest things about learning a new language as an adult is that you are forced to sound a bit stupid. Complex articulations are reduced to blunt assessments. You are forever asking people to repeat themselves or speak more slowly. You never fully understand what’s happenin
Trusting myself to take less When this post gets published, I’ll be in China! The countdown is finally over. And along with all the excitement and nerves and last-minute errands of the past few days, I made the startling and liberating discover that I can travel light. A few wee
Some Tips for Spanish Learners Ready to Take Risks It’s a new year and the time when many of us set new goals. Perhaps your goal is to learn a new language or to take the language you’re learning to the next level. If that’s the case, I encourage you to take some ris
What Language Learning and Martial Arts Have in Common Last week I went to a Muay Thai kickboxing class for the first time in months. I was comfortable until the last part of the class when the teacher had us go up in pairs for light sparring rounds (practice fights). I do Muay Thai f
