Catherine Fortin - Profile

Catherine Fortin, Spanish teacher at her school, Imana Legette, Charlotte Country Day School

I'm a career Spanish teacher and foreign language teaching methods specialist, and in my spare snippets of time I write travel narratives and creative non-fiction. I've taught Spanish for the past ten years, and then English and English as a second language, ESL, before that in New Mexico. Teaching people how to communicate in another language is both a thrill and a gift. I also love showing teachers the classroom tricks of the trade I've picked up over the years.

My passion is enigmatic Mexico, where there is art on every street corner and great food on every block. I've logged my extensive travels there, emphasizing the people and their brilliant culture. I've studied flamenco dancing in Seville, Spain and I've been to the souk in Tangiers. The pervasive Arabic influence on Spain's culture is dazzling.

Language Courses Taught

  • Spanish for ages 10-14 1999-present
  • ESL for ages 10-18 1995-2002
  • English literature in public, bilingual schools 1995-1998

Other courses

  • Language Arts Writer's Workshop for grades 5-8 summers 2000, 2002, 2004

Workshops for Educators

  • Middle School Madness for the Foreign Language Classroom
  • Formulating a Proficiency Based Foreign Language Department
  • Storytelling in the Foreign Language Classroom

Publications

  • Viajes! Viajes! Viajes! A chronicle of my consultation with a Mexican faith-healer in Oaxaca, Mexico in The Village Rambler, Raleigh, North Carolina
  • Mexico Autentico! A cooking class at Oaxaca, Mexico's Cafe El Naranjo showcasing and detailing the preparation of traditional mole sauce in The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC, and The Westsider El Paso, Texas.