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Learn more about Lucia

• Do you speak this language fluently because of your origins or because a teacher inspired you to learn?

  I can speak Spanish with confidence because is my mother tongue. Speaking Spanish has become a career option for people in all spheres of society, it is the fourth most spoken language in the world and the third most utilised language online after English and Chinese. That inspired me to teach Spanish and to spread the knowledge of the culture and traditions of Spanish-speaking countries.

• Can you name a living, historical or fictional character that you think is the emblematic representative of the language's culture?

  It is challenging to pick only one character when you consider that Spanish is the official language in 20 nations, is widely spoken in another 4 countries, and is spoken by more than 500 million people over 4 continents. But I'd like to talk about the following characters:
  Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
  The Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes, is known as the first modern novelist. His novel Don Quixote is one of the most-translated books in the world. In fact “El día del Idioma” is observed to honour his outstanding representative of the Castilian language.
  Gabriel García Márquez
  The Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez is also known as "Gabo." The most prominent representative of magical realism is a genre that uses imagination, magical aspects, and happenings to explain real experiences. He won the 1982 Nobel Prize in literature.
  Mafalda
  Mafalda is a 6-year-old cartoon girl who was created by the cartoonist Joaquín Salvador "Quino" in Argentina. She is concerned about world peace and humanity issues and approaches these topics with a serious but upright attitude.

• Is there a typical word, phrase, tradition or behaviour in the language that you particularly like?

  In regards to my favourite words I'll respond with a song's chorus that features some of them:
  “Eres magnífico, fantástico
  Eres espléndido, Eres lo máximo
  Incomparable, y adorable
  Y así se agoten mis palabras
  Aún mi pluma escribirá
  Que Eres magnífico”
  
  One of the traditions I enjoy the most is the celebration of "Las Novenas" in Colombia, and "Las Posadas" in Mexico. These wonderful celebrations take place the nine previous days to Christmas and typically involve family gatherings where people eat, drink, relax, sing carols, pray and have a good time.
  Something else I would like to share is about literature, in particular the influence of magical realism on music. “Gabo”, the writer I mentioned earlier, influenced countless works by musicians all over the world, in a variety of genres. I was particularly struck by the fact that Alex Turner, frontman of the British rock band Arctic Monkeys, acknowledged some years ago in an interview that his album AM was influenced almost entirely by the literary universe of Gabriel Garcia Marquez: According to the singer "Most of the songs describe scenarios that feel like a surrealist painting".

• Why does speaking this language matter to you?

  The most valuable contribution a person can make to a language, in my opinion, is to speak it well in daily conversation. As much as possible, I try to avoid mingling words from different languages, make good use of the language, and express myself clearly to avoid any misunderstandings as would be expected of a native speaker.

• What is the main difficulty in learning this language and what can help the process of learning?

  Spanish is a language with extraordinary richness A word in Spanish can have different meanings, the use of proverbs, ironic or double meanings are common, and even small changes in punctuation can affect the meaning of a phrase. Learning Spanish requires exposure to the culture.
  The subjunctive mood is one of the most problematic concepts for foreigners to grasp, especially for English speakers, because this mood is treated differently in the English language.
  Making use of the language you are studying daily is, in my opinion, one of the keys to learning a foreign language. Choosing a comfortable, distraction-free place and sparing some time to study for brief but frequent periods will make a big difference.

• Provide a valuable anecdote related to your language learning or your days at school.

  In response to your question, I'd like to tell you a story involving my husband, who has been learning Spanish for some time. When my husband called the hotel reception while travelling in South America to request soap, the receptionist informed him that the kitchen was closed but promised to do her best to accommodate his request. He wasn't sure how the kitchen related to his request but chose to wait.
  After some time, the waiter knocked on the door with a bowl of hot soup intending to set up a table in the restroom to leave the soup there. That's when we realised my husband had asked for soup (sopa in Spanish) when he meant to ask for soap (jabón in Spanish). This is a perfect illustration of a cognate word or false friend (words in one language that resemble, either in spelling or pronunciation, other words in another language, but have a completely different meaning).

• How has travel or a specific trip helped you to increase your skill and knowledge of the language?

  The Spanish language, in all of its varieties, is immensely rich and is widely spoken around the world. As a result, some words have distinct meanings depending on the language in which they are uttered. Travelling to other countries usually helps me to better grasp words. I might use a word or phrase that means something entirely different in a foreign country. Therefore, I could say that in many cases, learning is the result of simple misunderstandings.
  For instance, I meant a cup of black coffee when I told my Argentine friend that I needed a "Tinto" even though it was only 8 am. To him, a "Tinto" means a glass of red wine. He most likely believed I was an alcoholic.

• What makes you a Superprof in language?

  I am passionate about teaching and creating a learning environment that gives students chances to learn and apply their knowledge. From my point of view, teaching is more than transferring what you know. It's supporting the learner to set and achieve their goals using appropriate methods for each individual.
  I assist my pupils in developing ways to improve their knowledge and help them to come up with strategies that will strengthen their skills. The tools I provide are typically adapted to the needs of each student and created or chosen to assist their learning goals.