I apologise, in advance, if you clicked in, today, expecting another serving of Spanish learning advice but, this time, it's my turn to ask for help.
Not for me, but for my struggling Spanish teacher.
As you may have read in previous posts, I take weekly lessons via SecondLife, in a virtual 3D classroom, with a teacher who has over 22 years experience teaching Spanish as a second language.
Her SecondLife avatar is called XimenaModotti Carami, but I usually just call her Ximena.
She's been teaching in SL for a little over 3 years, and I've been taking lessons with her for over 2 years.
In real life, she's a lady called Eunice Ruiz and she lives in Mexico. She has been teaching, both privately, and in various language schools for, as I said, over 22 yrs.
There is a long-standing tradition in her home town of Cuernavaca, of foreign students, primarily from the U.S. travelling to Mexico, and spending several weeks, living with local families, and attending school each day (the main schools she has worked for are ASLI and Encuentros). It's an immersive environment.
Unfortunately, due to the foreign perception of central Mexico as being dangerous, and the U.S. government advising travellers not to visit (despite the fact that, in October last year, there were more murders in Chicago than in Ciudad Juarez, and they haven't advised people not to travel to Chicago!) the number of students has droppped dramatically.
Ximena has attempted to recreate an immersive environment in SecondLife, with slideshows, videos, music and cultural lessons which you would not normally find outside a classroom, certainly not in your own home.
Here's a couple of videos, showing snippets from a recent lesson.
Firstly, greeting each other at the beginning of a lesson. The wider camera angle gives an impression of the environment.
Secondly, Ximena introduces a new concept, using the projector screen, then passes me a notecard, with exercises to practice in class.
What she really needs now are more students. Many of the Spanish teachers in her town are having to leave teaching and find other employment. She is a dedicated teacher who is working hard to provide quality tuition at a fraction of the usual cost of one-to-one lessons.
I recently saw a local advertisement for Spanish lessons at FOUR TIMES what I currently pay.
So, if you've been hesitating, if you are currently studying on your own with audio or video lessons, if you're a beginner, or you need to refresh your forgotten Spanish from school, or you need some specialist training, be it in business, legal, medical, aeronautic or religious vocabulary, contact Ximena now, and ask about a free trial lesson in SecondLife.
It will give you a no-risk chance to sample the environment, and her methods, and it will give her an idea of your current skill level, if you decide to proceed.
I, personally, cannot begin to express how much her tuition has helped develop my Spanish but I owe it to her to spread the word and encourage other people to try it for themselves.
Contact details and weblinks below.
Tell her Chas sent you.
See you in Class!
Email Ximena at caramimex@gmail.com
See her SecondLife profile https://my.secondlife.com/ximenamodotti.carami
Here's her Blogger page http://ximenamodotticarami.blogspot.co.uk/
And her Real Life LinkedIn profile http://mx.linkedin.com/pub/eunice-ruiz/4a/452/798
I believe she's also on FaceBook but, as I don't use FB, I can't give you a link.
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