Personalized Spanish tutoring that blends grammar instruction with smart use of technology

Valentina and Bruno engaged in a conversational English lesson centered on jobs and professions. They described jobs using various adjectives, discussed Bruno's current work as a cook, and explored his future entrepreneurial aspirations. Valentina provided feedback on Bruno's speaking confidence and assigned him the task of thinking about specific topics he'd like to discuss in future lessons.

Valentina's recent lesson with Ava in Spanish centered on developing a mini-essay about a story's theme and conflict, which included a detailed discussion of a plot point involving a ring and a fortune teller. They also focused on refining Ava's grammar, vocabulary, and logical consistency in her writing. This built upon earlier lessons where Valentina had introduced narrative elements and figurative language, exploring concepts such as similes, metaphors, personification, oxymorons, irony, and paradoxes, with examples analyzed in both English and Spanish. Ava, who is based in Oceanside, has a follow-up lesson scheduled to review conditionals and the subjunctive, and two additional lessons are planned for further practice of these previously covered concepts.

Valentina coached a student from New York University on English pronunciation and intonation. They utilized poems, nursery rhymes, and the short story "The Oval Portrait" for practice. The learner engaged in reading aloud, receiving detailed feedback on rhythm, intonation, and pronunciation, with a particular emphasis on differentiating English patterns from their native Spanish. Upcoming lessons will focus on consonant sounds and the schwa.

Valentina tutored Bruno on English pronunciation, focusing on minimal pairs, rhythm, stress, and intonation patterns. Bruno practiced reading sentences with attention to proper stress and intonation, and Valentina provided immediate feedback. Valentina will send Bruno materials to practice rhythm and reading aloud, and they will review it in the next class, which will be a conversational lesson.

Valentina and Jaydee worked on a mini-essay arguing that disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle are due to natural causes, specifically unpredictable tropical weather. Jaydee practiced writing an introduction and a body paragraph explaining the impact of the region's climate. They plan to continue working on the essay next week.

Valentina tutored Ava on narrative elements and figurative language in Spanish, covering similes, metaphors, personification, oxymorons, irony, and paradoxes. They analyzed examples in both English and Spanish. They scheduled two more lessons for the following week to continue practicing these concepts.