Testimonies & Recommendations 2006 - 2009 (English)

15th December, 2009

When I began my search for a Spanish tutor in Buenos Aires, I searched all over the internet and considered taking group classes at an expensive, intensive language school. However, my search led me to Craigslist and I happened upon Vero's simple, but clearly written advertisement. There are many advertisements for tutors on Craigslist, but Vero's stood out because of the link to this blog, which contained straightforward information on methods, affordable pricing, past experience, and recommendations. I hoped that the organized presentation of the blog reflected an organized, methodical, effective and responsive teacher. I was right!

I e-mailed with Vero before arriving in Buenos Aires and she always responded promptly and clearly. We agreed to meet for 2 hours every weekday for 4 weeks, as I felt that 2 hours in one-on-one lessons would be just as, if not more effective, than 4 hours/day in group classes. I had studied spanish in high school and a little bit in college, so I wanted more practice in real conversation and help relearning/reviewing more complicated grammar. We arranged a meeting time and I arrived at her apartment without a hitch. She was warm and welcoming, and she gauged my language level quickly in order to come up with an overall plan of progress.

Over the course of those 4 weeks, we got to know each other through our daily conversations and Vero gradually incorporated more advanced grammar into my lessons. Every day, I had some homework, which consisted of grammar exercises, written work, or even going to watch a movie at the theatre. It can be hard to motivate oneself to do grammar exercises which seem boring, but there were definitely some questions in each exercise that made me think about the language more deeply. They were definitely worth doing and they helped me learn much faster than I would have without homework. By the end, we had reviewed every verb tense that exists!!

Not only was I very happy with my progress in Spanish, but I was also very happy to get to know someone as wonderful and interesting as Vero. She taught me a lot about Argentine culture and life. I found myself eagerly looking forward to our daily conversations and happy to have a friend in town. Now that I am back at home, some of my warmest memories of Buenos Aires were her welcoming hug and her brown ceramic water pitcher shaped like a duck!

I heartily recommend Spanish lessons with Vero! Any Spanish student should be lucky to find a teacher as amazing as her!

Laura Yip
New York, NY - USA
yipla@yahoo.com

7 de Agosto del 2009

Verónica Bonafina es una gran maestra de la lengua castellana. La conozco desde hace un año cuando llegué a Buenos Aires para aprender el idioma común y cotidiano de este interesante y maravilloso país. Antes de venir completé mis estudios en antropología y música en Estados Unidos y trabajé como profesor de guitarra en Austin, Texas. Tuve mucha experiencia en clases particulares y sé muy bien las dificultades de este tipo de trabajo.

Una vez en Argentina, busqué una profesora que no sólo pudiera enseñarme la lengua sino algo acerca de la cultura y del arte que se produce en la capital. Verónica fue la persona indicada para hacer esta tarea. Ella está tan informada sobre los lugar copados de Buenos Aires como de la gramática española. En combinación con su paciencia, que ayudó en mi lucha con el idioma, ella me recomendó muchos lugares parar conocer y practicar las cosas que habíamos repasado. Y encima de eso, ella es buena música también y sabe muy bien el arte del cantautor, cuyas canciones me sirvieron como herramienta de aprendizaje también.

Yo recomendaría y he recomendado a Verónica a cualquier estudiante de español que quiera conocer a una maestra relajada y disfrutar de la música, la historia argentina o un cachito de contemplación filosofica, que es su enfoque en la UBA. Y aparte de todo, después de mucho estudio con ella, Verónica benévelomente me dijo que no asistiera a sus clases más, porque su trabajo había terminado de manera que yo hablaba y escribía con tanta soltura que no necesitaba más el estudio particular. Eso es algo que sólo los grandes maestros pueden lograr.

