Language Connection

Yanette Tift has over 23 years of national and international language experience from translating and interpreting in the mining & engineering industry in Chile, to diving deep into the educational field in the United States at the secondary and higher education levels. Living and working abroad (Chile, Brazil, and Australia) has equipped Yanette with cultural sensitivity and knowledge for helping others where there is a language need. We are honored to have Yanette here at The Holland Center to offer language enrichment.

What’s unique about your teaching approach? I learn from each one of the participants in my class and I try to keep an open channel for inquiries and requests to be addressed during class, or as a private complimentary Zoom session - which I provide at no extra charge as part of the program.

Also, I love that I can support people who want to learn Spanish to communicate with a purpose. If participants know their “Why”, then I can help them with the “How”. Creating a program and structure that supports participants’ learning in a fun and interactive way, where people can learn without stress, without the fear of making a mistake or speaking in public because we are all part of the same enriching learning experience as a group.

What’s your most memorable teaching experience? When I discovered the difference between teaching Spanish to school students, as opposed to adults. Adults choose to take my class. Therefore they are more involved and engaged. They participate in class, they want to learn more. They ask questions that help them with a particular situation, task, or experience. That makes the class tremendously enriching because it is a shared, common situation that others can also learn from.

Interests/hobbies? I love my work. I love to be a language connector through the many options that are presented to me. Language Teaching, Language Coaching, and Simultaneous Interpreting are the utmost favorite things I love to do. Helping people understand each other in a world of two languages and one common goal. I love music! Particularly, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s. I love food – particularly fruits, vegetables, and seafood. I love puzzles that have nature images with hundreds of pieces; they are a world of peace and meditation to me.

My first job was: My first job after graduating was as a language assistant at a construction and engineering project in Chile. They were building a power plant in conjunction with a Japanese company. At that time, a joint venture between a Spanish-speaking construction company and a Japanese-English speaking engineering company. It was amazing! That is when I discovered that I loved “Simultaneous Interpreting” more than any other way of language support or interaction. Fast and instant communication followed by seconds of difference. Two languages, one message.

Favorite quote? “When we speak the same language, there is communication. When we speak in the recipient’s language, there is a connection.”