Elaine Winer
Hola! My name is Elaine Winer and I created ElenaChicago to fulfill a career-long goal of using the TPRS method to teach adults a second language. I began my career teaching high school in a typical, traditional four-year Spanish program. If you took Spanish in high school, you probably remember those classes--we used textbooks and taught vocabulary, grammar and verb conjugations. To help the students engage, I spiced up my classes with games and
activities hoping more students would, be successful and, most importantly, speak! I was on to something then, because more students improved, however I was not yet satisfied with their speaking confidence. I knew instinctively that they could do more.
In 1990, I went to a conference on TPRS given by the creator, Blaine Ray. I left knowing that my goal for the rest of my career was to hone the skill of teaching language with the TPRS method, which aligns second language acquisition with brain research theories on learning. It’s a simple concept--immerse the students in comprehensible input using gestures, visuals, personalization, contextualization and repetition. The bottom line is students acquire language quickly. I infused this into my high school curriculum and it was like magic! Students from all levels were incredibly successful, confident language students who were delighted that they could SPEAK Spanish!
When I would speak with adults and explained what my Spanish classes were like, they would always say, “I wish I learned Spanish that way. Sounds like fun. I took four years in high school and can’t say anything.” As I prepared to retire from high school after 25 years, I had a vision…teach adults Spanish with TPR/TPRS.
Now, with ElenaChicago, I am thrilled to share language with those who want to converse with our Spanish-speaking community in Chicago or for travelers who want to have a more enriched experience in a Spanish-speaking country. I hope my enthusiasm for speaking Spanish will translate to more success outside the traditional classroom. Add a glass of wine or cup of coffee and consider it a great night out amongst friends.
activities hoping more students would, be successful and, most importantly, speak! I was on to something then, because more students improved, however I was not yet satisfied with their speaking confidence. I knew instinctively that they could do more.
In 1990, I went to a conference on TPRS given by the creator, Blaine Ray. I left knowing that my goal for the rest of my career was to hone the skill of teaching language with the TPRS method, which aligns second language acquisition with brain research theories on learning. It’s a simple concept--immerse the students in comprehensible input using gestures, visuals, personalization, contextualization and repetition. The bottom line is students acquire language quickly. I infused this into my high school curriculum and it was like magic! Students from all levels were incredibly successful, confident language students who were delighted that they could SPEAK Spanish!
When I would speak with adults and explained what my Spanish classes were like, they would always say, “I wish I learned Spanish that way. Sounds like fun. I took four years in high school and can’t say anything.” As I prepared to retire from high school after 25 years, I had a vision…teach adults Spanish with TPR/TPRS.
Now, with ElenaChicago, I am thrilled to share language with those who want to converse with our Spanish-speaking community in Chicago or for travelers who want to have a more enriched experience in a Spanish-speaking country. I hope my enthusiasm for speaking Spanish will translate to more success outside the traditional classroom. Add a glass of wine or cup of coffee and consider it a great night out amongst friends.
Elaine has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Secondary Education with a Major
in Spanish and a Masters in Linguistics, Teaching English as a Second
Language. She is the recipient of numerous Township High School District
113 Superintendent’s Recognition Awards and was nominated for Those Who
Excel Teacher of the Year Award by the State of Illinois.
Elaine enjoys the neighborhood with Zumba classes and volunteering at Casa Central. She enjoys learning more about art and Latin-American history. She has 3 grown married children and 5 incredible grandchildren that all live in the Chicago area. When she is not spending time at home with her husband in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood, she is traveling the world exploring Spanish-speaking countries and other interesting places.
Elaine enjoys the neighborhood with Zumba classes and volunteering at Casa Central. She enjoys learning more about art and Latin-American history. She has 3 grown married children and 5 incredible grandchildren that all live in the Chicago area. When she is not spending time at home with her husband in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood, she is traveling the world exploring Spanish-speaking countries and other interesting places.
