From Spanish teacher in Brazil to Spanisch Lehrerin in Europe<

From Spanish teacher in Brazil to Spanisch Lehrerin in Europe

My experience as a Spanish teacher started many year ago in Brazil, where I went to do my university studies and where I graduated in Social Communication. At first, I did it as a hobby and taught acquaintances who asked me for classes. Later, I taught in schools: groups of different ages and types, and specific topics.

I learned as I worked; I went from one faculty to another during the
lunch break and, with a cup of coffee and cheese bread in hand, I went
to teach my students before going back to my classes. That showed me
paths and and methods, which I combined with my own investigations that I
made on my own account in the languages faculty of the previously
mentioned university, where there are loads of very interesting material
about languages.

My enthusiasm, pride and affection for my
language were always great, so I never stopped teaching it from then on –
and that was already many years ago. The most important part, for me,
at that time, was to manage to train myself as a specialized teacher for
what would be a bomb at the time, which was Spanish for Mercosur. I had
to acquire a sort of accent, which amongst colleagues we call neutral
Spanish: something like the one you hear in the news on CNN. I also had
to know, in depth, the vocabulary of each member country of this trade
agreement and how to manipulate it, along with Portuguese.

When I
finished my studies, I dedicated myself, exclusively and passionately,
to teaching only Le language; and taught executives, and international
and local company directors. Amongst the most pleasant memories that
live on in my heart, are the voices of my students and their
silhouettes. I remember them, when they found me in the corridors, and
with their characteristic Brazilian joy, they called me “teacher”,
greeting me anxious to start.

They were very interested in what I
explained to them, and although they were tired or were thinking of the
thousands of chores they still had to do that day, we managed to do the
exercises and finished our meetings with great moments of laughter and
pleasure.

I worked hard with many students until the end, and had
the satisfaction and pleasure of listening to them speak confidently
and fluidly, with almost no mistakes, as if it were their own language.
Many years later I found out that some, those with whom I keep in touch
or maintain a friendship, received awards and were rising thanks to the
extra skill they had. Today, they have important positions and travel to
countries that are not part of Mercosur, but where people do speak
Spanish, to present their products, make sales, organize big commercial
events, meet with other partners etc.

I can hardly believe it, I
have left a drop of magic in some people, I can say I have passed on to
others something that I have learned and I brought with me, to Europe,
memories which fill me with satisfaction. But here, in this old
continent, as we call it, the challenges as a Spanish professor are new
and it is a whole different story.