When my husband and I bought a house in Guanajuato in 2005, I spoke intermediate Spanish, having taken Spanish classes whenever we traveled around Mexico and other Latin American countries.
I signed up for classes right away, but soon realized that this was not a good strategy for advancing in the language. Inevitably, there would be a student or two who were either at a much more basic or advanced level, which interrupted the learning for the rest of us. No matter which school I attended, I found this always to be the case. One of my teachers, who has taught in multiple schools, agreed that assigning students to the correct level was a common challenge in all the schools where she had taught.
The advantage of a tutor over a class
Ultimately I decided to hire one of our teachers to be my personal tutor. I liked this idea because it allowed me to focus on what I wanted to work on, whether it was listening, grammar, reading, pronunciation — the dreaded rr! —or vocabulary. I also felt happy about the decision because Spanish teachers are notoriously underpaid in Mexico, and I preferred investing in the teachers themselves rather than the school’s overhead.
In the 20 years since, I’ve had ten tutors. Because I’m fluent now, I don’t strictly need a tutor, but I still find it helpful in many ways. Fluency doesn’t mean I’ve arrived. Far from it! I’m not bilingual. I still make mistakes, plus I’ll never stop learning the endless Mexicanisms, not to mention asking my tutor about the culture.
Sometimes, too, I’ll ask for help from a teacher for a particular project. For example, one of my current goals is to write articles for Spanish-language publications. Once I find a market, I’ll draft a proposal and have my tutor help me as an editor, helping me finesse word usage and style.
My classes with a teacher can be a win-win for both of us. One year, for instance, my tutor was preparing to defend her thesis in front of a panel of five professors. Knowing that I had trained employees on presentation skills, she asked me for tips on how to engage with her audience. It turned out to be helpful for both of us.
Also, thanks to one of my tutors, I’ve now read several Spanish novels, something I would have been too intimidated to try without her encouragement.
Not one, but two
But it wasn’t until this year that I realized I could benefit from two tutors. I was frustrated because I wasn’t speaking Spanish as much as I wanted, so I decided it was worth spending US $12 for another hour’s one-on-one conversation.
What a difference it’s making! Because I’m interacting with two teachers whose styles and accents are different, I’m getting double the listening, conversation, grammar and vocabulary. Not to mention double the fun.
Plus, in case one tutor moves out of the area — which has happened frequently — I still have one left. I do study Spanish with a tutor online sometimes, but much prefer in-person classes.
How my sessions are structured
My teachers are very different. One meets me at our home, which is easy for her, because she lives just half a block away. Her teaching style is highly structured. A couple of years ago, we focused on the verbs of change: all the different equivalents in Spanish for the English word “become.” Currently, she sends me a weekly podcast, which I listen to before our session. During class, we discuss the vocabulary and content, and for homework I’ll make up sentences using my new words.
My second tutor is more casual. Even though she’s less than half my age, I feel like I’m talking with a close friend over a cup of tea. Basically we just chat at a nearby cafe, updating each other on our respective weeks, although she still corrects my mistakes. Sometimes I have a particular theme I want to discuss or a question about some aspect of Mexico. For example, because I’m musing about writing an article about Mexico’s high rate of obesity, I asked her if it was still common that moms introduced sugar to their kids at a young age by taking their kids to a corner store after school for a sweet. Yes, she told me, it is.
I’ve learned to be proactive
The only downside of a tutor is that in my experience some can be a bit passive, thinking that just showing up suffices. This hasn’t been a problem for me, because I never run out of things to discuss or questions to ask. But if you’re considering going the tutor route, I recommend planning carefully what you want to focus on and being prepared and proactive.
The way I look at it, US $100 a month is a small price for the benefit I get. I have the time, can afford it, look forward to both sessions and always come away gratified and upbeat. Now that I know the advantage of two tutors, I don’t think I’ll ever go back, because it’s such a small investment for a huge payoff.
