Neringa Pukelis

I am a native of Chicago and have been working as a language instructor for more than 10 years.  My first contact with Spanish was as a child playing with the neighborhood kids.  I learned to speak Spanish in the diaspora, first with friends and then at the University and abroad.  My early experience with 2nd and 3rd languages has led to an intense interest in language acquisition and in the retention and evolution of language and culture in diaspora communities.  I enjoy teaching first year language classes and watching the amazing process of language learning. I have a background in Indo-European linguistics, and I hold a PhD in Spanish Literature from the University of Chicago.