Luzmaría Renjifo
personalized spanish classes

About the Classes

I'm Luzmaría, a Spanish teacher based in Austin, TX, with extensive experience and a methodical approach to teaching.

Want to learn Spanish? Try my classes!

My classes connect people and businesses to the Hispanic world.

It doesn't matter whether you are a true beginner or you want to sharpen your Spanish skills, I can help you meet your goals.

I offer face-to-face classes tailored to your specific needs. You can take my classes in-person or via video conference; private classes or in groups.

Why customized classes?

It's simple: choosing material that is appropriate to your level and to your interests facilitates your learning process and allows you to reach further. In this way, the classes will be more effective and engaging.

How does it work?

In our first meeting we will discuss your goals and background. I will then prepare a plan just for you. As we go, we can make adjustments if needed to make sure you reach your goals.

In-person classes are available in the Austin, TX area. You can also take my classes anywhere in the world via Zoom or Skype.

And what about tutoring sessions?

I offer tutoring sessions for students who are currently taking Spanish at school. Whether it is a single session before an exam or regular meetings, I can help you.

Ready to start?

Take a peek at the different services I offer for individuals and corporate. Contact me to start with your Spanish classes!


In-Person Classes

In-person classes are available in the Austin, TX area.
Contact me for other locations.

Video Conference

You can take my classes anywhere in the world via Zoom or Skype.

Meet Luzmaría


  • ¡Hola! I'm Luzmaría, a Spanish teacher based in Austin, Texas. I hold a BA in Literature from Universidad de Los Andes and an MA in Hispanic Literature from Yale University.

  • A little bit about me: I was born and raised in Cali, Colombia, studied Literature at Universidad de Los Andes in Bogotá; I then moved to the US and did my Master's Degree in Hispanic Literature at Yale. I began teaching when I was young. I have taught Spanish and Hispanic culture and literature at Universidad de Los Andes, Yale, and Loyola University Maryland. I spent two years in Doha, Qatar teaching Spanish to a group of Qatari women.

  • I love to teach and help my students enjoy the journey of learning. I like to understand my students' goals so that my classes have a clear sense of purpose. This vision ignites students' curiosity, creativity, and a drive to work hard with confidence.

  • I am organized and believe in a holistic approach to teaching. Therefore, I provide students with a clear yet flexible structure.

  • I enjoy Latin-American literature, gardens, and the arts. I love to practice yoga and to walk on the hike and bike trail. I live in Austin with my husband, Jorge and my cat, Betsy.

Meet María


  • María Ruiz Rosique joined the team in 2022! She tutors students and collaborates with Luzmaría in the development of original personalized course materials for our students.

  • María is the director of Loyola University Maryland's Study Abroad Program in Spain. Every summer, she welcomes students in Murcia, her hometown, where they take an immersive and intensive Spanish course with María and travel around Spain.

  • She is an accredited Spanish examiner for Instituto Cervantes, the leading organization in the promotion of Spanish teaching, learning, and assessment around the world.

  • She was born and raised in Murcia, Spain and she holds a BA and MA in English Philology and English Education from the University of Murcia and a MA and teaching certificate from West Virginia University.

  • María started teaching Spanish during her time at West Virginia University. She then moved to Baltimore and worked at Loyola University Maryland where she taught Elementary, Intermediate, and Advanced Spanish. She now lives in Murcia, Spain.

Testimonials

Sydney Sherman
Austin, TX

"I have studied Spanish for long enough and with enough people to know that Luzmaría is without a doubt the best teacher I have ever had. It is hard to tell one's progress at times in a language but I have grown leaps and bounds under her. Luzmaría is fun, patient, and always brings new perspectives. I love how we always talk about relevant content, or study the culture along with the language. The content she brings to the table is always very interesting even if it was taught in English I would find it fascinating. We generally start with free flow, which is great to expand my vocab to discuss things that are happening to me today, and then we get into the content which is always professionally prepared. You can tell she puts a lot of time and thought into her work which is probably why I learn so much more with her than others. Scheduling is easy and I can do it online which is super nice. I love ever aspect of my learning w Luzmaría and would highly recommend her classes to anyone!"

Robert King
Austin, TX

"If you are serious about learning Spanish, private lessons with Luzmaria can get you to the next level. I took private lessons with her for two years and am now comfortable enough with my Spanish to hold in-depth conversations with native speakers. She is well-educated, flexible, and can adapt her teaching style to your needs. I could not have achieved my level of mastery without her skilled guidance."

