- Gerard Bradley Blanchard Helm
- Aptdo. de Correos 555
- Estepona, (Málaga)
Degrees (copies available)
- 1976 A.A. in Arts and Letters. American River Junior College, Sacramento, California.
- 1979 B.A, magna cum laude, in Spanish language and literature, with a minor in English literature, San Diego State University, San Diego, California.
- 1982 M.A. in Spanish language and literature, San Diego State University.
- 1982 California Community College Teaching Credential. Valid for life.
Published Works
- 1) StartSpanish (Copyright 2003 - 2008)
Windows computer programme for beginning and intermediate levels) to learn Spanish. - 2) Spanish Whiz (Copyright 1999 - 2008)
Windows computer programmes (beginning, intermediate and advanced levels) to learn Spanish. - 3) Spanish Listening Games (Copyright 2001)
A fun approach towards learning Spanish (Windows). - 4) English Whiz (Copyright 1999)
Windows computer programmes (beginning, intermediate and advanced levels) for Spanish-speakers to learn English. - 5) Spanish Helper for Business Terminology (Copyright 1996)
Computer programme designed to learn Business English (for Spanish-speakers). Available in both DOS and Windows versions. - 6) Spanish Helper Levels One, Two, Three (Copyright 1993)
Computer programmes (beginning, intermediate and advanced levels) to learn Spanish. - 7) Inglés-Inglés
Niveles Uno, Dos, y Tres (Copyright 1995)
Computer programmes (beginning, intermediate and advanced levels) for Spanish-speakers to learn English. - 8) Inglés
para la traducción y la lectura (Depósito legal MA
1600-91) and Léalo (Copyright 1996)
Book designed for professionals and students who need to learn to read professional publications, etc. in English with the aid of a dictionary. Léalo is the electronic version.
Work Experience
Spring 1995 to the present
In addition to my private Spanish classes, after teaching myself how to program using Delphi, I started commercialising the language-learning programmes I had created, founded Braser Soft, and started marketing them on Internet. This endeavour has included every imaginable type of responsibility from marketing to resource planning, from web design to customer support. It's a seven-day a week job, but only takes a couple of hours daily to maintain.
March 1998 to September 2002
Teacher for O'Sullivans Language School (based in Panticosa, Huesca) specializing in week-long intensive (14 hours a day) business English courses for top-level executives, teaching in the summer in Huesca and the rest of the year independently and solely responsible for the classes in the Hotel Paraíso in Estepona.
October 1992 to March 1998
Experto, Hotel Escuela Bellamar (INEM), Marbella (Málaga)
Responsibilities: Design and teach specialized courses in conversational
and written English in the fields of general services, tourism and gastronomy.
September 1991 to August 1992
Director, sección de idiomas, Centro de Estudios Plaza de las Flores,
Estepona (Málaga).
Responsibilities: Design and marketing of courses
of English for students in the Business Studies section of the school, as well
as students of conversational English. Preparation for Cambridge Exams. Public
relations, advertising design and distribution. Occasionally called on for
assistance in the computer courses.
October 1990 - September 1991
English Teacher, Casa de la Cultura of Estepona.
Responsibilities: planning of and teaching three types of ESL classes: 1) for
children 8 - 12 years of age, 2) Business English for adults, and 3) English for
Translation. Besides this, I collaborated on development and implementing of new
courses in the Casa de la Cultura. During the summer of 1991 I also collaborated
with the Universidad Pontificia in Salamanca to send students to their Spanish
for Foreigners programme.
April 1989 - September 1990
Private English and Spanish classes in Estepona. References available.
September 1988 - April 1989
Marbella College of
Higher Education in Nueva Andalucía. (Marbella).
1) Professor of English and Spanish in the University programme, also
charge with planning and development of courses in the Spanish and English
Departments.
2) Director of an independent EFL programme on the premises of the College.
Responsibilities: Very similar to those as Director of the school in Badajoz
(see below).
May 1982 - June 1988
Director, Centro de Idiomas de la Caja de Ahorros de Badajoz y la
Fundación Ponce de León (of Madrid) in Badajoz.
Responsibilities: all aspects concerned with being the director of a private
school with five teachers and more than 300 students: course and pedagogical
system planning; hiring and training of teachers; design and production of
informative and advertising brochures; in charge of publicity and marketing;
control of internal accounting; hiring of workers and temporary help in the
office; teaching ESL classes; plan and direct cultural activities; focus the
financial and internal planning on the board of the Obra Social of the Caja de
Ahorros and on the board of the Fundaci¢n Ponce de León and ACHNA
(Asociación Hispano-norteamericana) in Madrid.
September 1980 - January 1982
1) Teaching Assistant,
Department of Spanish and Portuguese, San Diego State University.
Responsibilities: planning of and teaching Spanish grammar and conversation
classes within the university programme.
2) English Professor,
Educational Cultural Complex, San Diego.
Responsibilities: planning of and teaching ESL classes for foreign students
from various countries.
3) Spanish Professor,
Educational Cultural Complex.
Responsibilities: planning of and teaching of Spanish grammar and conversation
classes within the school's adult programme.