Foreign Language Tutors
Teachers Who Tutor NYC

Diana Arboleda

Diana teaches Spanish in Upper School at Nightingale-Bamford School. She holds a PhD in applied linguistics from Pablo de Olavide University in Seville, Spain, where she was recognized as Cum Laude for her doctoral thesis. She also holds an MA in Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language from the same institution, as well as a BA and diploma in Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language from the Universidad de Antioquia, Colombia. Diana has tutored a variety of students of all levels in one-on-one lessons and evaluated students through oral proficiency interviews for more than ten years. In addition to her extensive teaching experience at the university and high school level, she has served as a lead curriculum designer in different schools and colleges, has presented at a variety of conferences, and has been published in several journals on foreign language acquisition and educational programs. Diana is an expert in teaching advanced students and preparing them to take the AP test in Spanish and SAT subject tests.

Spencer Baron

Spencer teaches Chinese in the Upper Division at Avenues: The World School. He teaches grades 9 through 12 Chinese as well as an Eastern Philosophy seminar and Kungfu for WAM (Wellness and Movement). Spencer has over a decade’s worth of teaching experience in martial arts and foreign language as well as his own study of the Chinese language. He also served as a Chinese instructor at the Middlebury College Chinese school. He previously worked as the Assistant Director of the Middlebury School in China (Beijing), a branch of the CET Academic Programs. Spencer earned a B.A. in Chinese studies and Japanese studies from the University at Albany. In addition to Mandarin Chinese, Spencer also speaks Japanese and Hebrew. When he’s not teaching, Spencer loves training Kungfu at the Shaolin monastery in China, studying East and South-Asian religions, and playing with every dog he sees.

Kate Billingsley

Kate is a trilingual (French, Spanish, English) professor with a BA in English literature from Georgetown University and an MA in French from Middlebury College. She has taught in the United States, France, and Spain. In New York, she has taught French and Spanish at the Spence School and Mercy College. She also leads improv workshops in French and Spanish, most recently at Loyola Blakefield School in Baltimore, Maryland. She loves traveling and spending time with her nephews.

Emily Cruz

Emily Cruz is both an expert teacher in Spanish and educational technology. She has taught and tutored K–12 students for 10+ years, during which she tutored a range of foreign and dual language immersion students with various literacy and linguistic strengths. Emily completed her master’s at Teachers College, Columbia University, focusing on bilingual/bicultural education with a concentration in interdisciplinary studies. She also taught and tutored K–8 students for the past four years as a tech and design integrator, during which she launched a makerspace and instructed students on various technical skills such as coding, robotics, 3D design, virtual and augmented reality, and other maker competencies. Emily completed a second master’s at New York University, Steinhardt School of Education, concentrating on educational technology, and proudly designed a music EdTech application catering to differentiated and personalized instruction. She also focused on effective technology integration practices and instructed and supported teachers and students with traditional and innovative technologies and resources. Emily is currently completing a technology integration and instructional design certificate at Penn State.

Cristina Cotumaccio

Cristina teaches Spanish in the Upper School division of Saint David’s School in Manhattan. She holds a master’s degree in Spanish Language and Literature from Middlebury College in Madrid, Spain, and a bachelor’s degree in Economics, Magna Cum Laude, from The College of William & Mary. During her 10+ years at Saint David’s, she has taught Spanish at all grade levels (pre-K-8) and had a significant role in designing and implementing the current Spanish/FLES curriculum at the school. Cristina has extensive experience tutoring Spanish to private school students in both middle and high school. With a passion for languages, curiosity about other cultures, and an interest in educational travel, Cristina has spent significant time independently studying and traveling throughout the Spanish-speaking world. She has also co-directed several different language and cultural immersion programs for middle and high school students in both Spain and Italy during summer breaks.

Jennifer Gentle

Jen currently teaches high school and has taught all levels of Spanish at Friends Seminary for the past ten years. She previously taught Spanish in Louisville, Kentucky for two years. A gifted and kind teacher, Jennifer received her master’s degree in Spanish from Middlebury College and has spent a great deal of time studying abroad in Spain.