Michael Shanks
Austin, Texas
michaelanthonyshanks@gmail.com


3erd Jun 2009

I began meeting with Veronica about 5 weeks after arriving in B.A. I was enrolled in group classes at the time and had learned a lot of grammar and vocabulary but was having trouble finding a context in which to practice, so I decided to look for a conversation teacher. I consider myself extremely lucky to have found Vero. She is a natural teacher, not only patient and encouraging but also very engaging. She's genuinely interested in what happens in class. She is also well schooled in grammar and the rules of language so she's able to explain things in a way that makes sense, and is never at a loss when asked to give an example. Not to mention she can talk about absolutely anything! Vero is a real conversationalist, and I credit her for the marked improvement in my ability to listen and comprehend. She speaks very clearly and with intention, which is not easy to do, and she does it without sounding unnatural. Lots of body language! Overall, her classes are very relaxed, and you'll find yourself having real conversations, which is very confidence-inspiring. Vero has my highest recommendations!

Laura Willamsen
Austin, USA
lwilliamsen@gmail.com



1st May 2009

I took classes with Vero about twice a week for two months. My grammar improved steadily and more importantly I got a lot better at, and more comfortable with, talking in Spanish. I found the classes to be well organized and professional, and yet at the same time relaxed, friendly and interesting. Especially I liked how Vero was able to keep a conversation flowing and focus on things that interested me about Buenos Aires and Argentina, and find reading and writing assignments that were fun and helpful. I give her my recomendations.

Kári Gylfason,
Reykjavík, Iceland
karigylfa@hotmail.com

19th January 2009

I have been living in Bs As for the past 4 years but unfortunately due the nature of my work my spanish had not advance as I had expected. I had tried lessons at various institutes but grew increasingly frustrated by the fact that they kept changing teachers on a regular basis which in turn seemed not only slow my advancement but also damage my enthusiasm. I therefore sought out a private teacher and luckily stumbled across Verónica.

After lessons with Verónica, I can really sense an improvement in all areas of my spanish when compared to a year ago. Verónica acted quickly to identify my level of Spanish and was great at tailoring the lessons and method of teaching to my learning abilities. As I was working long hours, she was also very accommodating with the scheduling of lessons to meet my needs. Verónica is easy to get along with and knows how to stimulate an interesting conversation which in turn encourages you to talk more. I highly recommend Verónica as a teacher of Castellano for any potential student of the language, and with confidence can say that she will improve your understanding of the language. I look forward to continuing my lessons with Verónica this year.

Philip Egan
London, England
philipegan12@hotmail.com


13th January 2009

I highly recommend Verónica Bonafina for anyone that is looking to learn Spanish during their stay in the great city of Buenos Aires. I took one-on-one Spanish conversation classes with Verónica twice a week for 3 months. During this time my vocabulary, ability to conjugate verbs, Spanish accent, and overall fluidity of speech improved drastically. Verónica tailored the classes to my needs and worked hard to continually advance me to the next level. The classes were fun and while I was learning Spanish I was also learning about Argentine culture and history. Verónica is an extremely intelligent, kind, and caring person and I highly recommend her to anyone seeking Spanish classes.

Amanda Spaeth
Colorado, USA
aspaeth89@hotmail.com


8th January 2009

If you want to learn Spanish (Castellano) and enjoy the process of doing so then I recommend you take lessons with Verónica. I have spent the last 10 months studying with her and have not only been learning the language and its grammar, but lots more… about South America, the city of Buenos Aires and the recent history of Argentina.

Verónica is a natural conversationalist and she both listens and remembers and is interested in what you do and think. She is a kind and generous individual giving a lot of her self in the classes.

Verónica has a gentle but sure touch in keeping you on track and slowly but surely, you find yourself not only understanding the subjunctive but using it! My reasons for taking classes were partly for the grammar, but mostly for conversation, so that I could talk and listen in a safe and controlled environment and make mistakes without feeling any embarrassment or censure. She would gently correct me and then pick up on a grammar or vocabulary point in an organic way so that it seemed very natural and not like a chore at all!

I do recommend, however, to fellow students that you keep revising (at home) your grammar as you go along as often, as you progress, you forget some of the earlier things you have learnt……even for example, the present tense of some of the irregular verbs!!

Verónica helped to keep me enthusiastic about the language. I know that the progress I have made from beginner to someone who can chat and understand a large percentage of what is being said, since arriving here 11 months ago, has been because of her guidance, encouragement and support. Local people I meet are surprised (and impressed) by how much I have learnt in less than a year. So I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending her to you.

