“The human species thinks in metaphors and learns through stories.” – Mary Catherine Bateson I have been journaling for as long as I can remember. Back when I was little, my journals were glittery, hard-cover notebooks with decorated pages. Every entry, every day, was a short description of my day: […]
Traditional language learning often relies on reading, writing, listening, and speaking. However, a growing body of research highlights the importance of , which integrates physical movement and multi-sensory engagement into the language-learning process. This approach draws on principles of embodied cognition, the idea that our mind, body, and environment are […]
For those with Hispanic heritage, learning Spanish goes beyond simply acquiring a new language—it’s a way to connect with family, culture, and ancestry. Heritage language learners often have unique goals and needs compared to other language students, including reconnecting with family, understanding cultural nuances, and refining a language they may […]
Photo by Aswin on Unsplash “I need to turn the video off and move away from the call for a minute”, I quivered, bawling my eyes out. Five minutes into the trauma training day 6 that I was so looking forward to attending, I had to leave in order to […]
Imagine learning a language not just through textbooks and grammar exercises but through the emotional power of music. Have you ever fallen in love with a song and listened to it on repeat? I know I have, many, many times. Some of those songs were not in my mother tongue, […]
How you look at something determines what you see, and ultimately, it determines how you relate to it. One prevailing direction I see in language teacher training is that it tends to concentrate on the subject of the teaching: “the language”. However, the subject of the teaching is not the […]
After twenty minutes of talking about how to say “I am working on …” in Spanish, and a short list of relevant words, I asked her verbally, in Spanish, the question she had in front of her eyes: “What are you working on?” She averted her eyes, started to fumble […]
___, therefore I am. How would you complete this sentence? Don’t give it too much thought. If you are of European descent, you may immediately start with “I think”, as Descartes thought, but if you are of African descent, what may come to mind is “We are”. This is a […]
There is no such thing as “correct” use of language. <img width="”890″" height="”293″" src="”https://mariaortegagarcia.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/language-makers.png”" alt="””" loading="”lazy”" srcset="”https://mariaortegagarcia.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/language-makers.png" 890w, https:> <h4 style="”text-align:" center;”>Languages are not prescriptive. Languages don’t tell us how to communicate. We tell languages how we want to communicate.</h4>Having […]
When learning a language is not a love story. For many, the main reason why they learn a language is because they fall in love with it. They love the sound of it. They want to connect with native speakers. They are attracted to the culture of the language. This […]
In this episode, Jennifer Arnspiger and I talk about somatic journaling and how that kind of writing can heal us from trauma. We talked about: What is somatic writing and how does it work How we can write intense emotions in a safely way The way to feel more safe […]
And how different phases of your life require you to embody different parts of you. In this episode, we explore the idea of remaining open to explore parts of Self that we are not acquainted with yet, or how our own personal myth can guide us during times of change. […]
Or bringing emotion into language learning Emotion comes from the Latin verb “emovere, ” which means ” to move, ” ” move out, ” ” move through, ” or ‘stir’. So, if emotion is related to movement, the opposite of emotion is something that doesn’t move or is stagnant. Learning is […]
Reflections on unconditional love (including self love) In this episode, the first of the podcast, we delve straight into an exploration of acceptance, love, including the self one, and how the labels we define ourselves and others with shape us, for better, but usually for worse. We’ll talk about: The […]
Identity is not fixed. It’s more a multifaceted, fluid, ever-changing looking glass through which we view the world. Yet one of the most profound filters we interpret reality with remains unchanged throughout our lives. As a migrant who left her native country 20 years ago, I have spent as much […]
Why language teachers need to learn about trauma? But first, What is trauma-informed teaching? Trauma-informed teaching is a framework for creating safe and supportive learning environments for learners who have experienced trauma. This approach recognises the impact that trauma can have on a person’s ability to learn and engage with […]
