About

Hello, my name is Nick Fowler and this will mark my 6th year teaching/tutoring languages throughout Los Angeles. Initially this was my sole focus, however these days I increasingly find myself being approached by various companies to help teach employees, translate advertisements, or serve as an interpreter from time to time as well. West LA Language Tutor has definitely expanded into some new arenas, nevertheless I remain as committed as ever to serving all of my clients' specific needs, whether it's helping Disney with a viral marketing campaign in French/Spanish or a struggling 7th grader improve his grades. I take it all very seriously. Providing accurate, reliable service in a professional manner is of the utmost importance to me. I truly love my job! As a freelancer I never know where my next assignment will come from or whom I might be dealing with, which I find genuinely exciting!

Biography

I am 5th generation Portuguese from Hawaii on my father's side. My mother on the other hand, was an English professor from the East Coast before moving to the islands over 40 years ago. One would think that straying so far from "civilization" for so long would have mellowed her penchant for constantly correcting my grammar, yet after 30 years, it still hasn't. I assure you though, she definitely had her work cut out for her. We Hawaiians are not exactly known for our grammar skills. Her grammar-nagging used to drive me crazy, but over time I began to realize the benefits of incessant corrections and my English skills improved dramatically.

This obsession with grammatical perfection, or perhaps more aptly hers, has greatly aided me in acquiring new languages. From 7th-12th grade, mastering French and surfing utterly consumed me. Upon graduation, I took a year off and lived abroad in Tahiti to surf and improve my French. I ameliorated my French skills via daily interactions with Tahitian friends. Conveniently for me, they spoke only French. Upon entering U.C. Santa Cruz the following year I had every intention of continuing French, when my mother intervened and suggested "You're already fluent in French, take Spanish! It is so much more practical on the mainland" (i.e. the continental U.S). I am forever grateful I listened. I ended up taking 5 Quarters of Upper Division Spanish before I studied linguistics abroad in Chile at the Universidad de Concepcion. This experience cemented my fluency in Spanish. Upon my return to Santa Cruz, I began taking upper division Portuguese for my final year taught by former U.C. Berkeley Professor Ana Maria Seara. The prerequisite was fluency in either French or Spanish to enter her upper division classes. Being fluent in both helped tremendously! Ana taught Brazilian Portuguese via French/Spanish. In 3 months I attained a comfortable level of textbook fluency, however I had the good fortune of studying with Ana the entire year as a result of finishing my graduation requirements ahead of schedule. Her methodology had a profound influence on me. I have integrated several of her teaching methods into my own personal teaching style for the benefit of all my students. The greatest thing about her teaching style is that it is applicable to any language.

Education

• B.A., Film & Digital Media, University of California, Santa Cruz 2001-2005: Cumulative G.P.A. 3.6 For major 3.85
• Minor in Romance languages Conversational French 2001-2005 (I received an A+ and maintained slightly higher than an A average)
• Upper Division Spanish 2001-2004 (A average)
• Upper Division Portuguese 2004-2005 (A average)
• Universidad de Concepcion, Chile 2003 (A average) (While studying linguistics abroad I was placed in a smaller "advanced" group)

• Punahou (Barack Obama's Alma Mater): Cumulative G.P.A. 3.5
• Punahou Senior Class President, 2000
• Kindergarten-12th Grade, (French Honors from 7-12th grade)
• Recipient of the Dolores Furtado full tuition scholarship, 2000