Daniel Banchik

I have taught at a university for over 2 years as an assistant lecturer and main lecturer. Teaching different subjects to students in Spanish and English ranging from ages 12 to 60 years old.

The way in which I teach language is catered dependant on the reason which the student decided to learn and the areas and skills they would like to improve.

Growing up I never particularly liked going to school, this has made me want to teach in a different way to the one I was taught. I like to start my lessons with a "warm up" where the student tells me, in the language thy are learning, about a topic they are passionate about and could discuss with hours on end. This way the students focuses their full attention on finding the words to say something they know about. Making them feel comfortable in what they are talking about but challenging the way they say it.

My favourite sort of lesson is when I show the student a piece of hispanic media, wether it being a book, a movie, a video etc.. and then alongside them breaking it all down piece by piece. By breaking it down I mean, examining each aspect of the piece beyond just the language, the context, the double meanings, the geographical setting, its history, the creator of the piece, its impact, the accent etc..

I like to do this because I believe that the best way to learn about a single subject to its entirety one must simultaneously learn fractions of different subjects that resolve around the main focus subject in order to better understand the whole.