The linguistic patchwork of you “At home, I feel free to speak Arabic peppered with words in French and English, and everyone understands me. When I am in Spain, I can only speak Spanish so that people would understand me.” This statement and its many variants share a common sentiment […]
Language teachers are becoming obsolete. And I am not referring to the inherent part of the job, which makes us unnecessary if we teach the language well. No. I mean that language teachers are becoming obsolete as a profession. I had this thought several years ago when many language apps […]
From stream-of-consciousness writing to guided journaling, jotting down what’s inside our heads has the power to make sense of the tangle of ideas in our brains. I started journaling when I was a teenager and have never really stopped doing it, but the format, the content and the language have […]
Spanish is an isochronic language which means a couple of things: The duration of every syllable is equal (syllable-timed language) The duration of every word in the sentence is the same This type of rhythm was originally metaphorically referred to as “machine-gun rhythm” or “ritmo metralleta” in Spanish because each […]
Nature’s first green is gold,Her hardest hue to hold.Her early leaf’s a flower;But only so an hour.Then leaf subsides to leaf.So Eden sank to grief,So dawn goes down to day.Nothing gold can stay. As our friend Robert Frost said in his poem: Nothing gold can stay. But what is gold, […]
If when you think about learning Spanish, you think about 1:1 lessons, conversation exchanges or classes and grammar books, and the prospect sounds a bit arid, think again. I am all for unconventional learning. I am also about adapting the learning to the specific needs of my students because: One […]
I’m a big fan of YouTube. YouTube and Google have been my biggest allies in providing me with a continuous stream of potential clients interested in learning Spanish. When I started making videos back in 2011, I was not too fond of it, and it shows. In my defence, I […]
In this article, you will find 5 steps to help you build your students up, and strengthen them and your relationship with them. Some of the sections have reflective prompts so that you can explore where you are at and find ways to implement these steps in your language teaching […]
Confianza viene del conocimiento And by knowledge, I don’t mean academic knowledge about different topics. Although, that kind of knowledge can help too. I am talking about self-knowledge, relational knowledge, outside knowledge, and intercultural knowledge when conversing in a non-native language. How do you build confidence? Stage one: self-knowledge As […]
“Nowadays, one country cannot go it alone. This is a global village” <footer> <cite>–Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh’s Prime Minister.</cite> </footer> </blockquote> You may think that English is the lingua franca for business and the globalized world, and you’d be correct, but how long will English be the lingua franca? With the […]
A language is only a tool for communication and self-expression, and it’s an evolutionary development: a collective, generational development, not a single invention. So, as we evolved, the language evolved with us. Language is a human trait, a human behaviour. And language is key to all human activities, including self-actualization. Self-actualization […]
Teacher(n) tee-cheer: A multitasking educational rockstar who lives to inspire and loves to encourage. You love languages and speak more than one, or you love your mother tongue. You have always wanted to be an educator or are curious about it. You want to make language teaching your full-time business […]
The conversation we had was all about the use of language in the context of business or marketing, which is a bit different from the angle that I’ve normally talked about language which is language learning and non-native language expression. But I am excited for you to listen to this […]
“Dear Reader, beware. You think you’re reading my poems, but in truth, they are reading you. My words are mirrors and windows. Your reaction is merely a reflection of your own nature and experiences.” — John Mark Green Introspective writing, such as journaling, has an incredible potential for healing as […]
“If a window of opportunity appears, don’t pull down the shade.” – Tom Peters I don’t talk about translation much because my primary income normally comes from teaching, language coaching, and secondarily through writing. But, since I started my business back in 2011, I have been doing language translations for […]
“I don’t remember the time when speaking didn’t make me anxious”, she mumbled, still trying to smile but unable to look me in the eye. “I feel you, sister”, I wanted to say, to help share her painful load and to show her that I’m proof of living with that […]
This conversation with Lia was a pleasure to have. There were several “OH-YES-moments” and a general sense of depth and understanding. This is what an interculturalist brings to the equation. Unfortunately, the video was not recorded and we have only audio. So I am adding the link to the podcast […]
