Native teacher gives French lessons for highschool students and other levels in Groningen

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• Praat je deze taal vloeiend door je afkomst of omdat iemand jou deze taal heeft geleerd?

  I speak both Spanish and French fluently because I am bilingual. My mother is Spanish and my father is French.

• Citeer een levend, historisch of fictief persoon die, volgens jou, hét symbool is dat de desbetreffende cultuur vertegenwoordigt!

  In the case of Spanish culture I would say Antonio Gala. He is a writer and poet that reflects with beautiful style the culture of our country.
  
  In the case of France, I have a soft spot for Amélie Poulain. While it is true that she might be considered a cliché, in my view she does represent a certain type of Parisian ambient. And she proves love for little details regarding food and for wordplays, both of which are quite French attitudes.

• Is er in deze taal een woord, uitdrukking, traditie of typisch soort gedrag dat je bijzonder of leuk vindt?

  I think the word “sobremesa” in Spanish is very special. It describes the moment, after lunch or dinner, where you still sit at the table with friends or family, enjoying the conversation.
  
  In France, I love the tradition of the “apéro”. It is short for “aperitif” and it is the time before lunch or dinner when you have a drink (and perhaps a small bite) and enjoy the moment.
  
  In both cases I believe what I like is the conviviality of the scene, and the connection with culinary pleasures!

• Waarom is het belangrijk om deze taal te spreken, of het nou vanuit een academisch, professioneel of meer persoonlijk oogpunt is?

  Learning Spanish or French is much more than learning a language only, it allows to learn new things about other traditions and cultures. It keeps you in contact with fellow human beings. I believe that in these two particular cases, it tightens the links that bounds us as Europeans.

• Wat is het lastigst aan deze taal waar het nemen van lessen bij kan helpen?

  I would say that the Spanish verbal conjugation is not easy, specially concerning the subjunctive. Taking lessons with a native teacher is really helpful to really understand the rules and the nuances of those rules. In the case of French I have found that often people struggle with the correct pronunciation. Obviously, speaking directly with a native teacher helps!

• Kun je ons een leuke anekdote vertellen die te maken heeft met jouw beroep of jouw eigen schooltijd?

  I think I chose this profession after an incident I had being little. Apparently when I was very small I would more or less understand Spanish and French, but only speak Spanish. One day French friends of my parents took me to the beach and offered to have a bite, specifically a “gateau,” which is French for biscuit. But it sounds exactly like the Spanish word “gato,” which means cat. I could not understand why the wanted to feed me with a cat and started crying. My mom says that after that incident I must have understood that there was a difference between Spanish and French and that I should correctly distinguish them, because I started speaking both right away. Ever since, words have fascinated me.

• Help ons je een beetje beter te leren kennen door ons te vertellen over enkele reizen die je gemaakt hebt.

  I do love travelling, because it is again a way of getting in touch with other traditions and cultures, just as languages do. I have lived in different cities, Málaga in Spain, La Turballe in France, Verona in Italy, Coimbra in Portugal, and now Groningen in The Netherlands. Every time it was a wonderful opportunity to discover a new language a learn a bit about it.

• Wat maakt jou een Superprof, naast het feit dat je je kunt uitdrukken in verschillende talen?

  While being a native you count with certain skills that people who learned a language do not have, struggling yourself to learn other languages makes you aware of certain difficulties that natives do not see. I believe it is the combination of both aspects what makes a qualified teacher.
  
  Furthermore, I believe the role of a teacher is that of guidance. I am not here to talk for an hour and bore you to death, I am here to guide you so that you can express your own voice in a new language.