Where have you grown up and spent your life?
I grew up in Spain and France; my family is Spanish, and I spent years in France going to Spanish school after the daily French school. As a young adult, I spent a long time in the UK and then started travelling while teaching in international schools. I brought up my own daughter speaking French, and I am so proud of her as she is taking IB French A Higher Level—even though she never took official mother tongue classes until she arrived at ISB last academic year.
What are your fields of specialty and your interests/hobbies?
I teach languages (French and Spanish during school, French after school) and I enjoy reading, sports and travelling with family. I recently spent a wonderful week in Moscow, a very special mother-daughter time.
What have you enjoyed about teaching French and Spanish at ISB?
I enjoy sharing stories, cultural aspects and discovering new aspects as the Francophone and Hispanic worlds are so big. I enjoy it when my students use words that we have learned in the classroom, and when they make connections with other subjects, and when they link the classroom with their home or home country…
What are some tips for ISB families trying to maintain their children’s native language?
- Immerse your child(ren) in the language as much as possible.
- Watch movies together in the language, with the subtitles turned on in the language.
- Have books and magazines in the language around the house.
- Ask children to write emails/letters/postcards in the language.
- Get involved with the community of expats who use the language.
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Show that you yourself are interested in the language and its culture. Help children to discover your country(ies) of origin by taking them to different areas.
It’s a lot of effort but worth it for our children!