Mr. Alejandro Torres

Biography:

Alejandro Torres was born in Santiago, Chile. Two of his older siblings as well as his father are also educators. He must have developed his interest in social science and language early on, because at age 8 he started his own "household newspaper", which he filled with stories about family pets, the comings and goings of various relatives, and reports on the weather.

He attended school at the University of Chile where he received dual degrees in History & Geography, and Education. In 2003, he moved to Los Angeles, California where he began working as a Spanish instructor for a private language company. Here he taught his native langauge to a diverse range of students, from diplomats and businesspeople, to well-known actors and actresses. (You guessed it, we can't name names here!) In addition to his regular classes during this time, Mr. Torres also had the opportunity to teach in a new department, providing live, online instruction in Spanish over the internet.

After spending a few years in California, Mr. Torres decided he would see what life was like on the East Coast and moved with his wife to Fairfax, VA.  Mr. Torres enjoys traveling, camping, hiking, listening to music, and watching good films. Teaching these past few years at GWCS has been a wonderful experience for him.

Courses Taught:

Spanish I:

Have you ever come face to face with a Spanish-speaker and wanted to say something but couldn't? Here is your big chance. Every year the Spanish language is becoming more important in the United States . Having solid knowledge of this language is a big plus for both daily life as well as for professional purposes. In this course students will learn to express themselves in Spanish, developing vocabulary, pronunciation skills and conversational confidence so students can use their Spanish in useful real life dialogues. We will develop these skills through activities, presentations and dialogues about family, friends, travel, hobbies and pop culture. We will approach the many different cultures of Spanish-speaking countries through reading, music, movies and trips to interesting places.

Spanish II:

This course builds on the basic skills you may already have in Spanish. Its objective is to make you feel more comfortable expressing yourself. Students will learn the correct use of verb tenses, how to express more complex ideas and will engage in extensive dialogues. We will also delve deeply into Hispanic culture, talking in Spanish so that you are truly able to integrate it into your daily life.

Spanish III:

In this course, students will begin to understand and interpret written and spoken language on a variety of advanced topics. Active participation, oral presentation, and written exercises will be required. Students will be coached on how to use Spanish in real life and should be able to speak well both inside and outside of the classroom, during regular social interaction, with little teacher supervision. Get ready to make a grand entrance into the Spanish-speaking world!

Spanish IV:

Spanish IV reinforces what students have previously learned in Spanish I, II and III.  We will build on this knowledge to understand the language more deeply.  This course is based on the belief that the purpose of learning Spanish is to communicate with the people who speak it and to understand their cultures.  To achieve this goal we will communicate in Spanish right from the start.  We'll use many fascinating ways to learn.  Many exercises will involve active participation and creativity.  Students will learn to communicate about topics or situations they are likely to encounter in real life.  In level IV students will go beyond talking about themselves to talk about important ideas that affect society and their world.

Soccer:

The most beautiful game in the world is at GWCS!  Mr. Torres its the coach of the Coyote Thunder team and their goal this year is to continue their rivalry with the All Stars team.  We'll hold fun practice sessions on a regular basis to keep ourselves in 'tip-top shape' for games.

Elective Exploring Spanish: Conversation and Culture:

Do you think the only way to learn another language is by translation? Luckily for us, that isn't so! There are many fascinating ways one can learn another language and learn about other places: watching films and TV, listening to music, reading about interesting subjects, visiting Spanish-speaking places and of course, talking. In this elective, we will use a more non- conventional approach to learning. Many exercises will involve active participation and creativity. We will learn more about the culture of Spanish-speaking countries, from their food to their music to their costumes-- all in an involved way. Additionally, we will take time to study the influence of Hispanic culture within the United States as well as in our local area to get to know it better. Come and discover for yourself that Hispanic culture is more than just “tacos'.  This course provides you with the amazing taste of be a bilingual person taking the best of two worlds.  (Not offered Fall 2010)

Websites:

For support in learning Spanish, use the following website in conjunction with your textbook.  Select "World Languages" as the subject:

http://www.glencoe.com

Hours Available For Extra Help:

By appointment:  Monday thru Friday mornings from 8:00 am - 8:30 am and afternoons from 3:45 pm - 4:30 pm.