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Modern Languages Media Center

Our Services:

The Media Center provides language students technical support and tutoring with their online homework. If there is an issue that is out of our hands, the center staff will be able to direct our students to the appropriate support channel. 

Center Information

Location: 2S-114

Coming Soon

About Us

Valeria Belmonti | Director
Valeria received an M.A. in Educational Technology from New Jersey City University concentrating her studies in Computer-Assisted Language Learning. Her thesis surveyed the use of web and mobile technology to enhance the teaching of intercultural competence within undergraduate language education, particularly through the use of telecollaboration. She has presented telecollaboration projects, models and frameworks at numerous national and international conferences, and she has directed the design and pilot of telecollaboration projects at the Center for Integrated Language Communities, one of the National Language Resource Centers funded by the U.S. Department of Education through Title IV grants. She holds various ACTFL certifications and has also completed coursework at the Intercultural Communication Institute of America (ICI). At CSI, she is also one of the Instructional Technologists for the Online Learning Team. 

 

Melvin Dejesus | College Lab Technician
I have worked at the Media Center for a long time and started here as a workstudy. I enjoy learning new languages and interacting with people from all over the world. I can speak some Spanish and Japanese, which helped me while I lived in Tokyo.

  • Oumar | College Assistant

 

  • Onofrio | College Assistant

 

  • Brianna | College Assistant

 

Breanna | American Sign Language Tutor:
Biography:  Hi! My name is Breanna and I am an American Sign Language tutor. I am currently in the last semester of my Masters, with a focus on English. I first began tutoring at the lab when I was in my undergrad where I completed a minor in ASL. Since then, I have continued to tutor so I may continue to practice the language myself while aiding students who are struggling to understand the concepts. Through talking to the students about the language, explaining its language properties, and signing with them, I hope to help them grow and support them on their journey to learning American Sign Language.

 

Katina | American Sign Language Tutor (2001-2019)
Biography: The Modern Languages Media Center and the College of Staten Island has been a second home for me. I have been a tutor since 2001. Since being a tutor, it allowed me to go from a student teacher, teacher assistant to finally an adjunct instructor for the American Sign Language program at CSI. I have been fluent in ASL for over 20 years and hope that my experience and knowledge of ASL/Deaf culture will help students have a better understanding of the language.

 

Abeer | Arabic Tutor:
Biography: Hi, my name is Abeer. I am currently an undergraduate student at CSI. I am majoring in International Business and minoring in Geography. I am originally from Yemen, and I speak Arabic fluently. I also have taken Arabic courses at CSI which made me gain more knowledge and understanding of the language. I will be tutoring Arabic and I hope that my knowledge will help students achieve full grades on their assignments and be successful in their studies. I am looking forward to helping you all.

 

Nowa | Arabic Tutor:
Biography: Hello, my name is Nowa and I am currently an undergrad student at CSI. My major is biology with a minor in Arabic, which I have already completed. Arabic is also my mother language and I had to study it up until my freshman year in high school. I had the opportunity to take two courses in CSI with Professor Hager and a course at Hunter college which helped me complete my minor. It is a honor to be an Arabic tutor and to share my knowledge and experiences with the language as well as assist our students with their own Arabic studies.

 

Tasnim | Arabic Tutor:
Biography: Hello! My name is Tasnim. I am an undergraduate student at CSI, an Arabic tutor majoring in psychology with a minor in Arabic and disability studies. I love my language because it’s unique in how it’s written and spoken; I enjoy writing Arabic poems in my free time because it helps me improve my literacy skills and pick up a wide variety of words. To me, it is an honor to tutor my language and share my passion with others. Working with students of Arabic allows me to share that experience with others and assist them with their own Arabic studies. What’s amazing about learning a language, or even just a few phrases, allows you to communicate and connect with others, and for that we enjoy our time in the Modern Languages Media Center.

 

FenFen | Chinese Tutor:
Biography: Hi! My name is FenFen. I am currently an undergrad at CSI, and my major is Grade 1-6 Education with a Chinese Minor. Chinese is my native language, and I speak Mandarin and Cantonese. I also have experience teaching Chinese as a teacher assistant outside of school. Since I have an Education major with a Chinese Minor, I hope my knowledge and experience will help fellow students to understand Chinese better as well as enjoy learning the language.

