Julie Smith

469 450-8452

It is my honor and privilege to serve the THEO family this coming year, and I cannot wait to dive into the Spanish language alongside a new group of learners (which will include my own daughter!). Pinch me!

I began my love of the Spanish language and people as a freshman in high school, when our family hosted a foreign exchange student for the summer. I could not believe how much I learned just from her, and I worked hard in my Spanish classes in order to continue to keep in touch with her. Alas, things did not move along for my language acquisition as quickly in class as it had over that summer, and we lost touch. I wondered even at 15 years old why I had learned more from another teenager than I had from my class, and when I began studying language theory in college the light bulb came on! What I had received from Paola was so natural that we didn’t even know it was happening. It was so similar to how babies learn their first language, and it all made so much sense. I knew this was how I would teach Spanish, and I’ve been blessed to use this method with hundreds of students over the last 25+ years. By Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling (TPRS), language comes alive! Students find themselves immersed in language that they understand, can produce, and want to keep learning more.

My goal for every student in my class, at every level, is to leave with the ability to use what they have learned in the real world, and to continue to build on the language skills they acquired when they were with me. It’s my job to make learning fun, accessible, and unforgettable. Join me!

Teaching Experience:

Clark Middle School, Princeton, TX

ACT Academy (K-12), McKinney, TX

Collin College, McKinney, TX

Lucas Christian Academy, Lucas, TX

Private tutoring

Homeschool Classes

Spanish for Medical Professionals

Spanish for Ministry

Related Experience:

Medical Translation

Court Translation

Volunteer work and translation in Perú with Joni and Friends

Educational Background:

Curso de Humanidades, Universidad Autónoma de Campeche, Campeche, México, 1993

Bachelor of Arts in Spanish, Austin College 1994

Master of Arts in Teaching, Austin College 1995

18 hours post-graduate work in Spanish Literature, Austin College 1995

Continuing Education courses in Spanish Poetry, Conversation, and Literature, Southern Methodist University 1996-1998