Resources
Language Tutoring
Spring 2024
Tutoring on global languages is available for current undergraduate USF students from all three campuses. See below to learn more about how you can attend or schedule a language tutoring session.
Additionally, check out the virtual foreign exchange program between students of the Italian program at USF and students from the University of Naples L'Orientale, Italy.
usf TAMPA | st. petersburg | SARASOTA-MANATEE
WLE Tutoring Policy
Tutoring appointments are 30-minutes each. If there are no following appointments or students waiting to be tutored, then a tutor can work with you for a max of 60 minutes at their discretion. By receiving tutoring, you agree to abide by the WLE Tutoring policy.
WLE Tutoring Mode
For the Spring 2024 semester, tutoring is offered both in-person and virtually. USF St. Petersburg and USF Tampa offer in-person tutoring.
- Virtual tutoring is offered to all 3 campuses (USFT, USFSP, USFSM) by appointment only. Virtual tutoring is provided via Microsoft Teams (which you must have downloaded before your appointment). Students from USFSM (and students studying French at USFSP) are highly encouraged to take advantage of our virtual tutoring sessions.
- For In-person tutoring at USF Tampa: appointments are highly encouraged but walk-ins are welcome. Please note however that appointments take priority and, thus, walk-ins are not guaranteed tutoring aid. Tutoring takes place in our Language Lab, which is located at CPR (Cooper Hall) room 467. We encourage all students to plan their tutoring sessions in advance. You can learn more about our tutors from their bios down below.
- USF St. Petersburg also offers in-person tutoring through the Debbie Nye Sembler Student Success Center. All in-person tutoring is drop-in based (no appointment necessary). Students can just stop by the front desk in DAV 107 when a tutor is scheduled. The Debbie Nye Sembler Student Success Center is a separate office from the USF World Languages department, so please go to their page for more information on their policies and procedures.
Appointment Information
- When scheduling your appointment, please include your name, U-number, Class/Instructor and any details regarding your learning/tutoring needs in the "Notes" section.
- You will receive a confirmation email and an invitation to add the appointment to your calendar. If you have a virtual appointment, your Teams meeting link should be included in your confirmation email.
- Please notify your tutor in advance if the appointment needs to be changed or canceled. Any questions should be directed to the tutor via email.
- Be on time to the appointment and be sure to bring necessary learning materials (e.g., textbook) to the tutoring session.
* Appointments cannot be scheduled less than 24 hours or more than 21 days in advance.
Tutoring services are offered for free during the Fall and Spring semesters. The schedule will be posted at the beginning each semester.
Spring 2024 Schedule
| Language | Tutor | In-person | Virtual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spanish and Chinese | Larry Grullon-Polanco |
Monday |
Friday |
| French | Lucy Agbo |
Monday |
Friday |
| Spanish and German | Allison Martison |
Tuesday |
Thursday |
| Japanese | Maria Vargas |
Tuesday |
Monday |
| Spanish and Japanese | Rosshan Baldos |
Monday |
Wednesday |
| Russian | Makhliyo Durdieva |
Wednesday |
Monday |
Meet Your Tutors
Lucy Agbo - French
Hello, my name is Lucy Agbo I hold a degree in French from Benue State University, Nigeria.
Currently, I am pursuing a master’s degree in linguistics: Teaching English as a Second Language at the University of South Florida.
Back home, I was a Teaching Assistant at the University of Abuja Business School, Nigeria. I have been teaching French since I graduated from the University in 2016, so I help my students develop their French proficiency while improving their reading, writing and listening skills.
I like reading, watching movies and meeting new people. I am a language enthusiast, having grown up in a society that speaks over 500 languages.
I love teaching and look forward to working with students as part of the Department of World Language's tutoring program.
Email: agbo@usf.edu
Rosshan Baldos - Spanish & Japanese
Hello, my name is Rosshan Baldos (she/they) and I am a student in the MA Linguistics program. I also received my BA in World Languages and Cultures with a concentration in Applied Linguistics here at USF, Go Bulls!
I was born in the Philippines and have lived in Florida for almost ten years. I have been learning Japanese and Spanish for a few years and am very excited to join the department and be part of students' learning journey. As a fellow language learner, I hope that you will enjoy your experience with these languages as much as I have over the years.
Outside of languages and linguistics, I enjoy getting involved on-campus with my student organization and spending quality time with my cats. Please don't hesitate to reach out to me for any help, tips, resources, or just to practice your conversational skills! I am here to help, so feel free to shoot me an email anytime.