 

Jiahao | Chinese Tutor:
Biography: Hello! My name is Jiahao and I am currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in Economics. Chinese is my native language and I speak Mandarin. Outside of school, I also have experience teaching Chinese as a teaching assistant. I hope that my knowledge and experience can help other students better understand Chinese and enjoy the process of learning it. I understand that learning a new language can be challenging, but I believe that with the right approach, anyone can learn and enjoy Chinese.

 

Stevie | Chinese Tutor:
Biography: Hi, my name is Stevie and I study music at CSI. Music and language share two concepts that are the same which is emotion and expression. Learning Mandarin or any other language is not just about speaking the words like a robot, but being able to turn those words into various expressions, concepts, ideas, and forms of communication that bring people closer together. Those feelings added into words can make a big difference and being able to help students with their learning process will be tons of fun.

 

Tina | Chinese Tutor:
Biography: Hello everyone, my name is Tina, and I am a Chinese tutor at the Modern Language Media Center. I am currently an undergraduate student, majoring in Psychology. As a native speaker of Chinese, I am eager to share my language skills and cultural knowledge with people who are interested in learning Chinese. I believe that my background and experiences make me well-suited for this role. I look forward to working with you all.

 

Alice | French Tutor:
Biography: Bonjour! My name is Alice, and I am a French tutor. My major is Biochemistry with a minor in French. I have been studying French since I was 10. I love the language and the culture. I am good with reading and listening, but my goal is to be able speak French fluently. I am excited to share my knowledge with you, I promise it is not as hard as it seems. Looking forward to getting to know you!

 

Daina | French Tutor:
Biography: Hi, everyone! My name is Daina. I was born and raised in Haiti, and my primary language is Haitian Creole. I am majoring and currently working toward my associate degree in nursing at CSI. I will be tutoring French this semester. I learned French from primary school through my High School year in Haiti. French is our second language, and it’s a language that I enjoy speaking. Moreover, I love French music and my favorite artist is Maitre Gims. One fun fact about me is that I enjoy cooking.

 

Oumar | French Tutor:
Biography: My name is Oumar. I am from Burkina Faso in West Africa. French is my country official language. I am a French adjunct faculty and an undergrad in Computer Sciences (2nd degree). I like watching movies, sports and listening to music. My best experience at CSI started when I began to work at the language lab. As a former ESL students, the lab gave me the opportunity to share with my fellow students some of my knowledge in language learning and to provide them the best tips and practices to speak French.

 

Alyssa | Italian Tutor:
Biography: Ciao! My name is Alyssa and I’m a tutor here at CSI for those who would like assistance with the Italian language. My major is Italian, and I hope to teach Italian to anyone I come across. My passion for Italian comes from my family, although I am third-generation Italian. I find that it is helpful that I learned Italian from English, so that when people ask for help learning it, I can simplify certain topics for English speakers. My hobbies reflect my thirst for knowledge, reading, writing, studying, and learning new things. Some of my favorite books would be, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, 20000 Leagues Under the Sea, and Io e Te.

 

Brianna | Italian Tutor:
Biography: Hi my name is Brianna. I am currently an undergrad at CSI and my Major is Italian and Mechanical Engineering. The first time I was exposed to the Italian language was when I studied it in high school for the first time. I instantly fell in love with the language and I would constantly listen to the music, watch movies and YouTube videos. I even practiced with who ever I could when an opportunity presented itself. Over the summer, a few family members and I were fortunate enough to go to Italy for 9 days and it was beautiful! I hope by being an Italian Major and studying the language further, it will allow me plenty of opportunities to see the world and explore further the Italian culture.

 

Krista | Italian Tutor:
Biography: Ciao! My name is Krista, and I am an undergraduate student at Macaulay Honors College at CSI. My major is Linguistics, and my minors are Italian and Speech-Language Pathology. I studied Italian since high school and enjoyed it so much I decided to minor in it in college. I like a methodical approach to the study of language, particularly, examining the grammatical patterns that emerge. Learning a new language can be like following a recipe; with practice, you will end up with something satisfying.

