Mili Paredes
Lecturer in Hispanic Studies
Education
- M.A. Universidad de Cantabria
- M.A. Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Background
I was born in Spain and hold an M.A. in Philology from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and an M.A. in Pedagogy from the Universidad de Cantabria. Over the past 25 years, I have taught Spanish in a variety of academic settings across Spain, Germany, Hungary, and the United States. This international experience has deepened my commitment to diversity, intercultural understanding, and inclusive pedagogy.
Before joining 鶹Ƶ, I spent 15 years teaching Spanish at the Esslingen University of Applied Sciences and the Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg in Germany. During this time, I also collaborated with the publishing house Ernst Klett Verlag in Stuttgart as an author of educational materials for Spanish as a foreign language, contributing to a wide range of textbooks for high school and university students. This editorial work has greatly enriched my pedagogical approach, enhancing my creativity, adaptability, and focus on learner-centered instruction.
At 鶹Ƶ, I currently teach a range of Spanish language courses—from beginner to intermediate (Spanish 101, 102, and 201)—designed to build students’ communicative competence and cultural awareness. I also teach Spanish 265: Spanish for the Professions, a course that introduces students to Spanish in professional contexts and includes a 30% community service-learning component, reflecting my commitment to teaching Spanish for Specific Purposes.
I am a member of the organizing committee for the Encuentro Práctico de Español L2 en Carolina del Norte, a regional conference focused on inclusive and innovative practices in Spanish language teaching. I contributed to the planning of:
- EPENC24: Experiencias inclusivas en el aula (鶹Ƶ, February 2024)
- EPENC25: Propuestas para un aprendizaje transformativo (Duke University, February 2025)
- EPENC26: Nuevos retos en la era de la IA (鶹Ƶ, February 2026)
I serve as Co-Director of the 鶹Ƶ Summer Teaching Internship in Spain, an immersive program that offers students of Hispanic Studies hands-on teaching experience in Spanish classrooms while deepening their cultural understanding. I am Co-Editor of the white paper Experiencias y reflexiones sobre el español para fines específicos (“Experiences and Reflections on Spanish for Specific Purposes”), published in March 2026.
My main areas of interest include Spanish pedagogy, language didactics, and Spanish for Specific Purposes—particularly Spanish for the Professions and Spanish for Business.
Teaching Experience
- SPA 101: Elementary Spanish I
- SPA 102 Elementary Spanish II
- SPA 201 Intermediate Spanish
- SPA 265: Spanish for the Professions (Spring 2026)
- Literary Text Commentary
- Spanish for the Professions
- Spanish for Business
- Spanish for Specific Purposes