Multilingual former spelling champ helps groom state's best spellers

Gena Kittner:

Jeff Kirsch knows what it's like to stand on stage at the Scripps National Spelling Bee, and for the last few years he has helped teens from Wisconsin, Minnesota and Colorado make it there.

This year, Kirsch, director of the Spanish and Portuguese Independent Learning program in the UW-Madison division of continuing studies, is coaching two students and is spending this week in Washington, D.C., cheering them on.

In addition to coaching Waunakee's Parker Dietry this spring, Kirsch has spent about six months tutoring David Phan, a third-time contestant in the national bee from Boulder, Colo.

"Most spellers do have a parent who is actively helping them, but most don't have a parent who is a former spelling champion who knows multiple languages," said Kirsch, who knows six languages and can teach spelling patterns and exceptions in Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, German and Latin.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at June 2, 2011 1:59 AM
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