Donna Q.

I must’ve been born with wanderlust in my bones. This hunger to explore the world brought me to many countries at a young age, and eventually led to deep studies of Spanish and French. I used to love to imagine living in every city I visited… wondering what daily life would be like in those places. I suppose I love to wonder as much as I love to wander, and this tendency made philosophy a natural fit. So, alongside my love of languages, I ended up getting another degree in eastern philosophy. Besides my human son, I also have two terriers and a tortoise, so it’s harder to get away these days. I am also a watercolorist, an author, and I love to sing.

I have tutored French to fellow Americans in the Alps and have taught Spanish and French grammar classes at the Beverly Hills Lingual Institute. Most recently, I taught Spanish conversation to a fun group of elders near me, in Culver City. I am also an adjunct professor in the social sciences department at Santa Monica College, where I’ve been on faculty for 25 years.

I have the ability to break things down and make them understandable. When it comes to teaching languages, this tendency comes in handy when explaining grammar. In teaching language conversation, I like to foster a relaxed, easy feeling with the new language, so that it begins to feel as natural and comfortable as an old sweatshirt.