I am a recent college graduate from Drew University. I received my Bachelor of Arts with a major in Spanish and a double minor in Italian and Linguistics with a focus on Neuroscience. I am excited to experience the world. I am a hard worker and I set multiple goals for myself to accomplish daily; both short term and long term. Languages and the human brain are my passions. I love studying and learning new languages; I speak Italian and Spanish, some Portuguese and some Korean. A goal of mine is to learn French, and to continue to study Portuguese and Korean so that I become fluent. I am very interested in neuroscience and how the body functions. These two passions of mine sparked my interest to question how languages work in the brain. I also have found that I enjoy teaching languages; especially English as a second language (ESL). When I teach I always think about ways to code switch and how my interlocutor may be thinking about the English language based on their first language. One way I teach to students is is by understanding their first language and their process of thinking. I truly enjoy teaching and mentoring to others.
Besides tutoring ESL, I tutor Spanish and Italian. I also tutor in any neuroscience topic. I have taught ESL in a non-profit organization; I am a very active teacher and I enjoy helping my students learn. I have also taught during the summer at students' houses when we couldn't use a classroom at the organization. I currently teach some of my students individually now and as much fun as we have; I also challenge them intellectually so that they learn the most from our sessions.
By studying languages myself, that helps me teach them to others. I understand the process and the confusion that can arise when learning a language. Also by understanding how languages work in the brain, I am able to teach better and make exercises more efficient for the student. I am very open minded and I can't say I have a specific method because first I see how the student learn, and from there I will know how to teach. I am passionate about culture, so besides teaching language, I teach aspects of the culture, as well. I also always tell my students they can't be afraid to speak. No matter how hard it is; if you don't use the language you will never learn. Besides giving them this advice I teach them certain phrases they can say if they are ever in a complicated situation where they can't be understood; these phrases give them comfort and the confidence to use the language they are learning quickly.
Besides teaching languages I also am very proactive about teaching others how the human body works and why we should be eating organic, non-GMO foods, and taking nutrients, etc. Understanding the science and functioning of the human body and brain allows me to teach others why a healthy lifestyle is crucial for optimal health.
If i am not reading and researching a topic; I am doing yoga or exercising. I am passionate about being physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy. I also enjoy latin dancing, ballroom dancing, and belly dancing; I think that being creative is very important and dance is a great way to express yourself.