What is one piece of advice you’d give to those who wish to take a language or more specifically a Spanish class at Allegheny?
Be active in class and don’t be afraid to speak as making mistakes is part of the process of learning a new language. In addition, use all resources available on campus for language learners: attend professors’ office hours, visit teaching assistants during the office hours, go to the language tables; but also watch series and movies in the language you are studying; and listen to songs in that language as often as you can.
What made you fall in love with teaching a language?
The energy the teaching situation creates. It’s like being in a play everyday; it can be exhausting but I find it very stimulating when I see progress in my students’ acquisition of the language.
Knowing that I am helping others to learn is also a big factor in enjoying my job. Teaching is what I wanted to do since I was in college; it’s a great job if you like interacting with people and continuing to learn about any subject.
What has your career journey looked like? What is one piece of advice you’d give to your past self?
I began to teach in middle school in the 1980s, then taught in high school in the early 1990s, and after my moving to the States in 1993, where I was hired to teach in a high school in Virginia for one year, starting in 1994 at colleges.
I fell in love with languages when I was a teen. I was born in a Caribbean island with a large number of immigrants (Arabs, Italian, Portuguese, etc). I majored in languages and education in college.
When I came to the States, I went to graduate school and got a master’s and doctorate in Spanish. My whole life revolves around international and national cultures.
If I could give advice to my past self I would encourage him to study abroad, ideally in several countries and different languages, something that was not possible for me to do when I went to college. I also would recommend him to explore the possibilities of working abroad in a job where you would be expected to interact with people.
Anything you want students at Allegheny to know about you, your department, or anything else?
I would like Allegheny students to know that although World Languages and Cultures is a small department, we are mighty in our willingness to serve them. I have had the privilege of observing classes by several of my current colleagues; they are terrific teachers. You are going to learn to speak a language from day one and you are going to become familiar with cultures where that language is spoken. I assure you you will become a more open person and more curious about the world.