 

Onofrio | Italian Tutor:
Biography: Ciao! My name is Onofrio. My major is Italian and I enjoy learning about all different types of languages when the opportunity presents itself. I lived in Italy until I was twelve, and speaking English and Italian has assisted me in becoming proficient in Spanish and Georgian. I know learning a language can be tough, which is why I aspire to facilitate the learning process, developing students' comprehension and use of the Italian language with fun and immersive methods.

 

Laura G. | Italian Tutor:
Biography: I was born and raised in Italy. I studied Computer Science in High School and Journalism at Università degli Studi di Palermo in Italy. After leaving, I was able to travel to various countries, experience different cultures, and the desire to spread Italian culture grew in me. Now, I am a senior at CSI, majoring in Italian Studies, and I can't wait to assist students taking Italian courses here as well as in the future, teach my language in schools.

 

Evelyn | Spanish Tutor:
Biography: Hello, my name is Evelyn. I was born and raised in Guatemala. Spanish is my native language, but I also speak English since I moved to the United States at the age of 14. I am currently a sophomore at CSI. My major is psychology and Spanish as a minor. Studying a language can be tough, but I will be more than happy to help you in the process of learning Spanish.

 

Jazaira | Spanish Tutor:
Biography: My name is Jazaira, and I am currently a university student at CSI. I am specializing in Spanish and Education 7-12, as well as a minor in Psychology. I was born and raised in Puerto Rico, and our official language is Spanish. Besides being my mother tongue, I always looked for different approaches to instruct myself in the language which occurred while reading literary novels. This is when I ultimately fell in love with Spanish. Through its words, I could transport myself into various stories, visualize the worlds, scenes, people, conversations, experiences and it felt like I was there for real. I believe that being a tutor is an experience that, in addition to helping me in practice, helps me support students of the language and our community on this learning journey. #Permancéstunning

 

Margarita | Spanish Tutor:
Biography: My name is Margarita, and I am from Ecuador. I transferred from the Universidad Estatal de Guayaquil and am currently studying in my fourth semester at the College of Staten Island. My major is Spanish because I aspire to teach and help others learn the Spanish language in the near future. I grew up reading the short stories, poetry, and novels from Spanish and Latin American authors and listening to pre-Colombian legends and myths that have shaped the identity of Latin American countries. People ought to learn how romantic, beautiful, and rich the Spanish language is. The great professors teaching BA in Spanish courses at the College of Staten Island are providing me with the necessary skills and techniques to teach Spanish and one day write a novel and a collection of short stories based on stories, legends, and experiences that I have been able to collect in my life. I enjoy the time I spend tutoring Spanish in the Modern Language Media Center because I love sharing my passion for my native language with students learning Spanish.

 

Maria | Spanish Tutor:
Biography: Hola! My name is Maria and I’m a Spanish tutor. I’m currently majoring in Psychology, and this is my second year at CSI. I enjoy tutoring because it allows me to help people understand the language and working in the center gives me that opportunity. I hope I get to help a lot of students to have a better understanding of the Spanish language and do better in their Spanish classes.

 

Pamela | Spanish Tutor:
Biography: Hello! my name is Pamela and I’m one of the Spanish tutors at CSI. I’m currently majoring in English with a concentration in Linguistics and I’m also doing a minor in Speech Language Pathology, in hopes of becoming an SLP in the future. I was born in the Dominican Republic and Spanish is my first language. I have always enjoyed helping others which is why I really like my job as a tutor, and being able to help and share my knowledge about my language makes me happy.

 

Susie | Spanish Tutor:
Biography: ¡Hola Estudiantes! My name is Susie. I am double majoring in Early Childhood Education and Spanish. I’ve been working in the Modern Languages Media Center since last semester and my goal is to be able to help students to understand Spanish. I was born and raised in the United States by 2 Mexican parents who have always spoken Spanish my entire life. It has inspired me to want to help others to learn or practice Spanish and be able to carry on the knowledge gained throughout their personal lives. I hope students will enjoy learning Spanish and not be afraid to visit our center for help.

