Bilingual Butterfly - Spanish Immersion Classes
Silvana King
Bilingual Bi-cultural and Elementary Education B.A.
Campton Hills, IL
info@bilingualbutterfly.com
Campton Hills, IL
info@bilingualbutterfly.com
About Me
I was born and raised in Barranquilla, Colombia. Spanish is my beloved native language. I moved to Illinois when I was 18 years old and received a merit scholarship at Northeastern Illinois University. After 6 years in school, I graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bilingual/ Bi-cultural Elementary Education double Major. My Education major allows me to be a teacher in Elementary and middle school grades. My Bilingualism and Biculturalism grants me the gift of helping others learn another language. Because my main focus was learning to teach a second language, I studied more than linguistics, grammar, and pronunciation; I also learned about the need to go through the processes of transition, adaptation, assimilation, and understanding of a new culture. As a classroom teacher, I taught in Two-Way Immersion, Bilingual, English as a Second Language, and Dual Language programs in Chicago, Evanston, and Schaumburg public schools. After having my own two children, I worked for five years as a part time Spanish teacher for a private language School. I taught children 10 months-15 years old. I also helped trained other teachers, and worked in marketing events. When that company suddenly closed, I decided to open my own classes and use my knowledge to create what I consider the best language learning environment for children.
I was born and raised in Barranquilla, Colombia. Spanish is my beloved native language. I moved to Illinois when I was 18 years old and received a merit scholarship at Northeastern Illinois University. After 6 years in school, I graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bilingual/ Bi-cultural Elementary Education double Major. My Education major allows me to be a teacher in Elementary and middle school grades. My Bilingualism and Biculturalism grants me the gift of helping others learn another language. Because my main focus was learning to teach a second language, I studied more than linguistics, grammar, and pronunciation; I also learned about the need to go through the processes of transition, adaptation, assimilation, and understanding of a new culture. As a classroom teacher, I taught in Two-Way Immersion, Bilingual, English as a Second Language, and Dual Language programs in Chicago, Evanston, and Schaumburg public schools. After having my own two children, I worked for five years as a part time Spanish teacher for a private language School. I taught children 10 months-15 years old. I also helped trained other teachers, and worked in marketing events. When that company suddenly closed, I decided to open my own classes and use my knowledge to create what I consider the best language learning environment for children.
About the Classes
My classes are taught in a full immersion style. Yes! I only speak in Spanish. I use multi-sensory language acquisition where we see (flash cards), hear (songs), feel (using props, and body movements), taste (eat snacks), and even smell (scented art supplies, and authentic objects)! I believe that by using multiple senses we are tapping different pathways to develop a language. Most importantly, during classes we have fun! Games, and songs mixed with a little silliness are the best recipe for a successful language immersion.
I teach three types of classes: private tutoring, group lessons, and story time language immersion. Tutoring is a one or two-to-one session. Group lessons and story time language immersion are an opportunity to learn by exploring the language. They are based on group responses, songs, art, and lots of manipulatives. These classes, offered at the Elburn library, have a limit of 12 children for grades K-2nd or 3rd-5th, and 20 participants for the story time.
My classes are taught in a full immersion style. Yes! I only speak in Spanish. I use multi-sensory language acquisition where we see (flash cards), hear (songs), feel (using props, and body movements), taste (eat snacks), and even smell (scented art supplies, and authentic objects)! I believe that by using multiple senses we are tapping different pathways to develop a language. Most importantly, during classes we have fun! Games, and songs mixed with a little silliness are the best recipe for a successful language immersion.
I teach three types of classes: private tutoring, group lessons, and story time language immersion. Tutoring is a one or two-to-one session. Group lessons and story time language immersion are an opportunity to learn by exploring the language. They are based on group responses, songs, art, and lots of manipulatives. These classes, offered at the Elburn library, have a limit of 12 children for grades K-2nd or 3rd-5th, and 20 participants for the story time.