Barbara

My Passion & How I Inspire

Having taught Spanish multiple times as an Au-Pair to children, as well as to university students preparing for exams, I have learned that the best approach with any student seeking private tuition is to make the lessons as interactive as possible. I try to present the student with articles and music (in Spanish, of course) that are relevant to their own wider interests—be it sports (let’s talk Spanish football!), popular culture, politics, etc.—so they can actively engage with Spanish material that interests them personally, while simultaneously mastering the language. I help the student especially develop their speaking and writing abilities, which I believe are the hardest skills to master in any language.

My Experience

I am half Spanish, half American and currently obtaining my M.A. here in London at UCL. I was raised speaking Spanish with both my parents and I consider it to be my first language. I have previously taught Spanish both in a classroom setting and as a private tutor; below is my past experience:

-1 year as an Au Pair in Rome teaching Spanish to 2 children, and a summer as an Au-Pair in Barcelona teaching English to 3 children.

-9 months in Greece giving beginners Spanish lessons to two classes of Greek university students (this initiative was funded by an NGO).

- Various weekly private Spanish lessons with American high-school students preparing them for their AP college-level exams.

Subjects That I Teach

  • Spanish
  • Spanish - US Admissions

My Qualifications

I am a current MA student at UCL studying politics and history; before moving to London, I completed my undergraduate degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in international relations.  I previously received a 5/5 on my Spanish AP exam (the American equivalent to receiving the highest mark on your A-level exam in Britain)

My Reviews

“ Barbara helped my son prepare for his Spanish AP exam, he not only did well on the exam, but he actually felt encouraged to continue taking Spanish in college to continue improving”

My Video Introduction

Fun fact

I speak Spanish and English fluently, but have also extensively studied French and Italian, and now I am learning Czech!