Language Learning Experience

Since I was an infant, I have been surrounded by the Spanish language and Mexican culture. My introduction to Spanish came via my maternal grandparents, with my maternal side of the family originating in Baja California and Zacatecas, Mexico, respectively. I stayed with my grandparents from infancy to four years of age while my parents were at work, and they would speak to me in Spanish (and English). I became accustomed to hearing the Spanish language, but did not start studying it formally in a classroom setting until my freshman year of high school. From there I have never stopped speaking or studying Spanish (20+ years)! I consider myself to have strong footing in both the world of target language instruction and heritage language learning, given that my formal education was in English but my informal exposure to Spanish started before I even started Kindergarten.

Below you will find my proficiency ratings in the key language skills of listening, reading, writing, and speaking in Spanish. The ratings are based on the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages proficiency guidelines and scale, which starts at novice low and progresses to Superior. To be a credentialed teacher in California, all teaching candidates must show a high degree of proficiency in their second language, which I was able to demonstrate, especially since I completed a bilingual endorsement as part of my credential, focusing on content-driven instruction in Spanish in grades K-12.