Ms. Cendy Iraheta, a strong supporter of learning, believes that children learn the most when they are having fun. Therefore, she enjoys teaching Spanish with a play-based approach because she can see the children's love for learning a new language come to live. She herself enjoys learning more about her native language of Spanish; it is a rich language and she knows it is enriching in the lives of children. She is happy to be able to share this love of language and culture with individuals.
Teacher: Ms. Lana Cross
Ms. Lana Cross uses her strength in communication, along with her energetic, creative and enthusiastic personality to help students in cross-cultural relationships, languages and societies through studying a foreign language.Sharing her appreciation of the French language can instill confidence, enthusiasm and offer comfort to prospective students.
Teacher: Ms. Ibis Henriquez Muetterties
Sra. Ibis is passionate about teaching Spanish and sharing her culture with her students. By teaching in a game based format, students feel more comfortable and are more receptive to the material. She enjoys using multiple learning media, such as, games, music, dances, art, and exercise. This format allows her students to develop their Spanish vocabulary, the pronunciation, and the understanding of the language in a fun environment. She considers being multilingual not only developmentally beneficial to a child, but a gift.
What will my child be doing in a typical Gift of Language class?
Gift of Language uses flashcards to introduce children to the foreign language. This system has a simple, but effective approach to learning language that delivers results right away. Using the same type of verbal and visual memory techniques children experience when they first learned to speak, these flash cards get our students speaking and, in the process, helps them master vocabulary and sentence structure. As a result the child is speaking the sentence with no hesitation.
Teachers introduce vocabulary and sentence structure when the flash cards are placed in sequence. Students read and “speak” the visuals, create new sentences by moving the flash cards around by doing this they are developing fluency and proficiency in the target language.
We also use a set of activity books that ensure mastery of the core vocabulary and structure through practice exercises that progress in difficulty. With a set of games these flash cards are reinforced in a way that is fun and effective.
We supplement the learning experience with crafts and projects that relate to the flashcards that are introduced in class. To see a sample of our class please watch the video below:
Our Program Director: Ms. Farah Hussein
Ms. Farah Hussein established the center in 2007 for her children. Her goal for her children is for them to be multilingual and passionate about different cultures. Ms. Hussein is currently pursuing her graduate degree at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. She specializes in game based environments and effective classroom structures. She encourages children to play in the classroom while being immersed in the target language and creates a risk-free and game based environment for the students. She strongly believes that parents who enroll their children in foreign language classes are giving "the gift of language" to their children.
Our Regional Director of Teacher Development: Ms. Jacqueline Amaya
Jackie Amaya-Garcia-"Señora Jackie" has a passion for teaching and loves to share her knowledge of languages. And she loves the twinkling eyes of the children when they understand the concepts taught every class in the target language. "They feel they can overcome anything..." Every occasion is a teachable moment and she really makes the most of it in her classes.
Teacher: Ms. Vanessa Naranjo
Ms. Vanessa Naranjo feels that "Spanish," just like all other languages, is something that is very
rich. It goes far deeper than just a language; it has a culture, a history and a diverse group of people that keep it alive. Her passion is teaching and facilitating the way people learn. She strongly believes that children are very special and they are truly the future, equipped with all the tools to learn and leave their mark. Her sentiment on teaching a child is that if a teacher can manage to spark an interest and give them confidence, then that alone is reason enough to celebrate which is why she wishes to share her gift.
Teacher: Ms. Vanessa Vega
Vanessa Vega, bilingual since kindergarten, believes the gift of communication is one of the greatest gifts to mankind. Vanessa knows without language organized communication would be greatly hindered, if not impeded all together. Language is a gift we all share, and that it is necessary to build vocabulary and knowledge of any language to comprehend the world around us. Vanessa enjoys spending her leisure time exploring Central America, particularly the largest freshwater lake in Nicaragua and the Mayan ruins of Tikal in Guatemala. She finds her greatest joy spending time with her family and friends.
.
Teacher: Ms. Dina C. Patrusky
Ms. Dina is a native French speaker who previously worked at a French bilingual school. She believes that a bilingual education opens children’s minds to a better discovery of the world and a better understanding of different cultures, which builds knowledge, self-confidence, and respect of others. Her curriculum is a child centered one where play and creativity takes a big place and shows its importance in the learning process. She feels privileged and delighted to join this very dedicated team at Gift of Language.
