barbaratp

barbaratp Tutor Interview

Q. Hi Barbara, how are you? Could you give us a quick self-introduction? You have a great profile on Cafetalk that explains your professional career but I’m sure students would like to know a little bit about your personal side as well.

A. My name is Barbara and I’m 34 years old. I’m from Bahia Blanca, Argentina. I’m a journalist and an English teacher.

I started studying English with a private teacher when I was 10. I enjoy teaching both Spanish and English. I have taught at different institutes and schools. I usually teach teenagers and adults, but I have also taught children sometimes.

Q. Oh, you live in Argentina! I admit I know very little about the country except soccer is big there and it’s the birthplace of Argentine Tango. Can you tell us about about its people and culture?

A. Argentina is a big country in South America. It has a population of about 42 million people and the most populated province is Buenos Aires. We have typical food and drinks here in my country, like mate, empanadas, alfajores and dulce de leche. People often drink “mate” in the morning for breakfast or in the afternoon. This typical drink, which is a kind of tea, is drunk when you are with a group of people, because the idea is to share your ideas and talk while you drink. However, some people drink it when they are alone too.

Soccer is a very popular sport here in Argentina. Many people go to the stadiums to watch their favourite team every Sunday and Tango is a typical dance here, although most people don’t know how to dance it. Argentina’s public universities and hospitals have very good quality. This is why most people believe that public education should continue to be free.

Q. According to your profile video, you have teaching experience in Peru. How did you become to be an online Spanish tutor?

A. I have taught English for some years in Peru, but then I came back to Argentina and decided to continue my career here. I read about online teaching on the web and tried it as an opportunity to be in touch with people from other countries and cultures. Since Spanish is my native language, I know how to speak and write it well, so I decided to help people to learn the language.

Q. Spanish is very popular among Japanese students as a second foreign language. Do you have any tips for them? Are there any common mistakes Japanese students make?

A. I have had many Japanese students in my classes. I met people with different levels of the language. For example, there were real beginners who wanted to learn the language without having any idea of it, so I used English as a language to communicate and I translated some of the words for them. The tips that I can give to my future students are to be patient and take the necessary time to learn the language, don’t be discouraged if you don’t learn in a few lessons and try to practice as much as you can.

Q. Could you tell me the advantages of taking your Spanish lessons? What kind of specific things do you try to achieve through your lessons?

A. I teach lessons for different levels and ages, although most of my students are adults. I prepare the materials according to the student’s needs and requirements. Most people want to improve their conversation skills, so we talk about different issues or we read articles from magazines or newspapers and discuss them.

Other people prefer to listen to audios or to practice writing. I use songs and videos in my classes too. Students can tell me what they want to learn and I prepare the course for them.

Q. Finally, would you like to leave a message for our students!

A. My message to the students is to take courage and make the decision to study Spanish, because it’s an international language and will help you to communicate with people from different countries around the world.

///

barbaratp

Profile

---