I’m Rai
and I would love to teach you Spanish
Scroll down to start getting to know me
About me
¡Hola a todos! My name is Raimundo Tapia, I am a young professional from Chile living in Melbourne since 2016.
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Motivated by getting out of my comfort zone, I left my job in Santiago de Chile as a manager in the public sector, to gain experience in other areas that involved not only professional but personal growth, here in Australia and around the world. This is how I realised that due to studies and work I had stopped doing things that I really enjoyed, so now I am determined to work on things that really fascinate me.
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As you could guess, one of the things that I am fascinated with are languages. Apart from Spanish and English, I speak Portuguese and I know a little French, and as a good traveler I love to learn at least a few words and sentences from the country's language I visit. Living in a globalised city like Santiago de Chile also brought me the opportunity to teach Spanish to international students and friends that I made through couch surfing, but it wasn't until I moved to Melbourne that I started teaching regularly.
As a Spanish teacher, my goal is to teach the language as a culture itself, combining the lessons with geographical, historical or just random but interesting references. Also, my approach is practical, trying to focus on the things you will really need to know to make yourself understandable for others, which is the most important thing in the communication process. For example, if you are going to visit a Spanish speaking country you might wonder how to ask for information, order food, or just want to have a basic conversation without failing. Don't know how to do it? No worries, I can help you!
My Skills
Creativty
Every single individual learns differently. There are different learning styles that explain the way people approach education. If I'm teaching you and I start noticing you are not understanding, I'll just approach it in a different way! Presenting information and getting students to engage with content in a variety of ways can not only improve your chances of understanding it but also your level of enjoyment. And we are here to have fun as well!
Understanding
I try to prepare every lesson the most personalized I can, according to the students preferences and needs. But to make that happen, excellent communication between tutor and student is needed.
Having an open dialogue allows me to take the right approach from the beginning, so I encourage my students to be honest and direct about their learning needs.
I'm convinced that by cementing the trust between tutor and student, the results and the learning experience are better!
Patience
Once I saw this mural with the phrase "a paciência é a mãe de todas as ciências", which means "patience is the mother of all sciences". Rather than being a deep quote, (rhymes perfectly either in portuguese and spanish though), it remindes me of the importance of being patient in life, especially to achieve your goals.
I know from my own experience learning languages that some concepts can be very difficult to understand, so I prefer to go step by step. I am convinced that quality is better than quantity, and to obtain it you need patience and dedication.
Education
What I’ve Learned (in formal education)
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
May 2015Â - Ocotober 2015
Diploma in Negotiation Skills, based on developing both methodological and practical skills for the decision making process in organizations and daily life decisions.
Universidade Federal da Bahia
February 2011Â - August 2011
Academic Exchange in Salvador Bahia, Brazil, where in addition to learning Portuguese, studied Indigenous Anthropology and Cosmovision, Urban Culture in Latin American Societies and Political and Social History of Brazil.
Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile
March 2009Â - July 2014
Bachelor of Social Sciences. Graduated with Honors as a Political Scientist. Mainly focused on Latin American Studies and Local Policies, but also interested in International Relations and Gender Theory.
Testimonials
What people says about me
Lloyd, England
September 2018 - April 2019
Raimundo's skills as a language teacher are more than evident, but it’s the fact that he genuinely cares about your progress regardless of your level! The constant homework tasks and role play scenarios have sincerely helped me improve in around just ten lessons, furthermore to this he will teach you about latin culture. I look forward to more lessons and would highly recommend Rai.
Nguyen, Australia
August 2018 - January 2019
Rai is a wonderful teacher! He has been exceptional in helping me understand as a beginner, using written exercises and conversation and dialogue, creating a full round experience. He also introduces history and culture, further enriching the full learning experience about the Spanish language! Many thanks Rai!!!
Richard, Australia
November 2016Â - April 2017
First of all, thanks for your eternal patience during our lessons. I've always tried to learn Spanish so I could fulfill my dream of travelling all over Latin america, but I wasn't sure to have the time to learn from scratch. After only six months learning with Raimundo and his flexible schedule, I feel way more confident to establish conversations in Spanish.
P.S.: Thanks for the useful tips for my journey!
Andrew, Australia
October 2016Â - February 2017
Raimundo has been a great help in understanding the Spanish language and Latino culture. He is patient, caring and really wants you to reach your goals. What started out as a few hours of lessons became a lifelong friendship. His diverse experience and kindred spirit propel you to fluency in ways apps or other tutors can not. I recommend Rai to anyone starting out learning Spanish or even those wishing to refine or perfect their skills further.
Paulina, Italy
September 2014Â - December 2014
I thought it would be very difficult for me to learn Spanish, but I met an excellent teacher, very patient and very friendly.
After 4 months I can feel more confident. Spanish language will be very useful for my job.
I recommend it anyway ! He is a very good teacher !
Thanks Rai for your constant support and patience !!!
Joséphine, France
June 2014Â - November 2014
Raimundo was the best teacher I could've asked for. His classes are not only about learning Spanish, he delivers a complete experience introducing culture, history and amusing facts. But what really makes a difference is Rai as a person; he's warm and kind, and you'll feel you're chatting with a lifelong friend. Thanks to Rai I now feel more comfortable and secure when speaking Spanish.
2019's Rates
Lessons are rated hourly, but the price changes depending on the amount of hours per week. Check the best option for you!
1 Hour per Week
$35 Per Hour
Recommended specially if you are totally new to Spanish, not sure what it is like but you still want to give it a go. Also for the ones that are already students and needs some help for a particular task.
2Â Hours per Week
$30 Per Hour
This is the MOST POPULAR option, ideally for people who works full time. Usually students that starts with 1 hour per week ending choosing this option. Why not to start from here straight away?
3 hours Per Week
$25 Per Hour
What a deal! Recommended for Part time workers or students with the commitment of learn Spanish. It is incredible how much you can progress within an extra hour lesson, and I'll do everything to make it worth it!
4 hours Per Week
$20 Per Hour
I really want you to be a Master of Spanish, and as you should know, being a Master it's all about practice and being constant (specially when it turns to learn a language!). So I'm offering this 4 hour per week program, with an affordable price for you to get inmerse with the language. Best results here, best savings as well!
Hit me Up!
As a freelancer, my schedule is really open. If you have an inquiry related with my availability, it would be better to include in your message the days and hours that works better FOR YOU, and I will try to adapt to it :)
For other requirements, or you want to know more about me, you can click here