Jane Macfarlane
London, England
jane.macfarlane@hotmail.co.uk


3er January 2009

I attended a month long Spanish course at UBA - 3 hours per day, 5days per week, It was too much for me. I knew I wanted to keeplearning the language but not in such a formal, impersonal setting. A friend recommended Verónica and I was pleased to find out that shelived only a block away from me. I committed to see her for 1 1/2 hours per week -which I felt I could handle- but knowing it's notreally enough for the serious language student. Learning a language ina one to one situation can be quite exhausting. Even on the days whenI wasn't motivated to go and had to drag myself there I left feelingbetter. Verónica was very patient with me. She tailored each sessionto my needs and personal interests. I appreciated her easy-goingopen-minded nature. She is a well educated, intelligent and skilledlanguage teacher. We also shared other areas of interest - Psychology, Philosophy and Music. She helped me understand and appreciate portenoculture, thinking and way of life. She gently challenged me in mylearning and forgave me if I did not rise to that challenge. Back in Canada now, I miss our weekly meetings mostly because of herfriendship and I wish she would start teaching over Skype.

Maraya Loza Koxahn
Calgary, Canada
TangueraOnTour@gmail.com


21st June 2008

When I first arrived to Buenos Aires, I didn't know much Spanish other than a brief introduction of how to say "hello...how are you?" and conjugating the verbs in the present tense. After a month passed without lessons, I realized that my extent of the Spanish language wouldn't do much for me in communicating with others and simply living in the city.

When I started lessons with Vero, automatically I could tell that these lessons were very practical to me. She would devote time to each class to have natural conversation about topics that interested me. This provided time for me to apply the grammatical rules from every lesson that she taught me and to practice expressing myself in another language. I enjoyed this time of the class the most because Vero had a patient ear which made me more relaxed while I was trying to think and communicate in another language. During our conversations, she would feed me vocabulary that I lacked in Spanish and wanted to use and also helped me with my pronunciation. While we talked, Vero would take notes so I could later study any vocabulary introduced and expressions that are often used by native Spanish speakers.

After five months, I now feel comfortable to have conversation in Spanish. I am able to use all verb tenses, talk with complex and compound sentences, read advanced literature and use an extensive vocabulary that is both intelligent, up to date and local. Overall, I am very pleased to recommend Vero to any level of student that is considering classes from her.

Scott Lyman
Denver, Colorado, USA.
sclyman333@msn.com


4th April 2008

I highly recommend Verónica as a spanish tutor and, if I should ever return to BsAs, she is the first person I would contact. She is an intelligent and dynamic instructor plus her english is excellent. Verónica also knows BsAs inside out and is able and willing to answer all questions about her city and her country.

Brigitte Garner
Denver, Colorado, USA.
bginba@hotmail.com


3rd January 2008

To Whom It May Concern:

I would like to take an opportunity to offer a formal recommendation for Veronica Bonafina. As one of her students, I have known Veronica for 4 months, studying with her an average of 5 hours per week, and I feel that she has been a great asset to me during my study period abroad program at Universidad Torcuato di Tella.

I believe Veronica exhibits many of the qualities that are essential to teaching a language, which is not very common. The classes are tailored to individual needs, focusing on improving weak areas, for example, speaking, listening or reading. Her sensitivity, diligence, energy and sense of humour made learning from her a joy. The study books and guides that she provides are excellent and are easy to follow. I have found Veronica to be a superb teacher and she is absolutely lovely. I have also learnt an awful lot from her, both about the language and the argentine culture.

Learning at one of the top universities in Argentina was not an easy task but she was always there to lending a helping hand or ear whenever it was needed. She even went as far as studying dense argentine history texts with me for my final exams at the university, and giving advice about writing essays in Spanish. My overall experience with her was fantastic and getting through my semester at UTDT was only done with her help.It is for these reasons that I offer high recommendations for Veronica without reservation.

I would definitely recommend her to anyone in search of a language course. If you have any questions regarding this recommendation, please do not hesitate to contact me at tiwaotufale@hotmail.com

Tiwa Otufale
Flat 9 Pier house
31 Cheyne Walk
Chelsea London, England.


