Zachary

Certified Tutor

I am a graduate of Calvin College, where I received my Bachelor of Arts in French, Spanish and Linguistics. Upon graduating, I spent time teaching both French and English as a Second Language in Ecuador, where I had the opportunity to work with several different age groups in a university setting. Since returning to the United States, I have taught test-taking skills and strategies to students preparing for the TOEFL exam as well as English as a Second Language to immigrant learners in Brooklyn, New York.

I recently graduated from Rutgers University with a Master of Arts in Literature in Spanish, where I continue to teach Spanish as I work toward completing a doctoral degree at the same institution. While I tutor French and English in addition to Spanish, Spanish is the language I'm most passionate about both because of my fascination for Latin American literature and culture as well as the fact that students are able to begin practicing the language as soon as they walk out the door and into the Spanish-speaking community. This real world application is at the heart of my teaching philosophy, and I have found that students learn best through a communicative task-based approach that frames language instruction in real world contexts through which students can relate to their own life. When teaching literature and culture to advanced students, this real world focus comes across through my enthusiasm and passion for the experience of life through another world - the world through Spanish. In addition to teaching and tutoring, I enjoy reading all kinds of literature, playing chess, organizing activities at my university, spending time with friends and riding my bike around New York.