Hello! My name is Martha, and I am a native Spanish speaker from Bogotá, Colombia. As of February 2016 I am also a United States citizen. I have lived and taught languages in three different countries, and this experience has allowed me to learn a lot about different cultures and about the importance of customizing classes to meet the needs and expectations of each individual student.

I am very excited about a new book project I have been working on. In the very near future, I will be publishing the first of two e-textbooks on the subject of Spanish grammar for language learners.

I have been a teacher of Spanish, Portuguese, and English for over two decades. I received my bachelors degree in teaching Spanish and English from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, and completed additional postgraduate units in educational theory at UFPR University in Curitiba, Brazil. I also studied Italian at the Instituto Italiano di Cultura in Bogotá.

I have worked for several institutes in Bogotá and in Brazil teaching languages to adults in multinational corporations, and I have extensive experience teaching and tutoring elementary, middle school, high school, and college age students as well.

I began working with students online about six years ago, and during my time using this format I have had the opportunity to work with students of all backgrounds, ages, and experience levels. I have found this to be a very productive and convenient way to help eager learners increase their knowledge of the languages they desire to study, and I look forward to continuing my work in this burgeoning field.

My methods of instruction are quite flexible, and I am glad to tailor my classes to meet the individual needs of my students. I am a strong advocate of the Communicative Approach, which places the emphasis on developing practical speaking and listening skills. I also have much experience helping those who have needed to improve their reading and writing skills, and I have a great passion for sharing Latin American culture whenever possible. I try to make my classes as interesting and fun as possible, because language learning should always take place in a positive and relaxed atmosphere.

The online experience can be especially fun and exciting for students because of the incredible variety of teaching materials that are available for use in that format. Videos, games, exciting interactive exercises - you name it, and online you can find it. I always prepare my classes thoroughly, so you can be sure our time together in class will be spent productively and efficiently.