Learn the language that speaks to you.

Language and Culture: Students in this course will further develop intermediate skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing Chinese, as well as engage in cultural enrichment exercises. Exposure to adapted authentic text will complement the interpretive skill of spoken and written Chinese. Students will refine their abilities to speak clearly about a variety of fundamental communicative topics and social situations.  Particular emphasis will be devoted to internalizing more complex grammatical constructions. Class activities will include research projects and presentations on current events and culture in China. Prerequisite: Chinese 3 or permission of the department.

This is an intermediate course in which students develop, refine, and apply the skills acquired in the first two years. Students are required to make numerous oral presentations, read increasingly sophisticated works, and begin to write more fully developed essays. Students demonstrate higher-order thinking and complexity in oral presentations and written work. Honors placement in French is determined by the department.

This course provides an in-depth introduction to Japanese. The classes emphasize the acquisition of the basic knowledge and skills required for effective communication, including grammatical principles, accent, intonation, and pronunciation. Reading and listening comprehension are also stressed, as are writing skills. Students will learn the two syllabic writing systems, hiragana, and katakana, and begin studying kanji. Students in this beginning level learn to tell about themselves and their environment, as well as ask about others’. Although this is a class for those with little or no Japanese language learning background, students speak Japanese from the first day of class. Placement is determined by the department.

Through the study of literature, history, art, and current events, students will develop a strong command of the Spanish language and expand their cultural understanding. A variety of media and materials (such as articles, literature pieces, literary and cultural blogs, videos, documentaries, online news and podcasts, among others) will serve as a platform for students’ exploration of the Hispanic language and culture. This course will focus on students’ development of proficiency in integrating language skills, synthesizing written and aural material, acquiring and analyzing information from authentic sources in Spanish, being able to comprehend different dialects and accents of the Spanish-speaking world, and communicating confidently. This course is taught entirely in Spanish.  Prerequisites: Spanish 3, Honors Spanish 3, Spanish 4 or equivalent, and permission of the department.

Modern Languages Department Chair
Spanish Instructor

Monica_Garcia@cate.org / 805-6844127 x243

BA, Universidad Catolica Santa Maria, Arequipa, Peru
MA, University of California, Santa Barbara

Appointed: 2002

Monica earned her MA in Spanish Language, Literature, and Culture from UC Santa Barbara in 2005. She began teaching Spanish in the US at St. Timothy’s School in Maryland, where she received the Olson Faculty Award for Outstanding Contribution to the School and Distinguished Teaching. In 2002, she joined Cate with her husband and fellow Spanish teacher, Oscar Urízar. Monica emphasizes the importance of language learning as a gateway to cultural richness, intellectual curiosity, and interdisciplinary connections.

Monica encourages curiosity, creativity, and intellectual exploration in her students, recognizing these as essential skills for success across disciplines. Outside the classroom, she enjoys connecting with the broader cultural and literary world, reflecting her passion for teaching and cultural exchange.

Spanish Instructor

nuria_causera@cate.org / 805-6844127 x116

BA, University of Valencia
MAT, Valencian International University
Appointed: 2021

Nuria Causera joined the Cate community in 2021 as a Spanish Instructor following eight years at Marymount of Santa Barbara. A native of Valencia, Spain, Nuria earned her English degree from the University of Valencia and traveled to the United States for the first time in 2007 while studying abroad at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington. After completing her master’s in teaching a second language from the Valencian International University, and completing a course on methodology of teaching Spanish as a second language from the Cervantes Institute, Nuria moved to Santa Barbara in 2012 and has been here ever since.

Nuria married her partner Adam in July 2025. If you see Nuria around and want to get her attention, simply mention avocados, hummingbirds, Rusty’s Pizza, or Bob’s Burgers!

French Instructor

benjamin_cherel@cate.org

MA, Université de Grenoble
DEA, Université de Grenoble
Appointed: 2024

Benjamin Cherel joined the Cate community in 2024 as a French Instructor. He holds a Diplôme d’Études Approfondies (DEA) in Sociology and French Literature, an MA in Sociology, and an MA in French from the Université de Grenoble in France.

With over two decades of teaching experience, Benjamin began his career as a French lecturer at CUEF, Université Grenoble Alpes. He then taught at Swarthmore College and Bryn Mawr College, followed by roles as a French teacher at Polytechnic School and Cranbrook School.

He specializes in language pedagogy and sociology, blending academic rigor with a passion for engaging and inspiring his students. Outside the classroom, he loves reading and traveling.

