Patricio Tapia - Chile - Conversational Spanish
I have been teaching in Marin County for over 18 years. Since 1989, I’ve offered a range of courses in the adult education program at Redwood High School, and presently offer courses at all learning levels at various locations around Marin, including the College of Marin. I developed a specialized course, Conversational Spanish for Health Care Providers, which emphasizes medical terminology very helpful for the communication with Hispanic patients. I have taught this course at Kaiser Permanente, Marin General Hospital, and Petaluma Valley Hospital. I also taught courses for teachers of Spanish in the Kentfield School District. Over the years, I have worked hard to continually refine and develop my teaching method, and feel that I have come up with a highly successful conversation-based technique. Also, with ten class levels I’m able to offer the continuity of a complete learning experience. These higher level classes are seldom available at other schools, which typically offer only the basic levels of study.
Ariel Goldstein - Uruguay - Tour Director/ Spanish Teacher
Ariel Goldstein was born in Montevideo, Uruguay where he studied Latin American history at the Universidad de la República. He has been living in Berkeley, California since 2002 with his wife Lisa. He works as a Spanish Teacher at SPANISH in MARIN in Marin County, the Jewish Community Center in San Francisco and Centro Latino in Berkeley.
Before arriving in USA, Ariel lived in Jerusalem, Israel for nine years. He graduated from the Israeli National School of Tourism at Hebrew University. In addition to being a tour guide in Israel, he was a tour manager for trips throughout Europe. In 2005 he began working as a tour manager for High Country Passage in San Francisco, leading a National Geographic tour to Malta, Tunisia and Sicily. Ariel speaks Spanish, English, Hebrew and Portuguese.
Ariel and Patricio have organized "Spanish Total Immersion trips to South America" - Iguazu Falls, Buenos Aires and Santiago - with the idea of offering the students the opportunity to practice Spanish as well as experience the latin culture.
Conversational Spanish
Dante Herrera - Peru
Hola, I was born and raised in Peru, in a family of teachers. I got my MA in Spanish from UCD and have been teaching Spanish as a second language for 7 years now. I am a passionate reader of any thing written with intelligence, grace and sensitivity.
To me, teaching a language is like teaching a song: we learn words, meanings, sounds, but also a melody and a spirit that is behind all these things. Spanish is beautiful and fun to learn (and to teach). Bienvenidos.
Dante Herrera is now teaching mini-groups in the Spanish in Marin High School Enrichment Program.
Conversational Spanish
Sergio Sanchez - Chile
Sergio, a native of Chile, is an inspired teacher who has been with Spanish in Marin since 2002. His students are often very effusive in praise of teaching style that incorporates the Spanish in Marin conversational approach. He received his Teaching Credential from Universidad de Chile, has taught high school students, however he especially enjoys working with older adults.