Hi, I’m Fidel Sánchez Buergo.
One language. Six countries. No shortcuts
In my twenties, I made a deliberate choice to move, seeking for a deeper understanding. I've lived and taught across six countries: Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland, The United States and Colombia. I've taught Spanish in university classrooms in Chicago and Miami, at a highschool in Cali, as part of a university practicum at SDI Munich, and through Instituto Cervantes, one of the most respected Spanish-language institutions in the world. Each context taught me something different about how people learn, where they get stuck, and what actually moves them forward.
At the University of Illinois Chicago, I've spent the last four years as a Graduate Instructor and Course Coordinator, teaching Spanish at multiple levels while completing my doctoral degree in Hispanic Literary and Cultural Studies. That combination — rigorous pedagogical training alongside deep cultural immersion — informs everything I do in a tutoring session.
700 +
HOURS IN THE CLASSROOM ACROSS DIFFERENT CULTURES & SETTINGS
6
COUNTRIES OF TEACHING EXPERIENCE
4.86
STUDENT RATING ACROSS 12 COURSES - UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS CHICAGO
A1-C2
FULL DELE EXAMINER CERTIFICATION BY INSTITUTO CERVANTES
MY APPROACH
Precision over volume. Progress you can feel.
A lot of language instruction throws content at students and hopes something sticks. I work differently. Before we begin, I listen — to where you are, where you want to go, and what's genuinely getting in the way. Then I build sessions around those specific gaps.
My academic background means I can explain the grammar clearly and correctly. My years in the classroom mean I know when to explain and when to just let you use the language. And because I've learned languages myself, I know that the moment of real progress often feels like a small thing — a sentence that comes out right without thinking, a conversation that doesn't collapse in the middle.
That's what I'm here to build with you.
Whether you're preparing for a DELE exam, heading into an AP class, or simply ready to start your own adventure— I'd love to hear where you are and where you want to go.
CREDENTIALS
Certified and experienced to assess the full spectrum of Spanish proficiency.
DELE Official Examiner — A1 through C2
Certified by Instituto Cervantes. I don't just prepare students for these exams — I'm trained to evaluate them at every level of the official international standard.
PhD Candidate, Hispanic Literary & Cultural Studies — UIC
Doctoral-level knowledge of the grammar, history, and cultural fabric of the Spanish-speaking world. My dissertation is a poetry collection written in Spanish, a language that isn't just my profession, but my creative medium.
Heritage Learner Pedagogy & TBLT
Trained in Task-Based Language Teaching and in Teaching to Heritage speakers — students who grew up with Spanish at home and need a different kind of instruction than traditional learners
AP Spanish Preparation
Certified AP Reader and specialized experience helping high school students reach their highest scores on the AP Spanish exam, with a focus on analytical writing and oral production.