Japanese Instructor

Ichiko_Kido@cate.org

MBA, CSU Channel Islands
BA, Fukuoka University Japan

Appointed: 2022

Ichiko Kido joined Cate as its Japanese Instructor in 2022. Born and raised in Fukuoka, Japan, Ichiko received her bachelor’s degree in law and teaching credentials at the junior and high school levels. She spent 17 years as a public utility rate financial consultant but ultimately returned to teaching after obtaining her MBA from Martin V. Smith School of Business & Economics at Channel Islands in 2015.

She lives in Ventura with her husband and has two daughters. She travels to Japan two or three times a year to see her family and best friends, and is on a mission to find the best ramen place in Japan to take her students one day soon.

Chinese Instructor

MAT, Clarkson University

Appointed: 2024

Tianming Liu earned a Master of Arts in Teaching from Clarkson University in 2022. He has experience teaching Mandarin and AP Mandarin at a public high school in upstate New York, as well as mentoring Chinese language students at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. His teaching background also includes working with primary school students (grades 1-5) at Highland Hall Waldorf School in Los Angeles and leading Mandarin programs in the El Monte School District’s after school program.

Tianming is passionate about fostering student growth, fairness, and helping every student realize their potential. He is also assisting with Cate’s strength and conditioning program.

Tianming and his wife recently moved to Ventura with their cat. In his free time, he enjoys working out and exploring world cinema.

Chinese Instructor

Ge_Song@cate.org

MAT, Beijing Normal University

Appointed: 2020

Ge Song arrived on the Mesa in 2020 and teaches Mandarin at all levels at Cate. She was born and raised in Northeast China and attended Chinese boarding school. She went on to study Chinese Language and Literature in college and earned a master’s degree in teaching Chinese to non-native speakers at Beijing Normal University.

Ge began her journey teaching Mandarin in Thailand before moving on to the Hotchkiss School in Connecticut, and later went back to China to teach at Dulwich College, Shanghai Pudong. She returned to the US once again to teach at Loomis Chaffee School in Connecticut.

She lives on the Mesa with her husband, her daughter, and their dog, Maple. She loves learning about people’s culture, cooking, and going to the beach.

Spanish Instructor

Ben_Swain@cate.org

BA, Colorado College
Appointed: 2019

Attending Cate as a member of the class of ’14, Ben first found his passion for Spanish while working in the school’s Grounds department over the summer, and developed it in the classrooms of Schoolhouse. His enthusiasm for language and education took him to Colorado College where he majored in Spanish while co-chairing an after-school program for local children to learn a second language.

Ben is enthusiastic to be back on the Mesa, teaching Spanish in the same classrooms where he found his passion for language. Ben is excited to be a part of the new memories that Cate students make by filling the role of a teacher, coach of ultimate frisbee, soccer, baseball, and a dorm parent in High House.

Spanish Instructor

oscar_urizar@cate.org / 805-684-8409 x243

BA, Accounting and Computer Science, Universidad Católica SM, Perú
MA, Management and Strategic Marketing, Universidad del Pací­fico SDM, Perú
MA, Spanish Literature and Linguistics, University of California, Santa Barbara
Appointed: 2004

Hailing from Peru, Oscar Urízar was shaped by his rigorous secondary education at a military boarding school in his homeland. His studies then blossomed across diverse fields, including the Fine Arts, exploring the mysteries of the human form, delving into the realms of Literature and Philosophy, and attaining a bachelor’s degree in Accounting. Prior to embarking on his vocation in Education in the United States, Oscar garnered invaluable professional experience in Peru across the domains of marketing, finance, economics, and public relations.

With over 25 years of experience as an educator and leader, he is a tireless advocate for equal education and is deeply committed to diversity, access, equity, and inclusion. Above all else, Oscar believes that we are at our best when we think and work together to respond to opportunities and challenges. He is committed to serving a diverse student population and supporting the faculty and staff at our institution’s heart.

Among his academic leadership highlights, Oscar has served on different committees at Cate. He also developed several curricula for basic, intermediate, and advanced Spanish in the Modern Language Department. Oscar’s academic field focuses on the cultural history of literature in the Iberian Peninsula and Latin America during the early modern period (Cervantes, Don Quixote, and the Spanish Golden Age) and contemporary Latin American literature. In his master’s studies, he analyzed the representation of unsatisfied desire in the characters of Julio Ramon Ribeyro.

Oscar has been a DEI Core faculty member at Cate since 2018. He is an active member of the Inclusive Teaching Committee. He is an advocate for diversity within the school. He believes in incorporating education regarding diversity into our programs, guiding students to develop into better humans prepared to live in our changing and diversifying world.

Oscar grew up in the Peruvian Southern countryside, developing a deep love and respect for the original citizens of the Americas. He is an avid reader and gardener.

Among Oscar’s many interests are painting and writing; he has had several exhibitions of his work in South America, and here in the US, he continues his visual studies of the human form. He has also written several collections of short stories.