THE LEARNING PROCESS
As a beginner, you will notice a lot of progress because it is easy to see that you now know something that you didn't know before - still, it will not be long before you will start to feel quite frustrated. You have experienced the joy of being able to communicate something and, at the same time, you will be feeling a variety of unpleasant feelings because you are hitting the limits of your own knowledge.
As you begin to gain skill, and others begin to acknowledge your ability, you will feel more and more comfortable. You have reached the intermediate and it has been a big jump. Even though fear can exist at any level, it is here, I believe, by thinking that people expect more of you than you think that you are capable of doing, that fear becomes the main obstacle for you. You are experiencing a stress similar to that of someone who is constantly writing exams.
When you reach the advanced level, you have fewer problems in expressing yourself. Others will comment on your ability and not only just to encourage you; however, you may continue to make the same mistakes - bumping into the same obstacles for different reasons (laziness, lack of motivation, the inability to organize your time etc.) because you don't want to push yourself that last little bit. If you do continue learning, you may sometimes feel discouraged because progress is more subtle and therefore more difficult to notice. You are at a point where the freedom to express yourself without any 'hang-ups' is within your grasp; you just don't understand yet how close you are to reaching your full potential.
As a beginner, you will notice a lot of progress because it is easy to see that you now know something that you didn't know before - still, it will not be long before you will start to feel quite frustrated. You have experienced the joy of being able to communicate something and, at the same time, you will be feeling a variety of unpleasant feelings because you are hitting the limits of your own knowledge.
As you begin to gain skill, and others begin to acknowledge your ability, you will feel more and more comfortable. You have reached the intermediate and it has been a big jump. Even though fear can exist at any level, it is here, I believe, by thinking that people expect more of you than you think that you are capable of doing, that fear becomes the main obstacle for you. You are experiencing a stress similar to that of someone who is constantly writing exams.
When you reach the advanced level, you have fewer problems in expressing yourself. Others will comment on your ability and not only just to encourage you; however, you may continue to make the same mistakes - bumping into the same obstacles for different reasons (laziness, lack of motivation, the inability to organize your time etc.) because you don't want to push yourself that last little bit. If you do continue learning, you may sometimes feel discouraged because progress is more subtle and therefore more difficult to notice. You are at a point where the freedom to express yourself without any 'hang-ups' is within your grasp; you just don't understand yet how close you are to reaching your full potential.
Elaine B
"My one-on-one sessions with Elaine were great. With a focus on pronunciation, the lessons helped me to understand and speak some Spanish during a recent trip to South America."
N. MacRae
"After 20 years of taking Spanish lessons I finally found a teacher that challenged me to learn in a way that no one else had. Elaine’s grasp of the language and her love of teaching encouraged me in every single class to stretch myself beyond what I thought I was capable of. Elaine also taught me simple techniques to keep me motivated to continue to learn on my own between lessons - something no other teacher had done. I highly recommend Elaine."
Jim A.
"As parents, volunteers and as professionals, we have all been in the position to teach. We all know at least something about this challenge. Similarly, if we are committed to growth, we will always be students searching out teachers, mentors and moments of learning. The good teacher challenges us because they see our abilities. The good teacher surprises us with creative experiences. The good teacher makes us feel good about ourselves. The good teacher strives to understand our learning styles. The good teacher builds a curriculum specific to the students purpose. The good teacher cares. Elaine is this teacher in every way, she meets the challenge. Enjoy your time with her, it will be time well spent. It has been for me."
Suzanne B.
"Elaine's teaching is like sitting down with a friend and having chat in a new language. Her teaching style encourages the student to listen and pronounce with clarity, resulting in effective conversational Spanish."
Suzanne M.
"Elaine 's classes were fun and imaginative. Time sped by we had fun. We learned more Spanish with each class and enjoyed the lessons while practicing Spanish.
Thank you, Elaine."
Deborah R.
"I very much enjoyed my Spanish lessons with Elaine. I loved how she only spoke Spanish with me although I knew very little of the language. This had me really pay attention and recognize that I could understand a lot without knowing each word. The same for speaking; I became more agile with answering questions the best I could. All in all, this was a very positive learning experience."
K. Palfenier
"I wanted some tourist conversational Spanish for a short trip to Mexico. Elaine provided the succinct instruction needed for that exact purpose.