Sabreena Wadhwani
Austin, TX

"I can't say enough positive things about Luzmaria and the way she teaches Spanish. She not only tailors the class to your skill level, but also to the topics that interest you most. She knows a lot about the different Spanish speaking countries so she can educate you on different cultures and specific words each country uses, which is a huge plus! Luzmaria has surpassed my expectations for a Spanish tutor. She makes learning another language easy and fun. When we first met she went over my goals and has helped me achieve them over time. Not to mention she is also the sweetest person! :)"

Charles C. Fry
Austin, TX

"As an adult student of Spanish, Luzmaría is the best teacher I have had in ten years. I am an executive with a working understanding of Spanish, but over the years I have skipped many of the fundamentals that bring the language together. I work and live in the US and in Latin America, and I needed someone to help me improve my language. Luzmaría has the skills and the professional context I need and my Spanish improves weekly. If you are looking for a professional instructor who is kind, patient, and experienced, you can not do better than Luzmaría! For both in-person and remote sessions, she is fantastic!"

Profe Luzma

Check my channel on YouTube.

In the following series of videos, I'll be discussing common mistakes English speaking students make when learning Spanish.

In this video, I go over the tricky pair, Realizar [in Spanish] / To Realize [in English]. They don't have the same meaning even if they sound so similar. Don't let these evil twins get in the way of your conversations in Spanish!


When you thought you finally nailed gender agreement in Spanish, you stumble onto "problema". You say "la problema". You: 0, Spanish Grammar: 1. This video briefly explains why some nouns ending in "-ma", (eg, problema), "-pa" (eg, mapa), and "-ta" (eg, planeta) are masculine. Yes, even if they end in the notoriously feminine, "-a".


"Vi a Silvia ayer". Is that "a" a typo? No. It's the personal "a" and has no equivalent in English. Make sure you know how to use this little preposition. She's small but mighty and takes everything personally. The personal "a" is a preposition that is added when the direct object of a sentence is a person.


When you want to say "another thing" in Spanish, just say "otra cosa". Not, "una otra cosa". It turns out that "otro/a/os/as" mean both "other" and "another". Hooray! This word had been on your side all along helping you save characters and word count.


From the makers of the "Una Otra" Telenovela, comes "Buscar Por". Remove "por" and just say "buscar": Two words in English mean one word in Spanish. Two for the price of one.


She thought the party had been remarkable because she truly enjoyed herself. She sighed (in Spanish) because it ended. She concluded, "me divierto en la fiestas". She didn't conclude, "tengo divertido en las fiestas", no she didn't.
How to say "to have fun" in Spanish? Be careful with translating word by word from English. In Spanish we don't say "tener divertido", instead, we use the pronominal verb "divertirse".


She laughed and danced and twirled and made friends in Spanish at the party. She said, "Lo pasé bien en la fiesta". She didn't say, "tuve un buen tiempo en la fiesta"


You're about to make an important decision: "ser" or "estar"? Try this little trick: Ask yourself, does it define the subject? it doesn't matter if its for eons or milliseconds. Yes or not?


Ser, estar, haber, and tener can intersect and tangle. Let's go over some of their uses.




Stay tuned! More videos are coming soon!

Classes for Individuals

Learn Spanish from scratch or continue to improve your Spanish skills.

From conversation to creative writing and from literature to test preparation, I'm here to help you.

My approach to teaching is communicative and task oriented. I emphasize on the ability to communicate ideas and to apply your creativity.

My classes are personalized to your level and interests. We will follow an organized and clear but flexible plan to suit your needs and schedule.

Depending on your needs, we can use the learning material that I create or we can follow a textbook, or both!




In-Person Classes

In-person classes are available in the Austin, TX area.
Contact me for other locations.

Video Conference

You can take my classes anywhere in the world via Zoom or Skype.



Spanish as a Second Language

Learn Spanish from scratch or continue to develop your skills

Conversation Classes

Learn Spanish in a relaxed environment

Spanish Test Preparation

Study sessions for Spanish Exams

Spanish for Heritage Speakers

For students raised in a Spanish-speaking community

Creative Writing

Need guidance on the craft of writing poetry, essays, and short stories?

Book Club

Delve into the world of Hispanic literature: from Cervantes to Borges!

Corporate Services

Expand your business to the Spanish-speaking world.

Learn to better communicate and engage with your clients abroad.

Learn to effectively communicate in both formal and informal environments.

Fully customized classes to meet all your needs.

Classes focus on four language skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing, in addition to Hispanic culture. You can choose to focus on all four skills or put more weight on any of them.

Schedule your Class


Let's Get In Touch!

Ready to start learning or improving your Spanish?
Give me a call or send me an email!

+1 (512) 256-0211

info@luzmariarenjifo.com

Austin, TX