Marcela Romo, English Teacher

Teaching with Bridge for a decade and teaching languages for about 15 years, Marcela is an experienced language professional. One of her favorite teaching strategies is to create connections with students and promote engagement with lessons through conversations about everyday topics of interest.

What is your nationality and where do you currently reside?

I am from Chile and I live in Santiago de Chile.

What is your professional and educational background?

I am an English-Spanish Translator.

Which Bridge certifications or micro-credentials have you completed?

I have completed the 120-hour TEFL/TESOL Master Certificate and TEFL Grammar Advisor Certificate.

How long have you been teaching with BridgeEnglish?

I have been teaching with Bridge for 10 years.

How long have you been teaching languages and what inspired you to become a language teacher?

I have been teaching for about 15 years, providing private lessons for kids at school before Bridge. My inspiration has been music in English, and in my teen years, I wanted to understand what they said.

What languages do you speak?

I speak Spanish and English.

Can you share a memorable experience or success story from your language teaching career?

I had a couple of American Mormons as neighbors, and they arrived in Chile with little Spanish. The very first day they arrived a water pipe exploded in their kitchen, they went out crying for help. That is how an amazing relationship began. They told me they learned Spanish in a language school in Puerto Rico, so I started to look for information about that type of school in Chile and found Bridge. I have been teaching Spanish since then.

What is your teaching philosophy or approach to helping students learn a new language?

I have them talk about their interests, family, work, cities, and daily life. In my experience, they always break the first barrier when we talk about their daily life, topics like the supermarket, house, kids, school, food, etc.

How do you incorporate your culture and background into your language lessons?

I use a topic common to both cultures. For example, we’ll talk about the typical food in their country and the typical food in mine. That is how I start a discussion about food, markets, ingredients, etc.

What are some of your favorite teaching tools or techniques to engage students in the learning process?

My most effective tool is making connections by talking about family, kids, husbands, and wives. We talk about them, including names, ages, and physical and psychological characteristics. Students become comfortable and engaged.