Q&A with Rico the Spanish Coach

RATES & BOOKING: Here's the link to Rico's SuperCoaches page

I’m not taking any Spanish classes right now.

Current Spanish study is not necessary to benefit from this Spanish coaching service, since it’s designed to help you use the Spanish you already know, regardless of your level. (If you do not know any Spanish at all, it will indeed be a natural language acquisition experience.) If you’re interested in studying the language, I can help you use free or paid online tools and apps such as Duolingo, Babbel, Rosetta Stone, and others, which you can use at your own pace on your phone, tablet, or computer. Then we would have the option to incorporate that material as needed into our coaching sessions.

I already have a Spanish tutor.

Keep working on grammar and vocabulary, and basic pronunciation. About this Conversational Spanish coaching service: I can help even your Spanish instructor or tutor deliver better spoken Spanish. I work with native Spanish speakers in recording studio settings, all of them professional actors, narrators, and voice talents, helping them deliver their lines with greater clarity and effectiveness, as well as “neutralize” their national or regional accents so that they are readily understood by all Spanish speakers regardless of country of origin. This service complements, not replaces, your current Spanish studies. Yes, I say that “language is better caught than taught.” This comes from the natural language acquisition philosophy. Yet, I can’t deny that some people can also learn with focused study, especially if they’re primarily interested in reading and writing skills. My coaching service will enhance this study, yet with a focus on verbal skills and conversational competence.

What is the best frequency of coaching sessions for maximum effectiveness?

After the intake session, I will recommend session length and frequency based on your needs, learning style, and any “deadlines” relative to your Spanish usage. For example, I have clients who spend winters in Latin America and benefit from just one 2-hour monthly session during spring and summer months and then move to weekly sessions in the months before going back south for the winter.

What will the first sessions be like?

I will create a customized coaching plan, and during coaching sessions, we will work together to write “Real-Life Scripts” in English, which I will then write (translate and transcreate) in Neutral Spanish. As we advance through the sessions, we’ll update and expand your scripts to maximize each session’s relevance to your Spanish conversational needs and utilization. We will audio record you as needed, and I will send you my recordings with challenging parts of your real-life scripts.

No textbooks or homework??? ☺

Nope. Your individualized Real-Life Scripts will be the basis for our ongoing Conversational Spanish Coaching sessions. We will have regular conversations using these scripts. Based on your regular media consumption habits, I will compile and customize materials for you, which you can use to read, listen, and watch as part of your “daily immersion” in the language and culture. (In a sense, this would be your "homework" ... doing stuff you already do and that fits your lifestyle naturally.)

Will we work on grammar and vocabulary?

While our focus will be to maximize verbal and conversational skills, as well as your intelligibility and comprehension when you are in a Spanish-language environment, we will invariably touch points in which clarification and reinforcement of grammar and syntax will happen. Something else that will occur is a natural, organic expansion of the Spanish vocabulary most relevant to your Spanish usage needs, something that’s much more effective than trying to memorize word lists or textbook vocabulary.

Who are the typical clients for this coaching service?

Individuals who want to improve their Spanish speech so that they can speak more effectively and with greater fluency while also participating more naturally in conversations. Also, singers who perform songs in Spanish, and executives and authors who must deliver persuasive speeches. Finally, the group that started this service: Native Spanish speakers who need to improve the clarity and quality of their verbal delivery while minimizing or eliminating their national or regional Spanish accents—most of them do regular professional acting, on-camera and voice-over talent work.

Will we cover cultural issues?

Cultural topics will also come up naturally as we work on your Conversational Spanish Real-Life Scripts, because these Spanish scripts seldom are literal translations of their English versions. I enjoy using my Cultural Competence Training experience and expertise during our sessions. I studied cultural anthropology and taught Multicultural Communications at the graduate level, so we can get as academic as you'd like on this. Yet my bias is being practical, helping you with actionable strategies and tactics.

Why should I focus on “neutral” Spanish?

Because by “leaning” your Spanish to a neutral version of it, both your speech (intelligibility) and comprehension will improve significantly when communicating with native Spanish speakers, regardless of where they are from in the Spanish world.

Do you teach in a classroom setting?

Our sessions take place at your home or office, or my office in Wayzata/Orono, Minnesota. Some sessions may be “on location” and occasionally via video conferencing/messaging (Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, WhatsApp, etc.).

You said, “individuals” … Do you teach small groups or couples?

This coaching service is designed for 1:1 sessions. When I began offering this service to Spanish learners, I worked with a few couples. I found that even when both had similar levels of Spanish, their needs in terms of pronunciation and comprehension were different enough that we ended up working 1:1 while the other person just watched. This is due to the nature of the service: Highly customized 1:1 coaching with a keen focus on specific, need-based pronunciation, articulation, and comprehension skills.

Is this your side hustle?

Yep, and one I love. I work full-time in the advertising and marketing industry as Chief Creative Officer at RicoLatino LLC.

Let's connect, email me at rico@RicoLatino.net or call/text me at 503-819-7582.


One more thing

"The importance of neuroplasticity can’t be overstated: It means that it is possible to change dysfunctional patterns of thinking and behaving and to develop new mindsets, new memories, new skills, and new abilities."

-Psychology Today (read the full article)

What are your rates and how do I book a session with you?

Visit my SuperCoaches page for current rates and to book sessions: https://supercoaches.org/coach/rico-paul-vallejos

Do you offer discounts?

Yes, I offer discounts to parents of language immersion students (my peeps!), and to members of organizations dear to my heart and where I am engaged and involved: the Wayzata Chamber of Commerce, the Latino Chamber of Commerce, the Public Relations Society of America, NAHREP/Hispanic Wealth Project, and Toastmasters International.