Using various in-class and online methods I found Elaine’s teaching (and my learning) of the basics useful and fun. She has a knack of picking out what you need.
Now after the trip, I can say it was entirely practical and worthwhile – and I’m more motivated to carry on the lessons with Elaine."
T. Lloyd
"Elaine is an excellent Spanish teacher who has been working with our daughter for the past 2.5 years. She is patient and empathetic and is able to meet the complex needs of my daughter who is on the autism spectrum. I was impressed with her ability to be creative and adapt her lessons to suit my daughter's mood and interests in order to keep her motivated and moving forward in her lessons. I can highly recommend Elaine to other parents who are looking for a Spanish teacher for their own children."
B. Fields
"My husband and I recently took 3 Spanish lessons from Elaine prior to spending seven weeks in Spain, most of which was spent walking the Camino. Our journey took us through large cities and small villages in rural Spain. Elaine's lessons provided us with the basic conversational tools we needed to get by. I would highly recommend her lessons and am considering pursuing further conversational Spanish lessons with her."
Becky and Gary
"We really enjoyed our sessions with you. Your caring and helpful attention was most appreciated. And you taught us some great tools to get us started which will be on my mind and we will work to mix them into our daily life a little at a time."
"My one-on-one sessions with Elaine were great. With a focus on pronunciation, the lessons helped me to understand and speak some Spanish during a recent trip to South America."
N. MacRae
"After 20 years of taking Spanish lessons I finally found a teacher that challenged me to learn in a way that no one else had. Elaine’s grasp of the language and her love of teaching encouraged me in every single class to stretch myself beyond what I thought I was capable of. Elaine also taught me simple techniques to keep me motivated to continue to learn on my own between lessons - something no other teacher had done. I highly recommend Elaine."
Jim A.
"As parents, volunteers and as professionals, we have all been in the position to teach. We all know at least something about this challenge. Similarly, if we are committed to growth, we will always be students searching out teachers, mentors and moments of learning. The good teacher challenges us because they see our abilities. The good teacher surprises us with creative experiences. The good teacher makes us feel good about ourselves. The good teacher strives to understand our learning styles. The good teacher builds a curriculum specific to the students purpose. The good teacher cares. Elaine is this teacher in every way, she meets the challenge. Enjoy your time with her, it will be time well spent. It has been for me."
Suzanne B.
"Elaine's teaching is like sitting down with a friend and having chat in a new language. Her teaching style encourages the student to listen and pronounce with clarity, resulting in effective conversational Spanish."
Suzanne M.
"Elaine 's classes were fun and imaginative. Time sped by we had fun. We learned more Spanish with each class and enjoyed the lessons while practicing Spanish.
Thank you, Elaine."
Deborah R.
"I very much enjoyed my Spanish lessons with Elaine. I loved how she only spoke Spanish with me although I knew very little of the language. This had me really pay attention and recognize that I could understand a lot without knowing each word. The same for speaking; I became more agile with answering questions the best I could. All in all, this was a very positive learning experience."
K. Palfenier
"I wanted some tourist conversational Spanish for a short trip to Mexico. Elaine provided the succinct instruction needed for that exact purpose.
Using various in-class and online methods I found Elaine’s teaching (and my learning) of the basics useful and fun. She has a knack of picking out what you need.
Now after the trip, I can say it was entirely practical and worthwhile – and I’m more motivated to carry on the lessons with Elaine."
T. Lloyd
"Elaine is an excellent Spanish teacher who has been working with our daughter for the past 2.5 years. She is patient and empathetic and is able to meet the complex needs of my daughter who is on the autism spectrum. I was impressed with her ability to be creative and adapt her lessons to suit my daughter's mood and interests in order to keep her motivated and moving forward in her lessons. I can highly recommend Elaine to other parents who are looking for a Spanish teacher for their own children."
B. Fields
"My husband and I recently took 3 Spanish lessons from Elaine prior to spending seven weeks in Spain, most of which was spent walking the Camino. Our journey took us through large cities and small villages in rural Spain. Elaine's lessons provided us with the basic conversational tools we needed to get by. I would highly recommend her lessons and am considering pursuing further conversational Spanish lessons with her."
Becky and Gary
"We really enjoyed our sessions with you. Your caring and helpful attention was most appreciated. And you taught us some great tools to get us started which will be on my mind and we will work to mix them into our daily life a little at a time."