English Upgrade is a practical grammar workbook that helps Spanish-speaking learners recognize persistent mistakes, understand why they happen, and communicate in more natural, precise English. What inspired you to create this book?

My students! My love of languages and passion for empowering others brought me to the ESL field. A lack of good resources compelled me to write English Upgrade (¡Para Hispanohablantes!). I set out to create a potent and effective tool for Spanish-speaking English learners and their teachers, and I’ve done just that. I hope to one day create a similar guide for native speakers of Haitian Creole, Bahasa Indonesia, and other languages. 

How did you decide which grammar problems and language patterns to include in the sixty-one lessons?​ 

I hold a BA in the Spanish language, studied at the Autónoma of Guadalajara, Mexico, and spent years interfacing with native Spanish speakers in bilingual customer service roles before becoming an English as a Second Language teacher. This mixture of experiences has given me unique insight on the most consistent and predictable mistakes that native Spanish speakers make and why they make them. The list is not exhaustive, but I tried to include the grammar structures, vocabulary, and pronunciation challenges that have the greatest impact on learners’ ability to communicate effectively. 

What makes direct comparison between Spanish and English especially effective for language learners?​

With a side-by-side, red/green, ❌/✔️ format, readers get an effective and easy-to-understand visual. This structure makes English Upgrade accessible, even to beginner and intermediate learners. 

How would you recommend that independent learners and teachers use the book differently?​

There’s no wrong way to use this book. (But please don’t use it as kindling! 😊) It can be used as a classroom textbook, read from cover to cover, or independent learners can use it as a quick reference guide. The index at the back of the book makes it easy for readers to find the grammar point, vocabulary, pronunciation pattern, and idiomatic or fixed expressions they’re looking for. The book is intended to be written and highlighted in and includes a lined Notes section ideal for independent study. I wrote it for you; please make it your own! 

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