Mariana Goycoechea

Mariana Goycoechea began her teaching career as an adjunct lecturer of French literature, language, and civilization in 2010. She has taught at Hunter College, City College , St. John’s University, and LaGuardia Community College where she was a Writing Across the Curriculum Fellow. In 2019, Mariana began her second career as a K-12 instructor at the Browning School where she taught French and Spanish for three years in both the Middle and Upper school divisions. She currently teaches upper school Spanish at the Marymount School of New York. Mariana earned her B.A in French and Spanish Language and Literatures from Hunter College and an M.Phil (ABD) in French from the CUNY Graduate Center. She also holds an MFA in poetry from Ashland University. Ms. Goycoechea’s work has been featured in multiple poetry anthologies the U.S and abroad. She has been most recently published in the BreakBeat Poets Vol. 4: LatiNEXT. She is excited and grateful to extend her linguistic expertise with Teachers Who Tutor.

Kent Kinzer

Danielle Meinrath

Danielle has over a dozen years of experience as a tutor and classroom teacher in both New York and London. She previously taught Latin (7th, 8th, 9th, and 11th grades) and ancient Greek (11th-12th grades) at the Brearley School, where she received the 2018 faculty award for her commitment to students and the school community. She holds a first-class B.A. from Cambridge University, an M.St. with Distinction from Oxford, and a Ph.D. from Princeton, all in Classics. At Princeton, she was a graduate instructor in two departments – Classics and academic writing – and received an award for teaching excellence for her beginners’ Latin class. With a particular interest in social and emotional learning, she recently completed a year-long foundational training in mental health counselling as professional development, and currently volunteers for an educational charity as a middle-school mentor. Danielle tutors online internationally and seeks to bring kindness, patience, and creativity to her interactions with all her students. Her little cat, whose sense of professional boundaries is a work in progress, often climbs on her shoulder during lessons and helps out as her T.A.

Kaori Murata

Kaori has taught Japanese for more than ten years and has worked for a language institute in New York City. She received a B.A. from the University of Tsukuba (Japanese National University) and an M.P.S. degree from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. In addition to Japanese and English, Kaori speaks Mandarin, which she studied at Shanghai Teachers University for two years. She is adept at supporting students from various age groups and all levels of skill, and customizes her study materials to support school textbooks or examinations. She also enjoys teaching students about Japanese culture and customs. Kaori spent two years of high school at Cranbrook Academy and is familiar with independent school expectations.

Gisèle Rappaport

Gisèle is recently retired from Saint David’s School in Manhattan. She is a native
French speaker and has taught French at the University of Missouri. She has taught
English as a Second Language at Kingsborough Community College for over ten years.
For the last twenty-five years, she has taught French to sixth, seventh and eighth
graders, as well as Spanish sixth, seventh, an introductory class to Spanish eighth
graders. She has also taught beginners’ Latin to fifth and sixth graders. Her French
classes were taught using the total immersion method. She is currently working on
creating a French textbook tailored for middle school’s students. She enjoys reading,
watching movies and meeting with her friends.

Mario Rojas Acosta

Mario Rojas Acosta has been teaching and tutoring French and Spanish at the middle and upper school levels for over seventeen years, first at the Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn, NY, then at the American School in London. He has a B.A. in French from Amherst College, an M.A. in French from Middlebury College and is currently pursuing his second M.A. in Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin American Studies at King’s College London. Mario has trained in the Rassias Method, worked for their summer programs, and led workshops locally and nationally in using dramatization, speaking drills and games to help students embody language. He enjoys working with a wide range of age groups and proficiency levels, from novice to advanced, and has prepared students for the AP Spanish Language, AP Spanish Literature exams, and the ACT. Complementing his language teaching at ASL, Mario has taught experiential learning courses, established the Social Justice Council, and organized the London YoungPower Conference, which brings independent and state schools together to engage in community outreach and dialogue. These experiences have influenced Mario’s ability to connect with all kinds of learners, and he knows very well the power of supporting students one-on-one, tailoring instruction to the individual so that they reach their potential.

