For Maria Nordase, teaching Spanish to her students is a skill that will take them around the world.
One of her pupils is an older gentleman who translates for his daughters when they visit Spain. Then there is the couple who visited Peru, where locals thought they were from an island nation that is to the south of Florida.
“When they went to visited Peru and visited Machu Picchu, they asked, ‘What part of Cuba are you from?’,” Nordase said in Spanish.
Her students have picked up her Cuban accent. After 20 years teaching the language, she has countless stories like that.
Nordase is from Cuba, taught Spanish there and continued her career as an educator in the United States.
The class was once part of Miami-Dade County Public Schools Continuing Education programs.
The Town of Miami Lakes began offering the class in 2006 and it is managed by the Parks and Recreation Department.
Nordase also teaches computer classes.
“When I started, it was under the direction [of another teacher], she suggested I come take over at Mary Collins [Community Center] for another teacher,” Nordase said.
After time spent as a substitute, she eventually became the full-time instructor.
“At the time, I had seven students including Carlos [Charles Eaves] and Sandra [Gosene],” Nordase said.
For their dedication to the program, the town council honored the trio on March 17.
“Of all the students that I have had, they’ve been with me since I took over,” Nordase said.
She knows her students well. Some leave after they retire from their careers, others move from the area, some have died and some have stuck with her.
The pandemic forced the class to move online.
“When we returned from COVID, the students asked me to stay online because it had been going well for them,” Nordase said.
Her students were older, and logging into the class remotely became convenient. Some attend from their jobs during meal breaks.
“It’s easier online from home, so they don’t have to drive at night or find parking and dealing with the traffic,” Nordase said.
Nordase’s class meets online on Thursday nights, when the students practice conversation. It helps them navigate South Florida and beyond.
According to the 2020 U.S. Census, 89% of town residents identify as Latino or Hispanic; 85.9% speak a language other than English at home.
In Miami-Dade County, 75.3% of residents speak a different language at home, according to the Census; the Miami-Dade Beacon Council reports that for 66% of those folks, the language they speak at home is Spanish.
Nordase wants her students to be able to converse in Spanish when they need it.
She hopes to continue teaching her students but said enrollment has dwindled over the years.
Her first students were professionals who wanted to be able to communicate with clients. Now senior citizens attend her lessons.
“Sandra … needed the Spanish classes to be able to talk to her clients and Carlos had just retired and wanted to integrate into the community here in Miami Lakes,” Nordase said.
Past students have worked as managers in banks, retail managers and people like Eaves who just want to be able to chat with neighbors.
She would like to offer classes to working professionals again too. They may not realize that it is a free service available to town residents and is fully online.
“Thank you for having me all this time, first for the opportunity to work for the town, and all the students who have signed up over the years,” Nordase told the town council when she was recognized for her work.
To enroll in classes call 305-364-6100 or text Nordase at 305-490-4383. A student must be 18 or older and reside in town to qualify.