Email: rosshanb@usf.edu
Larry Grullon-Polanco - Chinese & Spanish
Hello, my name is Larry. I am a master's student in the Linguistics: English as a Second Language program. My bachelor’s degree is in music education from Florida State University. I have taught choir and guitar from elementary school to high school and used to volunteer with the Hispanic Services Council teaching English through music.
I was born in Washington Heights, Manhattan and I have always been surrounded by second language learners and users. I really feel for how difficult and rewarding learning a second language can be. Outside of school I like to take care of my plants and constantly buy books which only occasionally get read.
Email: grullonpolanco@usf.edu
Allison Martinson - Spanish & German
Hi! My name is Alli (she/her) and I am in the World Languages M.A. program: Teaching English as a second language. I recently graduated from USF with a B.A. in Applied Linguistics. I have been learning languages for almost 10 years; language learning and teaching are my passions in life! I have been studying Spanish since middle school (8+ years) and I have taken many college level Spanish classes.
I feel comfortable tutoring beginner to intermediate levels of Spanish. I have conversational skills in German, as I have traveled there a few times and have many German friends! I would love to tutor you if you are in German 1 or 2. As a second language learner, I understand the struggles of language learning and have discovered strategies that have helped me, and that can hopefully help you too! I hope we can work together to help you succeed in your language endeavors!
Email: martinson@usf.edu
Maria Vargas - Japanese
Hello! My name is Maria and I am a recent graduate from USF receiving a Bachelor's in World Languages and Cultures with a concentration in East Asian Languages and Cultures, and a minor in Linguistics. I am currently pursuing my master's in Linguistics: Teaching English as a Second Language.
I’m from Haines City, Florida. Being bilingual (growing up speaking both Spanish and English), I have a deep appreciation for languages and language learning. I started learning Japanese during my undergraudate studies. Besides Japanese, there are other languages I want to learn in the near future, like French, Italian, and Portuguese. In my free time I enjoy dancing, watching movies, building puzzles and trying new food spots.
As a language learner myself, I want to be an aid to help students on their journey to improving their Japanese! I can recommend helpful study material from books and apps that have worked for me. If you have any questions about grammar and vocabulary, or just want to practice your conversation skills, please feel free to reach out.
My strengths are Japanese 1 and 2, but I can assist with higher levels, too.
Email: mivargas@usf.edu
Makhliyo Durdieva - Russian
My name is Makhliyo Durdieva. I am from Uzbekistan and l am glad to teach Russian language and help students with Russian classes at USF. l am ready to assist students who have recently started learning Russian Language. I have been tutoring English and l have almost 4 years of teaching experience.
I gained my bachelor's degree at the University of World Languages in my hometown. This is my first that l am tutoring Russian language so l can only work with beginner level students. I am interested in learning various languages and l am also getting virtual Russian classes to advance my speaking skills.
If you are struggling to learn Russian, I am ready to help you! We can work together
and
perform better in classes! Meeting with you and teaching will be fun!
Email: makhliyo@usf.edu
ITALIAN TANDEM PROJECT
The Italian program at the University of South Florida is delighted to announce Tandem Project (Progetto Tandem), a great opportunity to engage in an online exchange between students of the Italian program at USF and Italian students from the University of Naples L'Orientale!
The Tandem Project was established in 2021 through a collaboration between Prof. Patrizia La Trecchia, head of the Italian Program at the University of South Florida, and Prof. Giuseppe Balirano, the President of the University of Naples L'Orientale Language Center (CLAOR Centro Linguistico di Ateneo Università L'Orientale) in Italy.
We encourage our students of Italian to take advantage of it! If you would like to participate in the exchange program, please:
- Scan the QR code with your phone's camara app to be directed to the Google Doc sign-up sheet (active since Feb, 2022).
- Add your name and email to get signed up!
For more information on the Project Tandem collaboration between the USF Italian Program and the University of Naples L'Orientale Language Center, please visit their Progetto Tandem page.
Our enrolled students with the Italian Program at USF can also reach out directly to Feed Your Mind Associazione Culturale mentioning that they are students of Italian at USF.
Students can contact them directly @FeedYourMindAssociazioneCulturale on Facebook, @feedyourmindac on Instagram, WhatsApp +39-333-581-2876, or email info.feedyourmind@gmail.com.
Please share with them which class you are taking (Italian I, Italian II, Italian III, Italian Conversation, etc.) and the name of your professor. Feed Your Mind is located in Pompei and they are going to match you with their Italian students who are learning English!