Hedvig and I had a varied conversation that from spanned more academic areas like neurolanguages to the experiential realities self-expression and identity in different languages. Notes from Ep.3 off Words Off Limits with Hedvig Sandbu <ul><li>Neurolanguage. Language learning + life coaching + neuroscience. Mindset.</li><li>The need to re-educating teachers.</li><li>IMAGES learning model: […]
I adored the conversation with Virginia Jenkins and it got juicier and juicier. In the first part of the conversation we talked about mindfulness in general to then, in the second half, focus on how mindfulness applies to the realm of languages and expression in a non-native language. Notes from […]
Authenticity is a human need, like the need for belonging or attachment. When we are kids or teens, our need to belong to a group, fit in, trumps our need to express ourselves, and be authentic. This means that instead of listening inwards to our body’s clues about how it […]
In today’s episode, Jessica and I discuss healing self-expression in a non-native language, the idea of authority as a hindrance for self-expression and art therapy and languages as a healing tool. Notes from ep. 1 of Words Off Limits with Jessica Sarlandie <ul><li>How being an authority in a native language […]
Love And the skin tingled with every look.And the hairs raised at every touch.Not a single elevation in her chest went unnoticed.And the tightness in her shouldersfelt like the only thing that kept her standing.Like a rigid framefull with a warm thick fluid. That was love for her. A state […]
Sangre brillanteque fluye entre mis piernas.Pedazos de vida que no estuvo de ser.Mi sangrebrillantepours life out of me.And I’m tired.Sangrepools between my legsand like a leafdepleted crumplesand fallsto rest.Rest.I’d like to be like a leaf.And as I’m being depletedcrumpleand layto rest.But mi sangrecalls to silence.Silence of a consumed body.Ignored.Rejected.Because mi […]
Creativity: ‘the ability to create.’ Simple. So before you tell yourself that you are not a creative person, think again. We often associate creativity with (curated) artistic expression, which is partially correct. Creating is bringing or making into existence something new. But creating is a very human thing: from cooking […]
In a previous article, I suggested five books written in Spanish to indulge in your Spanish language interest. In this article, I have 6 movies or TV series to put your listening skills into practice. “It’s funny how the colours of the real world only seem really real when you […]
“I think a lot, but I don’t say much.” – Anne Frank “If you want to be fluent in Spanish you have to speak more” “Speak from day one” “Talk to strangers” Speak. Speak. SPEAK Ugh, exhausting! If you are something like me: an introvert, talking in groups […]
Selvas tengo en el corazón; árboles gruesos prietos de ramas; yuyos, retamas, flores de malvón, pájaros en las ramas, todo eso tengo en mi corazón. – Alfonsina Storni Una chica de ciudad. I once was a city girl. Coming from a small Spanish city, I grew up seeing only pigeons […]
Let us remember: One book, one pen, one child, and one teacher can change the world. – Malala Yousafzai Learning Spanish at a low pace means taking fewer lessons and spend more time doing the activities you love in Spanish. If you are something like me, you are a bookworm […]
What you are to be, you are now becoming. – Carl Rogers We are constantly changing, evolving, becoming and yet, changing is not easy. Allowing transformation is not uncomplicated, and it is definitely not effortless. But I am not here to talk about how to become the person you are […]
How such a little word like a preposition (a, de, por…) can cause such havoc amongst Spanish learners? Well, to be fair. I struggled to remember my preposition in English and French, and I still sometimes slip up. But, don’t despair! I got the hang of them by dint of […]
Writing poetry in your target language is – can be–, a way to more than increasing vocabulary and reaching accuracy. Although these reasons are already good in themselves. Writing poetry through guided prompts can help you nail down grammar structures in manner that involves your emotions and your experiences. There […]
What I love about this guest posts from Elfin Waters, from All About Italian, is that she brings the idea of pleasure as a way to learning the language. Pleasure not as a bonus but as the way to get there. If you have lost the joy of learning the […]
I recently sent a questionnaire to my audience asking them what their struggles were in Spanish and what they wanted or needed more of to improve and progress in their Spanish journey. One of the questions I asked was how interested they were in a poetry course in Spanish to […]
Why setting intentions in Spanish? Let’s start by laying out the benefits of setting intentions and how you can improve your Spanish (and your life even!) in doing so. “Intention is one of the most powerful forces there is. What you mean when you do a thing will always determine […]
