Oscar Torres
(Mentor and Spanish – Online)
Originally from Chicago, I have been living in Spain for the last 15 years. Since I was young, being from a bilingual (often trilingual) environment naturally developed in me a fascination for languages as tools for communication and as a lens to understand a culture.
My passion is communication in any of its forms: music, theater, poetry, dance… This interest led me to study English Literature and Linguistics, then specializing in Linguistics and its different applications in Computer Science, all while not leaving my artistic side behind. As such, my career as a musician, researcher, and actor has expanded my vision on what it means to be a good teacher.
In my 7 years of teaching, I can say with confidence that a learning experience cannot be complete if it is not transversal and multidisciplinary. What good is vocabulary if you cannot have a debate? Why should you learn grammar if you cannot tell a story? These are some of the questions that I have asked myself since I began, and I encourage my students to constantly ask themselves what is the purpose of their time with me so we can both work towards a common objective.
In a nutshell, my goal is for students to take their learning into their own hands. I have taken on mentoring since last year as a way to help them realize their potential and make the process and contents relevant to their own areas. Air-traffic controllers, teens deciding what to study, junior researchers, aspiring translators… All of them have gained a level of confidence that traditional systems have not been the best at fostering.
My passion is communication in any of its forms: music, theater, poetry, dance… This interest led me to study English Literature and Linguistics, then specializing in Linguistics and its different applications in Computer Science, all while not leaving my artistic side behind. As such, my career as a musician, researcher, and actor has expanded my vision on what it means to be a good teacher.
In my 7 years of teaching, I can say with confidence that a learning experience cannot be complete if it is not transversal and multidisciplinary. What good is vocabulary if you cannot have a debate? Why should you learn grammar if you cannot tell a story? These are some of the questions that I have asked myself since I began, and I encourage my students to constantly ask themselves what is the purpose of their time with me so we can both work towards a common objective.
In a nutshell, my goal is for students to take their learning into their own hands. I have taken on mentoring since last year as a way to help them realize their potential and make the process and contents relevant to their own areas. Air-traffic controllers, teens deciding what to study, junior researchers, aspiring translators… All of them have gained a level of confidence that traditional systems have not been the best at fostering.
