Meet our Teachers: Rebeca from Guanjuato

Continuing our Meet our Teachers interviews with don Quijote profes, we linger in Mexico.

While in Guanajuato, we talk a while with Rebeca Aguilar Jimenez, who recommends a book for students of Spanish while she warmly recommends her city. In Guanajuato, Rebeca tells us, everything surrounding you favors your learning the Spanish language:

How long have you been teaching Spanish, Rebeca?
Approximately 10 years.

What do like most about your profession?
All that I learn from every one of my students!

What do you do when you are not working?
Mostly I dedicate myself to my family, though I do also like to dance, watch movies, read about metaphysics, and go for a stroll through town.

Why do you believe that your city is the ideal place in which to do a Spanish course?
Guanajuato is a unique city, touristic, small and safe. The colonial architecture and the streets and alleyways are very appealing to visitors. It's easy to mix with the locals and practice the language with the families that take in students. The surroundings here truly favour learning Spanish.

Do you have a key piece of advice for people who want to learn Spanish?
Travel to a Spanish speaking country!

Will you share your favourite teacher's anecdote?
One day in class we were going through vocabulary having to do with clothing, talking about short and long sleeves (mangas largas y mangas cortas). When we went out for the class break, one of my students wanted to practice what we had studied that day. Out on the patio, in front of a large group of students he said the he wasn't cold because his shirt had long sleeves " except he said "nalgas largas " " long buttocks, in Spanish. I went cold and had to clear up the confusion in front of everybody. We laughed a lot about it later!

What book do you recommend to Spanish students who want to read their first novel (or simply their first book) in Spanish?
I suggest the book "Cuentos y Fábulas" published by Norma.