Mario Rincones Guerra

I received my Bachelor of Education, majored in languages teaching and learning, from Universidad de La Salle in Colombia, and a few months later, I came to Canada to complete my Master of Arts in Spanish, at the University of Calgary. Education in general, and languages education in particular are not only my life passions, but also the areas in which I have gained academic knowledge and professional experience for more than fifteen years.

 I have had the opportunity to teach languages to individuals of all ages and academic levels, as well as at different settings and learning environments. In Colombia, I worked as an English language teacher, and as a freelance translator. In Canada, I have worked as a Spanish language teacher and as a translator, too. However, I have also been on the other side of education, performing administrative and managerial duties at post-secondary and language institutions.

 After a few years spent enhancing my professional experience, I returned to the University of Calgary to complete a PhD in Applied Linguistics. The main reason behind my decision has to do with the great time I had during my master’s program. I received lots of support from faculty and the administrative personnel. My supervisor was genuinely interested in my research project, as if it was their own. They really wanted to see me succeed, and offered as much support and guidance as possible. I am looking forward to new and enriching academic, personal, and professional experiences in my pathway through the completion of my PhD. My research interests include the effective use of literature in foreign and second language teaching, second language acquisition, and aspects of second language learning and immigration, among others.   

One of my favorite things to do when I have some free time is to read and write while listening to instrumental music. Exercising and playing sports are also activities I do in my leisure time; and of course, it is an undeniable fact the relaxation that a good movie provides. I have a very eclectic taste with regard to music, movies, and literature. However, while writing this lines one of my favorite bands in the English language that comes to mind is The Cranberries, one of my favorite movies is The Shawshank Redemption, and one of my favorite books is One Hundred Years of Solitude, by Gabriel García Márquez.

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