Lecturer II of Spanish
About
Antonio Fernández Rodríguez was born in the rural town of Bullas, Murcia, Spain. He earned his B.A. in English Studies from the University of Murcia, Spain, and his M.A. in World Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics from West Virginia University. He majored in Spanish literature and linguistics with a minor in TESOL and complemented his postgraduate degree with a University Teaching Certificate to further develop his teaching methodologies and enhance his higher education administrative skills.
Antonio's teaching career began as an English private tutor for high school students in Spain during his undergraduate studies. He then taught Spanish courses as a Graduate Teaching Instructor at West Virginia University, emphasizing communicative methods and cultural immersion. In this position, he delivered engaging lessons that emphasized communicative methods and culturally immersive activities, fostering language proficiency and cultural appreciation among his students both inside and outside the classroom.
After his M.A., Antonio worked at Washington and Jefferson College in Pennsylvania as a Spanish Instructor before completing a Teacher Training Course at the Instituto Cervantes in Manchester, UK, where he gained valuable insight into the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages and taught a course for beginners.
From 2016 to 2018, Antonio pursued PGCE (Post Graduate Certificate in Education) studies while teaching Spanish and French at various secondary schools in Manchester, UK. His experience included creating lesson plans, managing classrooms, and fostering supportive learning environments for students aged 11-18.
Since September 2018, Antonio has been a Lecturer of Spanish at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, teaching courses such as SPN 103, SPN 230, SPN 232, and SPN 277. He participates in extracurricular activities like the Spanish Tertulia, a weekly gathering to improve students' conversational skills in Spanish, reflecting his belief that the language learning experience extends beyond the classroom.
Antonio's dedication to his students is further highlighted by his continuous involvement in professional development, such as obtaining a certificate in Blended Language Learning in 2020 to enhance his expertise in online/hybrid teaching. He also considers himself an advocate and prioritizes the creation of an inclusive learning environment where all students are seen and feel free to be who they are and express themselves. He strongly believes in the transformative power of language learning, aiming to nurture a new generation of skilled, confident, culturally aware, and linguistically proficient individuals.
When he is not working Antonio enjoys drinking coffee, trying new foods, reading mystery, horror novels and non-fiction, watching horror movies and hiking.
