Biography of a language learner and becoming a language teacher
Tiffany T. Robayna
On an excruciatingly hot summer day in Birmingham, AL, I was born in the hospital
where my father was an Internist. Summers were occupied with family trips around the United
States and extendedinto many foreign countries. In first grade, my family and I left school for a
month so that my mother could make the world become a classroom to my two brothers and
myself. We traveled around Asia being sure not to miss Hong Kong, Thailand, China,
Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, etc. From birth, my life has involved traveling in order to see the
world and to learn from other cultures.
At age 11 my father passed away. My life had been founded upon Christian principles
and beliefs that proved significant during this hard time. My family increased in size when
my mother remarried a pastor and I inherited two more older brothers. Soon after, we moved
to Muncie, IN and for the first time in my life I was surrounded by people who thought I spoke
strangely. I quickly worked diligently to lose my southern accent in order to fit in.
I was fortunate enough to be enrolled in a private elementary school where French was
taught as a subject in the curriculum. Therefore, when I entered high school, I had to make a
decision. Do I continue with French or sign up for Spanish? I opted for the latter due to the
knowledge that Spanish was rapidly becoming the bilingual language of America. In High
School I had a variety of teachers who taught in a spectrum of methods. My first year I had a
lady from Cuba, who taught strictly by memorization. My second year I had an American who
taught through memorization of plays and making props. My final two years, my teacher
was from Mexico, and she brought the culture into the classroom through poetry, singing fun
historical songs, and creating items such as maracas. Therefore, I entered college knowing that I
wanted to major in Spanish, and to use this passion as a tool with the practical use of a
teaching degree.
During my college years, I was required to study abroad for one semester. At the end of
my freshman year, I spent a couple of weeks in Honduras on a mission trip after Hurricane
Mitch. It was there I learned the essential tool of circumlocution. After my sophomore year, I
spent two and a half months in the Dominican Republic where I truly developed a love for
teaching, and I learned to communicate decently with native speakers. Therefore, I decided to
go to Madrid, Spain for my study abroad. I lived with a family and was able to take some of the
most interesting classes I’d ever had in Spanish. My favorite classes were drama and a
historical culture class about the Jews, Muslims, and Christians in Spain. That summer, I
stayed over and taught English as a second language to teenagers in a camp. At the end of this
experience, I knew that this is where I would like to come back to someday.
After college graduation, I found a teaching position in Virginia, right outside of D.C.
Whites were the minority and Blacks and Hispanics were actually the majority. I taught there for
three years and then returned to IN, where I taught in a private catholic high school. I then
returned to Spain as an English teacher with a mission organization, teaching elementary and
middle school students English in an after school program. I enjoyed the year, grew in my
language abilities as my students taught me a lot, and then I came back to the states because I
was getting married.
Upon returning to AL, I was offered a Spanish teaching position. I have taught there for 4 years where I integrate as much fun, games, history, poetry, drama, and hands on experiences as I can. I want my classes to be interesting, enjoyable, and applicable to my students and their lives. At the same time I want to encourage them to apply their knowledge outside of the four walls of the school. Opportunities are boundless no matter where you go in life.