Student Reviews

Where to begin…Maigualida is great and I’m so happy I found her. I’ve been in pursuit of learning Spanish for the last few years but due to my learning disabilities that affect my hearing and processing, languages have always been a weak skill. It’s just you and Maigualida, learning while also cracking jokes. Meeting with her is always a joy and I wish I found her years ago. I hope my host mom is half as warm-hearted, perceptive, and gifted as Maigualida is.
-Kristen S.

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I hired Maigualida as a tutor six months ago when I found out I would be going to Nicaragua for an internship. I did not speak a word of Spanish before I met with her, and had never studied the language at all. Within two weeks, I was able to sign up for a high-beginner class at a local university, and found that I was way beyond this level of comprehension. I was amazed at how much I had acquired in just two weeks of studying with her. After continuing lessons with Maigualida for four more months, I am now close to a high intermediate level and am confident I will be able to communicate during my internship. What has amazed me about Maigualida's methods is that from the very beginning, I have never struggled to understand Spanish. My listening comprehension skills far surpass what I had expected, and my ability to recall things she has taught me is also very quick. Many others have said that my ability to pick up Spanish is a reflection of a “gift for languages,” but I studied French for over five years and my skills in this language don't even equal my Spanish skills. I can only attribute this success to my tutor. I think her accomplishments stem from the fact that she chooses to speak Spanish with her students from the very beginning, from the first question she asks you. She creates a total immersion experience that is so necessary to language learning. She is also very encouraging because by not speaking English, she allows you to see that you can understand, and you can respond in another language even if you may be hearing something for the first time. I truly believe that if more students were taught in the way Maigualida teaches, language acquisition would be easier, as well as more fun. I have sent many friends to Maigualida, and would be thrilled if more people were able to benefit from her teaching.
-Nora B.

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Maigualida has been my tutor for several months now. I am a beginner in Spanish taking an hour private lessons  each week. I have found her to be an excellent teacher. She emphasizes learning by conversation, pronunciation, intonation but also makes good use of books and very useful language programs, and reading and discussing short stories. She’s easy going, fun to work with, has a great sense of humor and is extremely patient. She has the ability to work with me at my very limited level of Spanish, while also gently raising the bar.
Despite my constant stream of linguistic and grammatical errors, she has the ability to quietly correct and improve how I speak while always being encouraging.
She is flexible as to the times and places we meet for the lessons, I am very pleased to have found her and we’ll continue with my lessons.
-Christopher G. M.D

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I worked with Maigualida for a short time while I was in the Burlington area. She’s a wonderful tutor and very friendly. We spoke in Spanish while we were together which  was great for me. She pinpointed areas where I needed practice and gave me exercises and writing assignments to strengthen my skills and we practiced the skills I was working on in conversation. I feel my grammar has improved in the short time I had with her and only wish  I were able to continue with her. 
-Barbara W.

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I took private classes with Maigualida and I feel like the classes and her style of teaching helped my comprehension and ability with conversational Spanish. My preference was to converse during the class and Maigualida was able to understand that, for my Spanish to improve significantly, it was necessary to include some rules of grammar and she included some lessons from the textbook, especially verbs. The result was, in my last trip to Nicaragua, I was better able to understand and converse than before my classes. My current plan is to continue with her classes. Thank you, Maigualida.
-Jed Low

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I took an advanced level conversational class  with Maigua. She was fantastic. I loved our conversations and her creative use of various multimedia. I was sad that circumstances changed so that we could not continue!
I highly recommend her.
-Debra K.

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Excellent tutor! I highly recommend Maigualida, her lessons are always thorough out and on target. I would suggest Maigualida to anyone interested in learning Spanish and/or furthering their studies. 
-Marcie Z

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Looking for an excellent conversational Spanish teacher? Check out Maigualida Rak at spanishtutorvt.fla@gmail.com.  An accomplished university professor and native Spanish speaker, Maigualida offers a range of fun and informative classes tailored to meet your unique needs and scheduling whether beginner, intermediate or advanced. Liively and entertaining.
Highly recommended, Salud!
-David D.

