Season 2, episode 1
Hello and welcome to season 2 of Simple Stories in English. In this season, I will be telling you more about myself to help you be able to talk about yourself. In this first episode I will answer the question: Who am I?
Who Am I?
Hello, my name is Camilla Given and I am a Spanish teacher in a small town. I am a woman. I am 42 years old. I don’t think I’m old, but I don’t think I’m young either. My birthday is March 22.
I live in the state of Colorado in the United States. I live in Colorado, but I am not from Colorado. I’m from the state of Minnesota. My parents and some siblings live in Minnesota. I like to visit Minnesota, but I prefer living in Colorado. I have a lot of friends in Colorado and I like the mountains here.
I live in a small town in western Colorado. I like living in a small town. I don’t like living in a big city. I like visiting cities, but I don’t want to live in a city. I prefer small towns because they are quiet. I also prefer small towns because I know a lot of people. When I go to a restaurant, store, or the post office, I see friends or past students.
I am a high school teacher and college professor in a small town. There are around 500 students total in the high school, so it is not a super small school, but it is not a big school. I like being a teacher in a small school. I don’t like big schools because it is difficult to have good relationships with all the students and other teachers. I prefer small schools because I recognize practically all the students. I also have the opportunity to teach my students for more than one year. I have had some students for 4 years! My students call me “Profe”.
I have taught Spanish for 22 years. In that time I have taught Spanish 1, 2, 3, and 4, Spanish for Spanish speakers, and college classes of conversation, grammar, and composition. In addition to Spanish, I have taught theater, physical education, and newcomer English.
I originally wanted to be a math teacher. I like math. But when I had the opportunity to teach math, I didn’t like it. Math was easy for me and I didn’t know how to teach it. So I decided to teach something that I had to learn, something that wasn’t easy for me. I decided to teach Spanish.
I am a Spanish teacher, but I am also a Spanish student. I am not a native speaker of Spanish. I began to study the Spanish language in school when I was 14. I studied for 4 years in high school and for 4 years in college. During college, I spent a semester in Spain at the University of Pamplona. In my education, I learned from teachers and professors from the United States, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Spain, Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, and Paraguay. I have degrees in Spanish Education and Theater Arts from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota and I have my Masters in Spanish Education from the University of Nebraska at Kearney.
I keep studying Spanish. I read in Spanish. I watch programs like movies and Spanish soap operas in Spanish. I listen to podcasts in Spanish. I practice Spanish with friends. I listen to Latin music. I like Spanish a lot. I like the language and I like the culture. Spanish is a part of who I am.
In addition to being a teacher and student, I am an author. I like to write stories. I write stories for my classes and for my podcasts. I think that it is good to learn a language with stories. I publish my stories on my blog and on Amazon. I have six books in Spanish, five in English, three in German and one in French.
My first published book is called La tutora de español, or The Spanish Tutor. It is a little advanced. I have a series of more basic books called I am Jake, Jake celebrates, Jake explores, and Jake travels. For the Jake books I am an author and illustrator. My illustrations are very basic because I am not an artist. I do not have a talent for drawing.
Sometimes I am an actress. I like acting a lot. My university degree is for Spanish Education and Theater Arts. I took a lot of theater classes in college. I especially like improvisation. I use my acting abilities in my class and in recording my stories. I am very animated and expressive and I act out my stories.
I am a singer. I love singing. I sing a lot of songs. In the past, I sang in drama productions. Now, I mainly sing in church on Sundays. But sometimes I go to karaoke and sing with my friends. I sing with the radio in the car. I sing to my sons, although they don’t like it. I sing in the shower when I wash my hair. I sing when I walk in the mountains.
I am religious. I like singing to God in church on Sundays. I believe in God and I know that he loves me. I read the Bible. I think about God a lot when I am with my family and when I am in nature.
I am an explorer. I like exploring nature. Being outside is very important to me. I walk a lot in the mountains. I walk for miles and miles to see alpine lakes, waterfalls, flowers, and animals. In addition to walking, I ski. I cross-country ski because I like the exercise of nordic skiing. Sometimes exploring is difficult. Some roads are very long and complicated. In the summer there are mosquitos and it is hot. In the winter it is very cold when I ski. I prefer being where there are not many people because I like the tranquility. I use my time in nature to relax, reflect, and disconnect from the stress of the world. I like exploring with friends, but I also like to explore alone.
I am a traveller. I like to visit other states and other countries. When it is not possible to travel, I watch travel programs on TV. I like to travel because I like to learn about other cultures and I believe that it is important to get to know the world.
I am a sister and friend. I have incredible sisters and friends and I want to be a good friend to them. I want to support them. I celebrate their successes, or good moments. I listen to their problems. When they need or want help, I help. When they need love, I hug them. When they need company, I visit them. When they need an adventure, I explore with them.
Of all my roles, my most important role is mother. I have two sons that I adore. My older son is 13. He and I talk for hours and play a lot with Lego. We build vehicles and houses. We make replicas of famous places. My younger son is 10. He and I are very similar. He is dramatic like me and he likes writing stories. He is famous on my podcast for saying “the end” at the end of each episode.
I want to be a good mom for my kids. I prepare their food, although I am not a chef – I don’t like cooking. I help them with their school work. I listen to their trombone practice. I read to them. I give them a lot of hugs and kisses.
I love my life and I love who I am.
The End.
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