Can't wait to start your lesson? Then, say ¡Hola! to our teachers!

Why don't you get to know our teachers before coming to Xela? Calling Guatemala is not as expensive as you think with the use of internet telephony services like Skype or Voipstunt. For example, their rates are only US$0.15 and US$0.11 per minute. The 15 minutes Spanish lesson on the phone is offered for $10 and 30 minutes lesson is offered for $20. Or you can write to our teacher for $5. Let us know who you want to call or write to and we'll send you his/her phone number, best time to call and payment instruction.

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Why do you like teaching Spanish and k'iche?
I like it because Spanish includes a variety of cultures in which there are so much to be discovered and shared.

What are the challenges of being a Spanish and k'iche teacher?
My own challenges in one-on-one teaching are:
Have patience.
Teach in organized manner even though each student has his/her own style.
Have enough flexibility to adapt to the learning style of each student and achieve a valuable class.

How do you make your class interesting?
For novices?
Teaching through appropriate and objective dialogues. By means of pictures and other visual materials. Also with use of appropriate literature.
For other levels?
Through expressions, proverbs, sayings and jokes that are appropriate to reflect the richness of the language. Guatemalan and Central American literature. Other readings of current interest. Through popular songs with selected lyrics according to grammar points being studied.

How was your favorite student?
A student who likes to talk, ask question and participate in the exercises. A student who likes to collaborate to make a class more interesting, more fun and more worthwhile.

What do you do to grow as a professional and person?
Continue studying in the university. German is an interesting language so that's whey I'd like to be able to speak it and write it. Write essays. Read books. Authors such as: Miguel Ángel Asturias, Gabriel García Márquez, John Steinbeck, Jorge Luis Borges.

What is the best of Xela?
The warmth of the people.

What would you do if you have only one more week of life?
I would tell people that their lives have value and a clear purpose to make a difference in others' lives.

What were you doing 15 years ago?
I was studying in the elementary school and helping my parents in the farm.

What will you be doing in 15 years down the road?
I will be coordinating tours around the country and the Central American region.

Who is/was the most influential person in your life?
Galileo Galilei is a someone who contributed so much to the world without letting his fear of criticisms sink him down.

What is the Guatemala's biggest social issue?
Lack of education. In Guatemala, there is education but not an integrated education especially for the indigenous communities. The lack of adequate education can be seen in many ways. For example: Many young people don't realize that they can help their community a lot more because they haven't discovered this possibility in the education that they receive or simply they can't attend the school. So, there is lack of education. The aid from government has not been enough to cover the real educational necessities in the rural areas and small villages. Also, many parents have problems with health of their children and other members of the family as they take their children to the clinics very late and they are not familiar with methods to prevent sickness and don't know how to improve their food due to lack of education. Also many people don't know that they are other possibilities to improve their economic situation. For example, they could offer tourism related services. And generally, they won't dare to take place in unfamiliar projects from not knowing the available opportunities. Many people believe that learning a Mayan language means moving backward. They are afraid and ashamed to talk about it and prefer to ignore about it. Also, indigenous people who have not gotten much educational opportunities aren't interested in learning or improving their Spanish. The consequence of these situations is creating the difficulty of appropriately sharing information. So for example, the indigenous community won't be able to understand the significance of projects and plans of government and on the other hand, the government won't be able to understand the petitions, intentions, cultures, hopes and worldviews of those communities. As the result, the government doesn't put much attention to improve the relationships inside the multilingual society like Guatemala.

What do you propose to solve the Guatemala's problems?
Change the negative thought and pessimistic view of some groups for a thought with vision, creativity and confidence to do constructive actions. First, I think everyone should learn at least 2 languages because as I had mentioned in other parragraph, learning another language is a great tool to undertand other culture. I think Spanish would be a great use to unite Guatemala as a nation but Guatemalans also must make great effort to learn a Mayan language especially those of us who are in public institutions or people who will be working in other liguistic communities. Other proposal to improve the situation in Guatemala is to motivate and support forming organizations so that people could find better way to manage their resources such as the resources for tourism. This will generate better incomes and as the result, there will be improvement in their quality of life and opportunities.

 

Register

Can't wait to start your lesson? Then, say ¡Hola! to our teachers!

Why don't you get to know our teachers before coming to Xela? Calling Guatemala is not as expensive as you think with the use of internet telephony services like Skype or Voipstunt. For example, their rates are only US$0.15 and US$0.11 per minute. The 15 minutes Spanish lesson on the phone is offered for $10 and 30 minutes lesson is offered for $20. Or you can write to our teacher for $5. Let us know who you want to call or write to and we'll send you his/her phone number, best time to call and payment instruction.