Panthers of ISKL #231: Catalina Fernandez – The Polyglot
“I’ve always had a deep love for languages, which I believe runs in the family. Growing up, I watched my father work with different languages and accents—he was incredibly skilled. He taught me how powerful it is to connect with someone by speaking even just a few words in their native language. ”
Meet Catalina Fernandez, an ES Learning and Resources teacher from Santiago, Chile. Catalina and her family joined the ISKL community in 2013 after teaching in Chile, the US, Morocco, and Venezuela.
Catalina is a polyglot, fluent in Spanish, English, and French, and has some knowledge of Korean. Her linguistic abilities enable her to connect with students from diverse backgrounds and reflect her adaptability and open-mindedness. Throughout the Covid pandemic, she hosted a popular podcast about Korean dramas, connecting with followers from 60 countries over three seasons.
Here is Catalina’s story:
Please tell us more about yourself.
I was born in Santiago, Chile, in the middle of political instability. My dad was an accountant and HR skills instructor, while my mom was a housewife. I have an older brother who lives in San Francisco, USA, and a younger brother who lives in Karlsrühe, Germany. We lived in London for four years; I was a toddler, so my first words were in English, but then we returned to Chile and attended a private all-girls American Catholic school. My K-12 education took place in Chile, followed by an English as a Second Language (ESL) teaching degree at the Catholic University in Santiago, Chile. I have always wanted to become an actor, but my father refused to pay for that, so I turned to teaching, where I need to perform at times!
I fell in love with teaching. It just felt right; I belonged! I started to feel restless and applied to the VIF exchange faculty program (now called Participate), which took me to Four Oaks, North Carolina, for three years. I met my now-husband, Christophe (an MS French/Spanish teacher at ISKL) during my first year.
Afterward, we married in Chile and headed to the Rabat American School, Morocco, where Christophe taught IB French. I worked in all age ranges, from Pre-K to Grade 9, as either an instructional assistant or an EAL teacher. Our two children were born in Morocco; Carmen F. (’24) is now at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, and Tiago is in Grade 11. We stayed for six wonderful years and got positions in Caracas, Venezuela, at Escuela Campo Alegre, where we stayed for five years. So fun, great people!
When and why did you join ISKL?
We arrived at ISKL in 2013 (yup, this is our 12th year!). I started as a Spanish/EAL teacher in ES for about four years, then four years as a full-time EAL teacher, and now this is my fourth year as an LR (Learning Resource) teacher in Grade 3, where I am currently teaching.
We joined ISKL in 2013. We were thinking of moving on, and I had always heard fabulous experiences from people working at ISKL: the Paulsons, the Cannons, and the Larios, among others, who always said: if you can go to ISKL, do not look back!
They were right! ISKL and Malaysia offer many learning opportunities and provide our children with an exceptional and diverse environment. They have prepared them well. Our daughter just shared that when she started her classes at university, she felt well-prepared after attending ISKL.
Can you tell us more about your position as an ES Learning Resources teacher? What are your daily activities?
Basically, there are two components. One is to take care of all the students in my caseload documentation, keeping it updated, accurate, and aligned. The other favorite component is teaching. This takes place through different delivery modes: co-teaching mode (parallel teaching mainly), small group support for a targeted skill, and whole class delivery.
I also co-plan with the teachers I support, which is usually not enough time. I organize parent meetings, share and receive resources that can enhance our teaching, conduct grade-level duties (recess, lunch, ASA, etc.), and participate in Collaboration meetings and the Professional Learning DEIJ ES committee meetings and planning as well.
We understand that you also speak many languages, including English, Spanish, Korean, and French, and you have a podcast for K-dramas—please tell us more.
I’ve always had a deep love for languages, which I believe runs in the family. Growing up, I watched my father work with different languages and accents—he was incredibly skilled. He taught me how powerful it is to connect with someone by speaking even just a few words in their native language. Becoming an EAL teacher felt like an obvious choice for me then. The opportunity to interact with and learn from diverse cultures is something I truly value.
My English and Spanish have been present since the early years. French was through marriage and life in Morocco, where I also got by in Darija Arabic. Korean started as a deep interest in connecting with the families of my EAL students – it just made sense. Mothers wanted to be involved in their children’s learning journeys, but language was a barrier. I decided to learn: I took Korean lessons for three years, two during the pandemic. However, I must return to practicing and taking more lessons as it is not an easy language. When we visited Seoul in 2023, I could easily order, move around, and exchange greetings and comments – a proud moment for me!
The pandemic era gave me plenty of time to watch Korean Dramas, which I still love. I thought about how to use my love for K-Dramas in a fun way. I started connecting the comment of a specific K-Drama with a historical or cultural connection to share with my listeners. After a short while, a friend in the US joined, and it became a bigger deal with followers from about 60 countries for a Spanish-speaking amateur podcast – it lasted three seasons. Then life as we know it returned, so the time available for both of us to continue creating quality and rich episodes dwindled, so we decided to stop the podcast.
We received excellent feedback and suggestions. The best part was seeing how our little podcast helped listeners who felt lonely, disconnected, or like misfits.
Can you tell us something you are working on now that you are excited about?
I am excited to go back to practicing the Korean language and always to keep learning about my field of study, such as helping students with learning challenges, breaking myths, and educating ourselves, as professionals and as parents, so that we can advocate for our students in an educated manner.
I am also excited to work with the DEIJ committee for a second year—I have so much more to learn and share. I have also been following a keto lifestyle and doing Pilates for five years, and I enjoy indoor hill running. For a while, I had to stop running outside due to my knees (osteoporosis). However, I plan to continue developing a healthy lifestyle.
What is the most enjoyable and most challenging part of your job?
The best part of my job is to be privileged enough to work with small groups. This way, I can see our students grow little by little and get to know them. The little rewards of watching them develop skills each day are priceless. The challenge is probably trying to share my perspective with some parents who may not understand parts of having a child with a learning need – we need to become asset-based parents. Also, I would love to have access to endless professional development, but it is sometimes just not possible.
Can you tell us more about your hobbies and interests? What do you do after work?
I love to read fiction, watch Korean (or any really) dramas, and sing karaoke. I also love spending time with my friends (from and out of school) and kids, and I enjoy thrifting. Finding that gem within the store is satisfying!
Who or what inspires you?
My father was a very witty, intelligent, honest, and humble man. He always led by example and did what he said. He could have taken the wrong road often due to pressure or political convenience, but he did not. He was a complete gentleman, a fabulous husband, and a father to me.
My students also inspire me every day when they persevere and try another time, even when it seems so hard and endless. It makes my day full of pride for them.
What is your best memory (or most memorable moment) so far working at ISKL?
With twelve years at ISKL, I have many memorable memories, but as a parent, I love the International Flag Parade in the ES and the International Festival.
As a teacher, I love Stalls Night, the PTA Quiz Night, and laughing with our Grade 3 and ES LR Team. My most memorable moment was when I spoke about my father and empathy with all faculty and staff at an Ignite talk.
What does “Know yourself, care for all, and create a better world” mean to you?
I think it is the Melawati Way for grown-ups. If you know yourself deeply, you can take care of yourself. Caring for all is taking care of each other in all areas. Therefore, creating a better world is taking care of this place so that others can enjoy it in the future.
It displays a deep commitment to our community and world to do our little part to help people live in harmony and balance.
Do you know of any student, teacher, parent, or staff who always have an anecdote to tell, love to share some insights into their passions and interest, or simply is a Panther through and through? Nominate them to be featured in our Panthers of ISKL stories by sending in your submissions here.