Meet Elaine Winer, Founder and Facilitator
Hola! My name is Elaine Winer, and I created Elena Chicago to fulfill my dream of teaching adults a second language in an engaging way, using an innovative and accessible approach. My specialty is called Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling, or TPRS, and it has proven to help students acquire language quickly and enjoyably.
Elaine Winer
Early Teaching Career
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 liked to spice 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.
Elena with Laura Esquivel, author of "Como agua para chocolate."
Discovering the TPRS Method
In 1990, I went to a conference on TPRS given by the creator, Blaine Ray. I left knowing that I would dedicate the rest of my career to teaching with this groundbreaking approach, which aligns second language acquisition with brain research theories on learning.
It’s a simple concept, really: immerse the students in comprehensible input using gestures, visuals, personalization, contextualization, and repetition.
I infused this into my high school curriculum, and it was like magic! Students from all levels were incredibly successful and became confident language students who were delighted that they could speak Spanish.
Elena, with Blaine Ray, the creator of TPRS.
Life in Chicago
A Chicago native, Elaine enjoys the Bucktown-Wicker Park neighborhood where she lives and works. She is often working out at her local Orange Theory, playing pickleball at SPF Chicago, and exploring what this ever-changing city has to offer.
She has three grown children and six incredible grandchildren who all live in the Chicago area. When she is not spending time with them and her husband, she is traveling the world exploring Spanish-speaking countries and other interesting places.
Elena with Dr. Stephen Krashen, creator of the theory of second language acquisition.