Buenos días! My name is Julie Thompson, and I'd like to help you with your language projects.
My qualifications? To be frank, they're not on the normal 'checklist' for translators and interpreters. After taking the standard Spanish language courses in junior high school, high school and a year and a half in college, I began to use it in my volunteer work, for the next nine years. That work eventually led me to Ecuador, South America. Now, it's one thing to VISIT a foreign country for a period of time, listening to others speak the native language in their own country. It's another thing entirely to LIVE in that country, day after day, year after year, living that native language. For the past 27 years, I have lived the language immersion experience, which has been a tremendous help for me to not only speak Spanish, but to better understand the thinking processes of Spanish speakers. An extra-added bonus has been a better insight into my own mother tongue, English. I have also had the opportunity to learn a third language, Ecuadorian Quichua, spoken by various Andes and jungle Indian peoples.
Since 1989, part of my volunteer work has included literacy and language instruction in U.S. English, Latin American Spanish and Ecuadorian Quichua. I have taught over 100 students from several countries, from 7 to 70 years old, from all walks of life and levels of education. I have also published two language texts: "Wanna Go Where?", a guide into planning for a move abroad, and "5 Reasons to NOT Learn a Second Language", an essay on overcoming reluctance to learn languages.
Contact me, and let´s accomplish your Spanish, English and Quichua language goals! I look forward to hearing from you.