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If you’re seeking a Spanish tutor I highly recommend Maigualida Rak (spanishtutor.vtlfa@gmail.com). Over the last six months I’ve enjoyed productive sessions with her, improving my grammar, comprehension & conversation skills. Maigualida was able to meet me at my skill level, tailor lessons to my interests and identify specific areas of improvement. Best of all, she is a joyful person and brought a lot of humor to the process. Two thumbs up for Maigualida!
-Diane

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Maigualida was a wonderful teacher who not only excels in groups, but also can help you in  one and one sessions. A natural teacher, she can enlighten you on topics such as grammar and proper vocabulary usage. She also loves to have free flowing conversations.This helped me gain confidence in using my Spanish for real - life situations! What Maigualida teaches is applicable, and beyond that affordable.
-Clark Masterson

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Maigualida is an excellent tutor! I moved out of the area but hope to keep zoom classes with her in order to practice my Spanish on a regular basis. She is easy-going, has a great sense of humor, and became a wonderful friend. She is extremely knowledgeable about second-language acquisition and is able to shape her lessons to fit each student’s learning style.
Highly recommended!
-Bethany H.

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I highly recommend Maigualida as a wonderful teacher who will help you in speaking and understanding Spanish and help you rapidly progress in honing your desired skills toward fluency. I have now completed It has been a joy to work with Maiqualida and I am amazed at my progress in speaking and understanding the language. It has been a joy to work with Maigua and  converse in Spanish on a variety of topics with her patient effortless style of correction when needed. My love for this language is greatly renewed, and I look forward to study with Maigualida again soon. Gracias, Maigua
-Maureen

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Maigualida is an excellent teacher who tailors classes to the needs of her students. Maigualida gave me space to practice speaking and listening to Spanish through conversations and videos (Language programs), and challenged me every class. She helped me prepare for an interview in Spanish where I achieved an Advanced level of speaking!
-Issy

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Taking Spanish class with Maigualida is a true joy!  She puts you at ease and makes you feel comfortable, no matter what your level or ability with the language is.  Maigualida’s classes are sprinkled with cultural references to fully understand the language in its context. Every class is an opportunity to listen, speak, read, and create community and friends with other language learners!. 
-Kate R

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Maigualida's genuine teaching style, course content, and pace have created a great environment for me to learn Spanish more quickly than I ever have. I was able to choose meeting times that aligned perfectly with my schedule and felt instantly at ease and comfortable in her presence. 
-Gabby

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I strongly recommend Maigualida Rak as a Spanish tutor in the Burlington area. We were very pleased to have found her. She proved to be an experienced, focused and personable educator, who successfully helped my daughter train for a standardized Spanish language exam.
-Steven Z

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I have taken both group and private classes with Maigua for several months. Her classes are always informative, dynamic, and filled with laughter. I had been studying Spanish on my own, and had very little experience with conversation. I was pretty nervous about speaking at first, but over our time together I have become much more confident and comfortable with speaking and with comprehension. She has a knack for correcting me without making me feel self-conscious. She has also suggested many great resources and practices for continuing to improve on my own. And, she has been very flexible about scheduling. I am very pleased with how much my Spanish has improved.
-Gracias por todo
Miv L., PhD, VT. Licensed Psychologist

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Absolutely fantastic teacher in every way. - She knows the best ways that help you comprehend Spanish. She has flexible time and is very nice around working with your schedule. She also has a lovely personality! Five stars!
-Jesse

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Ms. Maigualida Gomez Rak has been tutoring me in Spanish for several months, then I took her Spanish class in a local college. Under her expert direction I have made quick progress from beginner to almost fluent reader and competent speaker. Maigualida is a native speaker of Spanish and a skilled and experienced language teacher. Her method, approach and personality make her an excellent tutor. As a professional translator, I have had many teachers of several languages over many years, so I have an adequate frame of reference against which to evaluate her teaching skills very highly.
-Piotr G.

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Maia is a fabulous Spanish teacher. She gets to know her students right away and makes you feel comfortable. Her classes are fun and engaging and she challenges you appropriately. My husband and I have taken classes for a few months and our Spanish skills have gone from absolutely zero to being able to read, write and converse in Spanish. Thank you Maia!

-Ida & Evan