Hello, I live in Grand Rapids, Michigan USA. The state surrounded by beautiful fresh water lakes. I recently retired from my job as a school social worker. I worked with children ages 3 to 12 years old and their families to improve behavior and personal relationships at school. Now I am active in my neighborhood associaton. I am tutoring a man in English as a volunteer in our local literacy program. I love to garden, play tennis and travel. I have been teaching myself to speak Spanish using many types of learning. I have used CDs, on line computer courses, reading easy novels and skyping with a native Spanish Speaker. I also participate in a weekly conversation group where we read stories and then use the new vocabulary to write new stories. This is the most fun because we write crazy stories. I am learning Spanish because it is fun and because many people in my community speak Spanish. Also we like to travel to Central and South America. I need help with word order, using pronouns and using the correct tenses when speaking. I am hoping that my teacher can correct my pronunciation while I speak, identify and strengthen weak areas and move on to more advanced topics.