Irene Kaufmann Cotelo

Senior Lecturer in Spanish

Irene Cotelo

Ms. Irene Kaufmann Cotelo is a Senior Lecturer of Spanish in the Department of Modern Languages in the University of Mississippi.

Biography

Ms. Irene Kaufmann Cotelo holds degrees from the University of Mississippi (M.A. in Spanish, B.A. in Music), and the University of Texas at Austin (M.A. in Music).

At the University of Mississippi, Ms.Kaufmann Cotelo has paired in-the-classroom teaching techniques for various levels of Spanish learners with out-of-the-classroom programming. She has been hosting weekly gatherings for students (el Café de los Lunes) to provide an informal setting to discuss life and current events in Spanish. Her approaches inside and outside of the classroom focus on providing opportunities for students of all levels to learn and practice the language through conversation and real life experience. In the last year, she has expanded the weekly gatherings to the Oxford community. Students have credited her commitment and unique teaching styles for helping them incorporate Spanish into their careers after graduation.

Ms. Kaufmann Cotelo’s other interests include performing with the Mockingbird Early Music Ensemble, visiting her daughters in the Northeast, and planning her second trip to Spain’s Camino de Santiago.

Courses Taught

  • Span 111 Intensive Elementary Spanish
  • Span 121 Accelerated Elementary Spanish
  • Span 211 Intensive Intermediate Spanish
  • Span 303 Conversation and Composition I

Education

MM Applied Music, The University of Texas at Austin (1988)

B.A. Music, University of Mississippi (1985)

M.A. Modern Languages, University of Mississippi (2011)

Recognitions

  • Outstanding Instructor of the Year, College of Liberal Arts, UM, 2018