 

Sylwia | Spanish Tutor:
Biography: Hello! My name is Sylwia and I am a Spanish tutor at the Language Lab as well as a Political Science major on the "Pre-Law" track at the Macaulay Honors College of CSI with minors in Business and Spanish. I grew up speaking and writing in both Polish and English in my home, which fueled my love and passion for language and culture. During my high school years, I had the opportunity to learn a substantial amount of the Italian language and was fascinated by Italian culture. In the most recent two years of my life, that fascination shifted toward the Spanish language, which I have undertaken very seriously. I love how many people from countless cultures I have been able to connect with after learning Spanish, and I plan to only further my knowledge. I am honored to have this opportunity to be a tutor and excited to see what the future holds for us.

 

I enjoyed tutoring, as it was very helpful, and I was learning from it. I would go to class and not know anything, but then when I started tutoring,  we went over all my lessons and practiced everything, and I would understand it well. Every time I have a new lesson the next day I go to tutoring, because that is the only way I understand the work. I am not an Arabic speaker, so as a non-native learner, a new language is extremely difficult, but the tutor made it easier. Since it is one to one, it is a lot easier to ask questions, and go over things, as oppose to in class. N.I. - Student of Arabic

 

Learning a second language could be challenging. Attending Italian tutoring on a weekly basis has given me a great deal of confidence in completing my assignments, quizzes and class participation.  Thank you for all the hard work and dedication in tutoring Italian.  My appreciation for tutors is much greater than these words.  The whole entire Italian tutoring staff are AMAZING! The tutor I see in the morning especially has taught me in a way that made the information stick in my head.  She broke this up step-by-step.  I am forever thankful for her and the rest of the team.  With that being said, if you are struggling, tutoring is extremely helpful and I highly recommend it. Giovanna - Student of Italian

 

The CSI tutoring program is one of the best tutoring programs I have ever experienced.  The open scheduling concept is extremely innovative and offers the student maximum flexibility.  All of the tutoring instructors are enormously helpful and  very professional.  They are  all awesome!!  If you need to improve your grade or just get some extra help, you need to give the CSI tutoring center a try, you will not regret your experience. -Lee, Student of French

 

I attend Spanish tutoring, and the tutor has helped me improve with my class assignments. The tutor is kind, and patient with me. She explains the work in a way I can fully comprehend. I have improved so much . I received an A on my last Spanish test. She has also given me the motivation and confidence to never give up. I appreciate that she has a passion for what she does. -Cyrinthia, Student of Spanish

 

Being a student learner at the tutoring center has been a great experience. The tutors are friendly and very helpful in any subject language that you need assistance with. My skills have greatly sharpened from coming to the tutoring center and I’m very grateful of the help I received. I have been a student of Italian language and received my minor. I still continue to go to the center for new languages. I always enjoy coming for tutoring and other helpful tools to practice language.  -Nazar, Student of Italian

 

I am a senior at the College of Staten Island. I have been going to the Language tutoring Lab for French since the fall of 2015. The tutors I worked with have always been helpful and obligated by personal will to want to see me succeed. Whenever I feel apprehension with any area in French, I can go to the tutor and receive mentoring/tutoring in ways that to improve my general French. The tutor encourages me to strive limitlessly and the educational relationship we have had helped me to achieve all "A"s in my French courses thus far. -Ikim, Student of French

If it wasn't for The Modern Languages Media Center's tutoring, I would have been behind in my Spanish classes. Learning a new language at an older age is always a challenge. Therefore, I took advantage of this facility the minute I found out I had to fulfil a foreign language requirement for my degree. I was always ahead of my peers and always ready to participate. For that reason, I always stood out and exceled in all my exams and assignments. -Tugba, Student of Spanish

I went to the Modern Languages Media Center many times because I needed help with Spanish. The language tutoring center is a great place for people who need help with languages and the tutors there are amazing because they help you so that you can do well in all of your language classes. I received help in Spanish from Spanish tutors who want you to do well in classes and are willing to help if necessary. -Bella, Student of Spanish

The MLMC has helped me a lot during the semester. When I came here the first day, I did not know anything about the new language. Then the tutor came and helped me out and because of her help, I was able to pass with a good grade in my class. I was also able to become friends with the tutor while studying and practicing. Overall, I had a great semester and hope to have a better one next time.-Mohammad, Student of Chinese

 

The MLMC has helped me out a lot this semester, more than what a typical tutoring center has done for me. The tutor has helped me out a lot from basic sentences, stroke order and pronunciation which in return helped me to achieve the highest grade overall that I could within the class.-Demetry, Student of Chinese