A passion for connecting across cultures

Gina Sconza, PhD, is an independent language and culture professional specializing in customized Spanish and Italian language teaching and cultural education for individuals and small groups at her San Francisco East Bay Area teaching salon.   

She counts among her clients community workers, first responders and medical professionals, writers, consultants, salsa dance aficionados, world travelers, high school students, and a second grader.  She trains and coaches professionals seeking greater linguistic fluency and cultural competency in the workplace, individuals relocating for business or personal reasons, and clients desiring a deeper engagement in their travel experiences.  

Combining her background as an educator with her experience as a certificated Healthcare Interpreter,  Gina offers onsite and offsite training in Spanish for Healthcare Professionals, customizable for all levels of linguistic and cultural competency.   She also consults on how to enhance intercultural communication within the healthcare setting, and on how providers and interpreters can collaborate to best serve patients.

Gina's offerings arise organically from her multicultural and multilingual background.  She has roots in the Mediterranean, family ties in Brazil, has lived in Mexico, Spain, and Italy, and travels extensively. A former Fulbright scholar and Professor of Romance Languages and Literatures, she has seamlessly interwoven her love for language and culture throughout her professional and personal life.  

Gina's passion for language and culture is intertwined with her commitment to social justice. She has served as a human rights observer among the Zapatistas in the Lacandon jungle in Chiapas, Mexico, stood in solidarity with women organizing maquiladora workers on the Texas-Mexico border, and taught poetry writing in the juvenile detention system in Texas. 

A traveler and adventurer at heart, Gina is always plotting her next adventure. Along with some of her students, she has been dreaming in Cuban lately. She regularly returns to her southern Mediterranean roots and rings in the New Year Brazilian-style with her 80+ cousins in São Paulo and Rio whenever she can.    

When not traveling or teaching, she can be found on the salsa dance floor or hiking in the Oakland hills. Catch her if you can, and if you do, let her inspire you with a  linguistic and cultural adventure of the highest order.