Spanish and French classes from a Berkeley Ph.D.
Spanish and French classes from a Berkeley Ph.D.

Spanish and French classes from a Berkeley Ph.D.

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Introduction
I hold a Ph.D. in Romance Linguistics (mainly Spanish and French) from Univ. of California Berkeley, an Advanced Certificate in Foreign Language Teaching from NYU, an MA in Teaching English and French from McGill University, and a BA in Linguistics from Université de Montréal, Canada. From 2008 to 2025 I directed and co-directed the Spanish language program at University of Chicago, and prior to that I taught all levels of French and Spanish as a doctoral student at UC Berkeley. Before grad school I taught Spanish and French at a private high school in Manhattan for a year, and prior to that I taught English to adults in Madrid, Spain for a year, both in language schools and as a private tutor. Although my tutoring business is new, I am a veteran language instructor and can customize my lessons to suit my students' specific needs, whether that means helping you to grasp grammatical concepts, practice conversation with corrective feedback, or improve your writing and argumentation skills. As my background suggests, I am passionate about language and would love the chance to infect you with my enthusiasm! My teaching philosophy is based on the notion that proficiency is gained through lots of oral communication, feedback and practice. I also believe that students need to understand the basic structure of the language in order to express themselves well, whether orally or in writing. Research shows that learners retain new grammar and vocabulary best if it is introduced within a context, so I always contextualize grammar and vocabulary when introducing it. Finally, I try incorporating authentic materials as much as possible in order to best prepare students to understand the target language once they find themselves in the target culture.
Overview

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Business hours

Sun11:00 am - 10:00 pmMon3:00 pm - 10:00 pm

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Reviews

Customers rated this pro highly for professionalism, work quality, and value.

Exceptional 5.0

5 reviews

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Julie A.
Mar 25, 2025
Janet Sedlar is the best Spanish tutor I’ve ever had. There are so many reasons, I thought I’d go through them one by one. Here they are: • Janet has a flawless Spanish accent and she really helped me improve mine. My other Spanish tutors, who were native speakers, never bothered to correct my pronunciation. I never knew why my Spanish didn’t sound quite right or how to correct it. Janet is really good at explaining the rules for pronunciation, catching me when my accent is off, and making me practice till I get it right. My accent has improved so quickly, it’s crazy. • She knows how to use the Zoom medium well. Whenever I make a pronunciation or a grammar mistake, Janet uses the chat to write down the correction so I can see as well as hear the proper way to say something. It’s powerful to have this dual way of learning and has greatly improved my retention. • Janet puts me at ease. She’s patient, engaged, and loves teaching. She knows how to give consistent, constructive feedback that makes me feel encouraged and energized to continue learning. • Janet is a highly skilled professional. She has over twenty years of teaching experience as a former professor at the University of Chicago and a PhD graduate student at UC Berkeley. In other words, she not only knows the material cold, but she’s a master of the craft of teaching. She knows how to adapt her lessons to individual students and make sure students are learning in the best way possible for them. Most tutors, in my experience, don’t know how to do this. • Janet has degrees up the wazoo and is crazy smart. She’s even written a Spanish textbook! She’s also super nice. I can’t recommend Janet highly enough. You’ll love working with her!
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Stefano C.
Mar 21, 2025
Janet is an awesome Spanish tutor! I had trouble understanding certain grammar concepts when I studied Spanish in college and Janet has helped me enormously with that. Her explanations and examples are so clear that I FINALLY understand how to use the subjunctive! My vocabulary and fluency have also improved a lot thanks to her. She is a total pro and I recommend her in the highest terms! Always look forward to our lessons.
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Fausto F.
Mar 7, 2025
Janet is an amazing teacher!! I hired her to help me with my Spanish, which I need to speak sometimes in my job. She has been wonderful to work with. I've made great progress thanks to her clear explanations and feedback, and she is super knowledgeable not only about grammar, but also the different regional variations of the language. Could not recommend her more highly.
Spanish and French classes from a Berkeley Ph.D.'s reply
Thank you so much for the kind words, Fausto! It's a pleasure working with you!
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JP H.
Feb 19, 2025
Ms. Sedlar is an excellent teacher with an impressive command of Spanish. After just one lesson, my 15-year-old daughter, who is taking AP Spanish, made significant gains and is looking forward to continuing to work with her. From what we've seen so far, can highly recommend her.
Spanish and French classes from a Berkeley Ph.D.'s reply
Thank you so much Josh for your very kind words. Emily was a delight to teach and I look forward to working with her! :)
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Christopher S.
Mar 7, 2025
Such a great tutor !! She absolutely helped me get ready for a visit from my French in-laws and even helped me feel okay about ready a French newspaper (two of my goals). She’s really an experienced tutor and it shows.
Spanish and French classes from a Berkeley Ph.D.'s reply
Thank you so much Christopher for the kind review! I'm so glad you feel more prepared for your in-laws' visit! Great working with you. :)
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Janet Sedlar

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