Laurie Mattas
Professor
Spanish
¡Hola! Me llamo Laurie Mattas y soy profesora de
español al College of DuPage en Glen Ellyn, Illinois.
Hello! My name is Laurie Mattas and I am professor of
Spanish at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois.
Teaching
Experience / Teaching
Philosophy / Academic
Credentials
Other
Activities and Interests / Spanish Websites &
Movies / How to
Reach Me
Teaching Experience
- Have taught full time at the College of DuPage since 1989.
- Currently teach the first year series of Spanish courses: 101, 102 and 103 in the classroom on the main campus.
- Also teach Spanish 101 ONLINE.
- Other courses taught:
- Spanish 198, Basic Spanish for Business
- Spanish 100, Culture and Civilization of Spain, as independent study
- Culture and Civilization of Costa Rica as part of the College of DuPage Costa Rica Summer Study Abroad Program .
- Spanish for the Workplace.
Teaching Philosophy
I love sharing my knowledge of the Spanish
language and of the many cultures which use it to communicate. My
students say that my enthusiasm is contagious and that they learn a lot
and have fun at the same time. I make a conscious effort to foster a
positive and non-threatening atmosphere in class. I am not a native
speaker of Spanish, so I can relate to the challenges and frustrations
of learning the language and like to share insights and hints which
helped me learn. While some believe in teaching entirely in the
"target" language from the outset, I recognize that adults are
naturally reliant on their first language. Adults also want to know what
they are saying, why it is said that way, and to say something similar.
So, although I present as much vocabulary, idioms and structures as
possible in context, definitions and grammatical explanations are given
in English at the outset. Gradually, the students and I use more and
more Spanish. This, I feel, helps to ensure understanding, minimize
intimidation and speeds up the learning process.
Academic and Other Credentials
- B.A. in Spanish from Albertus Magnus College, New Haven, Connecticut.
- Candidate for Master of Arts in the Teaching of Languages with a concentration in Spanish from the University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg.
- Advanced Spanish courses in San José, Costa Rica and Morelia, Mexico.
- 15 years experience in the travel industry: Certified Travel Counselor.
- Listed in 1996 edition of Who's Who Among America's Teachers.
Other Activities and Interests
COD committees/activities:
- Faculty Senate Instruction Committee
- Online Faculty Advisory Committee
- Study Abroad Scholarship Committee
- European Heritage and Latin American Committees
- 1995 & 1997, co-director, COD Costa Rica Summer Study Abroad Program.
Affiliations:
- American and Illinois Councils on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.
Other Interests:
- Travel! (In addition to Costa Rica and Mexico, I have visited Puerto Rico, Peru and Spain in the Spanish speaking world among many other places.)
- Reading
- Gardening
- Doing counted cross stitch and crossword puzzles
- Listening to music (mostly classical and almost anything with a Latin beat)
Spanish Websites and Movies
Websites:
Listing of Videos at the College of DuPage Library
How to reach me:
| Office: |
IC2025E on the main campus: |
| Phone/ Voice Mail: | 630-942-2664 |
| Email: | mailto:mattas@cdnet.cod.edu |
mattas@cdnet.cod.edu
Disclaimer
Updated 21FEB00