Anne Saint-Pierre

Anne Saint-Pierre has been tutoring for twelve years middle and high school French students at Berkeley Carroll, Brearley, Bronx Science, Cathedral, Dwight Englewood, Fieldstone, Grace Church, Packer Collegiate, Sacred Heart and Trinity, as well as independent and home-schooled learners. While mirroring the teacher’s curriculum, she creates a nurturing space in which students of different learning styles take ownership of their work thru a collaborative process, an emphasis on studying skills, and cultural enrichment. She is a native speaker and a longtime New Yorker. She parented her two children in both NYC public and private schools systems. A lens-based artist, she holds a master degree magna cum laude from the EnSAD, Paris.

Kate Scudellari

Kate has been teaching/tutoring since 2009. She started in Manhattan’s Chinatown and Upper East Side, then Long Island’s Friends Academy, where she served as advisor, assistant dean, coach, and Spanish teacher. Kate studied at Brown University, and earned two master’s degrees in Spanish and Education from Middlebury College in Madrid and Fordham University in NYC. Kate has extensive experience with a wide range of students; she specializes in differentiated learning, organizational techniques, study skills, study abroad immersion, character building, cross-cultural understanding, and Spanish proficiency. Currently a freelance tutor and educational consultant, Kate has a positive demeanor, patient approach, passion for teaching, and excellent understanding of language learners.

Susan Selvin

Susan Selvin has over twenty years of experience teaching in college preparatory
middle and high schools, including L.A.’s prestigious Buckley School and Greens Farms
Academy in Connecticut. With a Ph.D. in French Language and Literature from UCLA,
she takes particular joy in working one-on-one with her students, creating personalized
instruction that encourages them to capitalize on their unique talents and interests.
Alongside content related tutoring, she emphasizes executive function skills – including
time management, organization, and prioritization of tasks – to maximize her students’
success in all areas of learning. In her spare time, she loves reading contemporary fiction,
running in Central Park, and exploring New York’s many museums.

Caleb Simone

Caleb has years of experience in teaching and tutoring Latin with upper and middle school students in New York City. He currently teaches ancient Greek and Latin to undergraduates at Columbia University, where he earned his M.A. and is pursuing a Ph.D. in Classics. A native Texan, he obtained his B.A. from Baylor University, where his honors thesis was awarded Best in the Humanities. Having encountered ancient languages at an early age, Caleb enjoys helping students of all levels learn to appreciate the challenging but rewarding study of Latin.

Jessica Tan

Jessica was born and raised in China and moved to New York as a high schooler. She is a full-time teacher, teaching 9th to 12th grade Mandarin at Little Red School House (LREI) in the west village. Prior to teaching at LREI, Jessica also taught Mandarin in two other public schools in Lower East Side and worked as a program coordinator to arrange museum tours for pre-k children and their families to promote learning new culture and language. Jessica holds an MA in TESOL & Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language from New York University.

Samantha Thomson

Samantha teaches Spanish and ESL at Millennium Brooklyn High School, and has tutored students of all ages in NYC public and private schools. Trilingual in Spanish, French, and English, Samantha has tutored in all three languages. She grew up in Westchester, where she cultivated her love of languages at the French American School of NY. After graduating from McGill University, she spent three years abroad, working for the Chilean Ministry of Education, and honing her Spanish skills. Passionate about teaching, she completed her master’s degree at NYU in ESL and Spanish Education. Samantha had been an enthusiastic educator for over a decade, and particularly enjoys building students’ confidence in their own language proficiency.

Matthew Udkovich

Matt is an Upper School French Teacher at Grace Church School. Prior to working at GCS, Matt taught all levels of French at The Chapin School, where he also organized the French exchange program. He graduated cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from The Johns Hopkins University, with majors in French and Music, before completing an MA in French Cultural Studies at Columbia University Reid Hall, in Paris. He also holds an MA and MPhil in French & Romance Philology from Columbia University. While teaching French at Columbia, Matt was awarded the Jeanne Varney Pleasant Award for excellence in French Pedagogy. He has lived in France for 3 years, one of which he spent studying at the Ecole Normale Superieure. After his graduate studies, he taught at Yeshiva University where he helped develop the major and minor programs of study in the Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures. An avid linguaphile, Matt also speaks Spanish and is learning Arabic. In his free time he enjoys playing the piano and hiking his way through the Grandes Randonnées, having recently completed the Tour de Mont Blanc in the Alps and a hike around Toubkal in the High Atlas.