Teachers

Romina Mancilla
Director of SF Spanish

I was born in Quilmes, a province of Buenos Aires, and have been living in San Francisco for over a decade. My work and personal travel have taken me to many Spanish-speaking countries over the years, but Mexico has always been a major draw for me. Each time I visit, I like it more than before.

 
I love teaching my native language because it allows me to use my creativity, to share my knowledge of the language and culture, and to meet new people.  I enjoy sharing my travel experiences, daily life, and interests outside of teaching. I have been taking dance classes for years now, and dance is one topic that comes up frequently in class conversations since quite a few of my students also dance.
 
For me, the key to learning Spanish is to use it and speak it regularly.  When I arrived to the US, I began to study English and found that using it in a variety of formats was the most effective way for me to retain the language. I have also studied other languages over the years and I discovered that memorizing vocabulary and doing workbook exercises was not the best way to learn. Seeing this, I began to make an effort to use the language more by putting new words and concepts directly to use in conversation.
When I started SF Spanish, I intentionally created a learning environment based on conversation. The "Spanish only" policy encourages students to think and speak -- and excel -- in their new language.  For this reason, I also created the interactive SF Spanish website for students to use outside of the classroom. Here, they can interact with other students and continue to write, read, and listen to the Spanish language.

Carmen Gomez de la Cuesta
SF Spanish Teacher Coordinator

I am from Spain, and I have more than 15 years of experience as a professional in the Communication and Literature fields as well as in teaching Spanish.

I have the title of teacher of Spanish as a second language certified by the Instituto Cervantes and as teacher coordinator; I try to apply my experience to ensure that SF Spanish teachers provide consistent, effective guidance and supervision in accordance with the student's training plan.

I’m constantly searching for different approaches to teaching my mother tongue. My other passions are traveling, books, and good wine. My main goal is to continuously build my understanding of the wide network of Spanish cultures and expressions throughout the world. I’m thrilled to be able to share this amazing journey with the students of SF Spanish! 

Tania Pérez Espinosa                                                                                               

SF Spanish Teacher

Hello my name is Tania, and I’m a Spanish native speaker from Mexico. 
I have always loved languages because I think they’re the best way to learn from other cultures and gain different perspectives about the world and people.Languages also open the door to many personal and professional opportunities. For that reason, besides English, I also speak French.
In my professional life, I have always been a Spanish teacher, primarily for adolescents. I have a Master’s degree in Secondary Education with a specialization in Spanish, a Master’s degree in Adolescent Psychology, and a PhD in Education.
In my free time I like to read! I’m a huge fan of literature from Mexican writer José Emilio Pacheco’s, as well as poetry from Mexican poet Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz. 

Ruddy Arcia 

SF Spanish Teacher

Hi, my name is Ruddy Arcia, I’m 27 years old and I’m a Nicaraguan psychology magma cum laude graduate from Universidad Centro Americana (UCA).

I currently live in Guatemala with my loving dog, Husky. I have 3 years of experience teaching kindergarten kids English as a second language using a multi-sensory methodology that takes into consideration different learning styles. I also have extensive knowledge of Applied Analysis Behavior (ABA Therapy) for youngsters. It allows for a powerful way to build rapport with kids, as they learn through song, dialogue, poems, and games. My primary goal for students is to engage them deeply in the learning process while having fun.

Samantha Bechara
SF Spanish Teacher
I am a professional Spanish writer and social communicator who is fully bilingual and has worked for many years in various roles that required both written and spoken translations in English and Spanish.  Now, I’m sharing the language tools that I have learned with students who want to improve their writing and conversation skills in Spanish. 
               
                  Lizzet Villegas
             SF SpanishTeacher
Hi, I'm Liz, a teacher from Mexico. I have been teaching for nearly a decade, specializing in teaching Spanish as a second language. I hold a diploma in teaching professional development,
and while I am always striving to improve, I have come to realize that I can also learn from my students. This realization brings me immense satisfaction. In essence, teaching is a two-way process where both the teacher and the students benefit from each other's knowledge and experiences.
                   Ingrid Orta
             SF SpanishTeacher
Hi, my name is Ingrid and I was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela. I have more than 20 years of experience as a teacher. I lived in Berkeley, CA a few years ago, where I had the opportunity to learn English as a second language. That’s when my love for learning new languages was born and that’s why I have also studied French and Portuguese. Through being a language student and also because of my passion for teaching others, I have a deep understanding of the successful techniques required to learn a foreign language. As a teacher at SF Spanish, I’m committed to helping students achieve their objectives for speaking and writing fluent Spanish.

WE APPRECIATE OUR SF SPANISH TEACHERS

© 2024   Created by Romina Mancilla.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service