I am Carina, native from Argentina. I hold a Master's in Education from Lesley College, MA.  I have been studying English since I was 4. I used to teach English there until I moved to the US in 1996. Since then I have been teaching Spanish both in language institutes in New York city and close to my current home in Newburgh, NY. I love languages, teaching and people. I am fully bilingual and I live a bilingual life raising my daughter who is eleven and my son who is 3 years old as I expose them to both Spanish and American languages and cultures daily.

I believe everybody regardless of age and experience can learn if I respect the student's needs, pace and learning style , and if I tap into his or her interests, likes and strengths. Covering a comprehensive approach that includes speaking, reading, writing and listening is necessary since these four areas of knowledge feed off each other. Knowledge, fun, flexibility, resourcefulness, creativity together with the specific teaching strategies and attitudes will guarantee an effective pleasant experience for the student.

I encourage, I model, I give feedback, I challenge, I praise, I reward as needed. I welcome mistakes since I see them as opportunities to learn. I take advantage of as many chances as possible to provide cultural information to give a context and to enrich the learning as well. I give homework because I know practice produces learning and learning reinforces motivation.

In addition to private lessons ( also via SKYPE) I offer "Spanishpot " , a space for communication in Spanish in which students of different levels and native speakers from different hispanic countries get together. The monthly meetings include structured activities  and spontaneous exchanges that aim to reinforce listening, comprehension and speaking skills in a fun, safe, creative atmosphere. Each participant brings a dish and homework to share with the group.

Please visit me at www.spanishcup.net