Hello! ¡Hola! Olá! Bonjour! Ciao! Hallo! Nǐ hǎo! Konnichiwa! Marhaba! Namaste! Jambo!

I’m a multilingual American-Panamanian educator, author, and researcher with experience teaching K–12 and higher education of ESL and Spanish in settings across the United States and Latin America. My work centers on second language acquisition (Lx). Most importantly, I’m passionate about supporting students’ academic and economic mobility so they can access new opportunities. I strive to help students achieve greater academic, professional, and personal growth through language and education.

My commitment to global engagement is reflected in ongoing academic collaborations and regular travel between the United States, Panamá, and Spain.

Education

• In progress - Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
  Dissertation: Integration of Multimodal Artificial Intelligence in Bilingual Education to Support Academic and Economic Mobility in Adult Learners
• Master of Education in Applied Linguistics and Higher Education
  Research: Multiple Intelligences in Applied Linguistics
  Universidad de Jaén, Spain
• Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education Teaching for Language Acquisition
  Harvard University
• Education Preparation Institute Education Certification
  Hillsborough College
• Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing and Advertising
  UDI Panamá

Certifications

• Florida Department of Education — Certified Educator
• Cervantes Institute Certification, Spain
• College Board — AP Spanish Reader & Table Leader

Professional Experience

Higher and Secondary Education

• St. Petersburg College
• Moore Marine College
• Shorecrest Preparatory School
• Florida Virtual School
• Clearwater Central Catholic High School

Courses taught include:

• Spanish I–IV
• AP Spanish Language and Culture
• ESL Writing
• ESL Speaking, Listening, and Critical Thinking 
• Conversational Spanish I–IV

Governmental and International Work

Managed OAS-funded development projects in collaboration with the Ministry of the Presidency of Panamá, serving both national and Indigenous communities.

Author

• Published under the pen name Nayka Barrios Jaén
• Author of bilingual readers and novels for CEFR levels A1–C1

Professional Memberships

• American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL)
• American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP)
• International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE)

Favorite quote:
“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.” — Nelson Mandela

Let’s acquire language together!