2nd December 2007

I was Veronica's student for 2 months, I likes her style of teaching, adapted to the needs of the student, in my case it was a private session in my place or if we chose to in a cafe, learning from her material as well as informal sessions, she has a great sense of humor and is not rushed, she even taught me how to sing one of the songs that she had performed.

Manizhe Vatan
California, USA.
manivatan@hotmail.com


19th October 2007

To Whom It May Concern,

From June to September of 2007, I had the good fortune to take Spanish classes with Verónica Bonafina. Verónica has been a huge resourse for me in my time here in Buenos Aires. She is a dedicated teacher who has helped me advance several levels in my Spanish comprehension, diction and vocabulary. Her teaching methods are tried and true but Verónica´s innovation and intelligence as a teacher comes throught the large amount of time she spends with one-on-one instruction. Personally, I cannot emphasize enough the value that Verónica brings to the instruction by focusing the specific needs of each individual studen and addressing those needs in a easy-to-lear, very accessible format. Her enthusiasm for the material combined with a natural intelligence and sense of humor makes these classes become more like conversations between two friends than any sort of excercise between teacher and pupil. Verónica has been teaching individuals in Spanish for many years and it is this experience and expertise that is the crucial difference between her style of teaching and the other teaching methods commonly used in large group classes. For anyone interested in taking classes with Verónica, I wholeheartedly endorse her as a teacher and recommended her for Spanish students of all levels.

If anyone would like further references or recommendations for Verónica, feel free to contact me at jbowman@yahoo.com

Sincerely,
Jeffrey Bowman

5th October 2006

To Whom It May Concern:

I would like to take this opportunity to offer a formal recommendation for Veronica Bonafina. Over a period of five months during 2006, while living and working in Buenos Aires, I took weekly classes of one or two hours with Veronica. Consequently, I feel qualified to comment on her ability as a teacher of Spanish.Veronica was a highly committed and hard-working teacher and she always tailored her classes to suit my needs and interests. Classes with Veronica made a refreshing change from other language classes I have taken over the years. We read a variety of articles and discussed language, culture, philosophy and politics, amongst other things. This enabled me to improve my reading and conversational skills in Spanish, but also allowed me to learn more about Argentinean culture. The classes were intellectually stimulating and I was often required to produce written pieces of work, which really helped me to improve my Spanish.

Veronica was always supportive, friendly and fun, but she took her teaching seriously and strived to give me lessons that would challenge and interest me.I feel that my Spanish improved greatly as a result of her teaching and I recommend language classes with Veronica without reservation, but if you do have any further questions regarding this recommendation, please do not hesitate to contact me atjennie.burke@gmail.com

Jennie Burke
73b Avenell Road
London N5 1BT
U.K


21st June 2006

To Whom It May Concern:

I would like to take this opportunity to offer a formal recommendation for Veronica Bonafina. As one of her former students, I have known Veronica since April 2005, studying Spanish conversation, literature and culture with her weekly for over 12 months (April 2005 – June 2006). Veronica’s classes provided support to my studies at the Universidad de Buenos Aires.

Veronica exhibited many of the qualities that are essential to teaching a language. Her classes were tailored to individual needs, focusing on improving weak areas, for example, speaking, listening or reading. Her sensitivity, diligence, energy and sense of humour made learning from her a joy and her choice of materials was always appropriate and interesting.

Having studied more than one foreign language in many different contexts (University in the UK, private language schools abroad, private tuition), and being a qualified language teacher myself, I can say with confidence that learning Spanish with Veronica was one of my most enjoyable and rewarding language-learning experiences so far. As a teacher Veronica was always challenging, never patronising, unfailingly encouraging, and highly perceptive to my personal needs as a learner. I arrived in Argentina without speaking a word of Spanish and by the end of the 18 months I spent there was near to fluent. This, and my enduring interest in the Spanish language and Argentine culture, I attribute in large part to her complete faith in my ability and to her inspiring and instructive classes.

Her passion for language, patience, and will for her students to succeed are rare qualities and ones that make Veronica stand out as an excellent teacher. It is for these reasons that I have no hesitation in wholeheartedly recommending her as a teacher and in fact have done so already to a former classmate and have received nothing but positive feedback.If you have any questions regarding this recommendation, please do not hesitate to contact me at ahrweave@gmail.com