Course Description

With over 35 years of experience teaching Spanish, Deborah has worked across public and private educational settings including elementary schools, high schools, community colleges, and through private tutoring. Teaching with an immersion style approach, she draws from extensive field experience in Latin America beginning with a year-long high school study abroad program in Tucumán, Argentina and completing an independent study focused on contemporary weaving traditions of the Peruvian Andes. Further strengthening her cultural and academic foundation, she has also served as a tour leader for service-learning projects in Ecuador and Peru, as well as for sister-city weekend homestay programs in Mexico. She maintains a culturally responsive, experiential approach to language instruction that emphasizes communication, global awareness, and authentic connections to the Spanish-speaking world.

Conversational Spanish I is an introductory course designed to build practical Spanish communication skills through real-world, interactive use. Students develop confidence in listening and speaking while learning essential vocabulary, pronunciation, and basic grammar structures. As the course progresses, emphasis will increasingly be placed on applying learned language to relevant contexts such as the service industry, agriculture, travel, and public service settings. Through role-plays, dialogues, and culturally informed activities, students will practice common workplace and situational interactions including greetings, customer assistance, giving directions, describing tasks, and responding to basic needs. No prior knowledge of Spanish is required; the course is designed for beginners who want functional, job-relevant communication skills in Spanish.