Recommendation for Elvia Morales Sanchez, Spanish Teacher
I have been traveling to Oaxaca to learn Spanish since 2000 and Elvia has been without doubt the best teacher I have had.
Elvia is a natural teacher who uses a very simple but effective method in her classes. My advancement in the Spanish language was fastest when in her class, and I could tell that my Spanish had improved within a couple lessons. Elvia judges the standard of her students by talking to them, and can then determine the level of class needed. Grammar is incorporated into conversation which means that examples for grammar exercises are thought of during the class by Elvia and the students themselves, making them up to date and relevant to current events or real life situations. This makes the classes both stimulating and very interactive, it is a great way to learn to express ideas and also exchange ideas with Elvia and other students in spanish. I noticed that many of the phrases invented by us in class reappeared in "natural" conversations at a later date because they more often than not related to us as individuals. Far more effective than doing grammar exercises by filling in the blanks in a standard grammar book!
Elvia believes that conversation is the key to learning Spanish and there is no doubt in my mind that she is right. I have noticed fast results with my own Spanish but also in the language of the other students, and Elvia has shown that she can teach students of all levels, from beginners to advanced.
Elvia's happy outgoing and entertaining personality makes her classes very enjoyable and time just flies. I can only recommend taking classes with Elvia, whether having one-on-one private classes or in a small group.
Kathryn Dixon, Oaxaca, February 2003
It's with the greatest pleasure that I recommend the services of my good friend and excellent tutor, Elvia Morales. In the several years I have studied Spanish with Elvia, she has been unfailingly conscious of and responsive to my particular needs in Spanish. She's patient, fluent in English, of course, sensitive to nuance in both Spanish and English--and always on time! She has been especially helpful to some adult beginners I know and has quickly brought them farther along than they would have expected.
You couldn't have a better teacher. If you have questions, please e-mail me at nancy.miller@prodigy.net.
Nancy B. Miller
Editor, long a part-time resident of Oaxaca
Dear Sirs,
I have been living in Mexico for five years. I am an older American and am hard of hearing and I have had a very difficult time finding a teacher to help me learn Spanish. I heard of Senora Elvia Morales from friends and they all spoke very highly of her as both a person and a Spanish instructor.
I have been taking classes for a few months now and have found Senora Elvia Morales to be excellent. Not only have the classes gone well but I find I am being much more diligent about improving my Spanish as I speak with friends in Oaxaca.
Teaching adults is, in my opinion, quite different from teaching children. Both the manner in which adults wish to learn and the physical and mental nature of older adults are different. Senora Elvia Morales meets the needs of adult students very well.
In addition, I have found her to be extremely professional and considerate concerning our appointments and the classes.
I would not hesitate to recommend Senora Elvia Morales to anyone wishing to learn Spanish.
June 17, 2003
To Whom it May Concern:
I am writing this letter on behalf of my Spanish teacher, Elvia Morales. Though I have not known Elvia long, I have been taking lessons from her for three weeks and have learned considerably more in those three weeks than I did in three months when I lived in Oaxaca a year ago.
Elvia's approach to teaching positive, kind and encouraging while rigorous and challenging at the same time. Each day we engaged in serious learning for an hour--and each evening I was given appropriate homework that tied directly to the lesson we just had. Interestingly, while this same format of grammar/conversation and homework was not new to me, in the case of Elvia's teaching the process worked differently than I had experienced it before. I believe this was because she carefully and accurately determined my level of spanish and in a thoughtful way used our time to combine grammar with conversation in a steady and persistent fashion. We wasted little time and yet we were able to talk of many things always using the material of the day. It was motivating to immediately recognize grammatical structures and forms I had heard on the streets. This made me eager to do the homework which I could see was preparing me well to be able to converse with my mexican neighbors and friends--my goal for taking spanish in the first place. There was never a day I didn't have the chance to either hear or use the Spanish I had just learned in class.
I was particularly interested in watching and experiencing Elvia's teaching because she was so successful with me as a learner. I am a teacher educator in the US, and always eager to learn more about how teachers do their work especially when I can see that the methods are effective. Elvia's approach was successful with me and it has also been successful with friends of mine who have studied with her. I think she is an extraordinarily good teacher and I recommend her with great enthusiasm!
Saludos,
Anna Richert
Professor of Education
Mills College, Oakland, CA