SIOUX FALL, S.D. (KELO) — A Sioux Falls teacher is using her knowledge of art and language to immerse Spanish culture into her art pieces.

Hilda Esperanza Langle has been a teacher in the Sioux Falls School District for the last 10 years.

She teaches second grade Spanish in the immersion program at Sonia Sotomayor.

“We have… most of the time speaking Spanish. In fact we only speak Spanish, and the kids get accustomed, they have to understand,” said Hilda Esperanza Langle, teacher, said.

Esperanza got her masters degree in Spanish Linguistics at the Insituto Caro y Cuervo in Colombia, where she was born. It was there she learned the importance of visual learning when teaching kids.

“The brain learns in pictures before words, and the little kids need to make the connection. They make the connection between Spanish and the English language,” Langlee said.

“We want the thing, and they want to use the thing and when they use the thing, they begin to talk about the thing, that’s how we approach the grammar,” Langlee said.

In addition to teaching, she is also an artist. Her work is currently on display at the Washington Pavilion and the Eastbank Art Gallery.

She uses the same methods of visual learning with her artwork.

“What can I do here to use those things?” Langle said.

Langle says her goal is to create connections to the Spanish language and culture.

“Culture is that, bringing a little bit of everything and seeing that we can fuse everything that we have from our countries without having to impose or take away from this country,” Langlee said.

Her artwork will be on display at the Pavilion until October 2nd.