About Spanish Joyfully
Making Learning Spanish a Joyful ExperienceAbout Katya
My little school, Spanish Joyfully, blossomed here in Playa del Carmen in 2002 as a result of nearly 20 years of teaching Spanish in the US, Costa Rica and Mexico, in high schools as well as independently. My journey actually began in 1980 when I first traveled to Mexico and was totally enthralled with the language & the culture, which sparked a burning desire to master this beautiful language. At that time, I spent over 7 months in total immersion situations. I continued to pursue it independently until 1987 when I entered Colorado State University-Pueblo with my sights on a degree in foreign language (Spanish & French) and education, graduating in 1991. I was 37 when I graduated!
Having acquired the language as an adult, I experienced firsthand the persistent mental resistance, obstacles, and confusion encountered by nearly all adult students. Students who think in exclusively English have a particularly difficult time. The English speaking brain does not want to share the space! It has been my passion to decode the language, breaking it down into comprehensible blocks. I have also created a reservoir of memorization techniques and study skills to share with my students. Based on the positive feedback from my students, now numbering in the thousands, I believe my methods help to connect the dots where traditional methods fail!
My personal experience of living and teaching in the heart of Latino culture has provided me a rich opportunity to evolve my teaching while keeping a pulse on the ever changing, real world Spanish culture and language.
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