We asked Reed, our beloved Spanish tutor, a couple of questions about language acquisition, how he came to become a tutor and what kind of advice he would give for beginner students.
- When did your interest in your language start?
My first language is Spanish! Both of my parents are from Argentina, and my mom is a Spanish teacher, so there was no way for me to get out of learning Spanish.
2. How did you decide to become a tutor?
I was a tutor in high school, and I really enjoyed getting to help other students. Additionally, I really enjoy a lot of the readings and movies watched for Spanish classes here, and it’s fun to get to talk about with other students.
3. What’s your favorite/heart-warming memory about either being a tutor or learning your language of interest?
It’s always fun when you get to see a student have that ‘aha!’ moment, where everything suddenly clicks. Also to hear other people like your favorite authors or movies!
4. What advice would you give to folks who are just starting to learn the language you’re tutoring?
Spanish is a language made up of a lot of rules and grammar that we don’t have in English! That’s part of the fun. Focusing on grammar can be a bit taxing sometimes, but it’s such a representative way of how the language works and how people express themselves, it’s worth it in the end.
5. Favorite/fun fact about the language you’re tutoring?
Spanish has over 15 past tenses, future tenses that don’t exist in English, and a bunch of other ‘modes’ that make the language a lot more expressive than English. Also, it’s more compact. Verb can carry a lot of meaning beyond just the action that is being done. It can carry the tense, who is doing the action, and who is receiving the action
Reed tutors Spanish every Wednesday from 6-8pm! Come by to learn, do homework or simply chat 🙂