Biography

My teaching experience, which has ranged from secondary school through university, has allowed me to work in a variety of settings and to respond better to student needs of differing types and levels. My broad life and career background also gives me a sensitivity to the practical needs of today's college students. As a college student I lived and studied for seven years in Europe. Then my experience in the corporate world allowed me to live and work for five years in Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Brazil. On transitioning to teaching, I was invited to teach Portuguese, Italian, and Spanish in my college teaching years before joining Raritan Valley. My doctoral work in Spanish and Italian literature enhanced my knowledge of these languages and the particular problems students face. Here at Raritan Valley, I intend to develop further as an active member of the college community and to continue to contribute academic research.

Teaching Philosophy

Living languages, real life, real problems and issues. Teaching has to address these to offer something a student can value and from which they can learn. Yes, I know the many language teaching theories and even their conflicts among themselves, and their rises and falls in the classroom and with the textbook publishers over the years. A good teacher needs to encompass their best points but also move beyond them. Every class should be one in which students learn more and more of the language and its culture in a coherent and balanced way, use it in real situations, and enjoy doing so. This is what I try to give.

Courses Taught at RVCC