THANK YOU! ¡GRACIAS! DANKE! 

It is the first word I wanted you to read in this blog. I declare myself a lover and a great believer of the word thank you. It exists in all languages ​​without any excuse not to use it. This word, together with a smile, opens many doors in life. So, thank you for reading our first blog. 

My name is Maribel Reyna, the founder of Verbal Bridges, and I’m so excited to share a little more about me and what you can expect from this blog. 

I was born and raised in a country of more than sixty types of chilies and what I call the “T” food: tacos, tortilla, tequila, and tamales – Mexico. The nation of Mariachi Bands, Quinceañera parties, and cheerful celebrations on the Day of the Death. 

During my childhood, I enjoyed playing the role of my English teacher. At that time, my father used to travel for business in Germany. Sunday mornings were necessary, as he called to know how the family was. However, my essential part was: “My dear daughter, these are the numbers from one to five … eins, zwei, drei, vier, fünf.” This is how my dad became my first German teacher by sharing the few words he had learned over the week. Since then, my curiosity about other countries and languages started to grow. Living abroad and building a language school became my two big dreams.

Years later, after getting my undergraduate degree in linguistics, I had the pleasure of teaching the languages I’ve loved for six years. As a professional teacher and a language learner, I know how much time and determination it takes to acquire a language. I firmly believe that communication is at the center of any language journey. That enjoyment and a sense of meaningfulness are essential to learning anything. 

Later and as a young adult, I boarded my life’s first and most important plane. I was nervous and excited at the same time. After a twelve-hour flight, I was finally in the country of more than seven thousand types of beer, long grilled sausages, bread, and more — the nation of winter carnivals, Christmas markets, and the Oktoberfest. As an “Au-pair,” a sort of nanny living with a host family, I got used to the differences between Germany and Mexico. However, I again fell in love with the country and the language. 

A couple of years later, I returned to Mexico, obtained my undergraduate and graduate business degrees, and spent a decade working in the manufacturing industry. While I was pregnant, I applied for a position in the USA. Three months after my baby was born. I boarded the second most important flight of my life. I was moving to the country of thousands of steakhouses, the Superbowl, Thanksgiving, tech innovations, music artists, and historical personalities.

What Verbal Bridges blog is all about

Language learning will be the main topic with hacks and strategies for improving your speaking, listening, writing, reading, grammar, vocabulary, plus pronunciation. 

This blog will also provide a unique way to learn about the lifestyles and cultures of living in the USA, Mexico, and Germany. You will discover traditions, arts, history, and social structures. Additionally, you will learn about each country’s business ethics and how the current global business speaks many languages. But get ready because you will also see news and updates about Verbal Bridges projects and events to support your growth.

Thank you for being here!

Verbal Bridges is looking forward to bringing you an extraordinary language learning experience so you can speak courageously and contribute to the world in more than one way. We are honored to have you!

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