Today we’d like to introduce you to Arianna Dziadkowiec.
Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, how did you get started?
It all began when I decided I wanted to learn Spanish. When I worked in the hospital and the nursing home, I had many patients who didn’t know how to speak English well because their first language was Spanish. At the same time that all of this was going on, I started dating my boyfriend, who is from Venezuela, and that’s when I realized how important it was to speak Spanish to connect with my patients and my boyfriend. Also, I’ve always been interested in Latin music. It always caught my attention, and I wanted to know what these songs were trying to say because they made me want to dance. Over time, I learned more Spanish through movies, songs, videos on YouTube, or simply talking with my boyfriend or Hispanic friends. I got better at Spanish, and my boyfriend often asked me questions about his mistakes when he spoke English. During this time, my boyfriend had just moved to a new country, so most of his friends spoke Spanish. Once I felt comfortable speaking Spanish with them, I noticed that my Hispanic friends wanted to practice English with me and were asking me many questions. They asked so many questions that I could create videos pronouncing some words in English to clarify some of their questions while helping them learn English. Slang is a big part of everyday life, so learning a language like French, Spanish, or English in school is very different from how people talk and write. I chose to make a TikTok account named Arianna la Gringa, and I posted my first video because I wanted to teach people how to speak English naturally. My name is Arianna, and I became Ariannita because, in Spanish, ending a word with -ita makes it sound cuter.
Another thing is that “Gringa” in Spanish refers to someone from the United States, so it translates to “Ariannita the American.” I posted a couple more videos on my TikTok account teaching the difference between homonyms in English (bear, beer, beard). When I recorded this video, I made a mistake in pronouncing a word in Spanish. I said that beard means barbara in Spanish when, in fact, beard means barba. I began my TikTok account without letting anyone know. The next day, I woke up, and the videos went viral. I showed the videos to my boyfriend, and he loved them. This motivated me to make more videos, and I was very excited by the lovely comments I received on my account. A couple of weeks later, I proceeded to open an account on Instagram, and that’s when I went viral with some reels reaching over 20 million views. One day, I woke up with over 100,000 people following me in a single day. Thanks to my boyfriend and his friends, I always read the comments and knew that I was making a difference in their lives because it is difficult for Spanish speakers to speak English. After a lot of sacrifice and effort, I reached 1 million followers, which happened at the same time as I graduated with my BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) from the University of Cincinnati. Studying to pass my exams, working in a hospital, working in a nursing home, and making videos required a lot of time, so you can imagine how busy I was during those months. After graduation, I decided to take a break as a nurse and opened a YouTube channel. I decided to teach English online since I never had the time to make longer form videos with my nursing schedule of working night shifts at the hospital. I never had enough time to make the videos I wanted; so after dedicating myself full-time, I started uploading longer videos of approximately 12 minutes on YouTube. Grateful that I graduated with my degree and took a short break, I started making videos of better quality since I had more time to make better content. As of right now, I continue to make videos on YouTube in places where I teach English with context. I can say that I am thrilled to make an impact on people’s lives while showing them American culture with the videos that I record in different places. I have reached over 2 million followers on Instagram and have over 600,000 subscribers on my YouTube channel.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
When I first started, I didn’t know much about social media like YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, etc. Also, when I posted my first few videos, I was shy, so getting out of my comfort zone took effort to speak in front of a camera. However, as the days and months went by, I began to understand more about how social media works and how to edit easily, and I began to gain more confidence in front of the camera. I also had a hard time pronouncing some words in Spanish, but I always tried to get better, even if it meant learning one new word every day. Also, something that is still a challenge for me is when I have to record in public places full of people or inside a store. I still find it hard because everyone looks at me funny, which makes me a little nervous. Whenever I record inside a store, I also worry that an employee will kick me out of the store while recording, which has happened to me before. It can sometimes be very awkward or frustrating, but I always try to keep a positive attitude. But it’s worth it because I love teaching English in places that most people wouldn’t visit. For example, I have a video of me teaching English at McDonald’s, Ikea, Starbucks, Home Depot, Kroger, Staples, and even the Apple Store! Going to places and recording there is one of the best ways to learn a new language. That way, people can learn about American culture, stores, products, and prices and see how native speakers talk and interact. I love that my videos have a little bit of everything, but I always keep sight of my main goal, which is to help people improve their English. I’ve also needed help figuring out how to deal with internet fame. I have a unique and supportive group of followers and subscribers, but sometimes, people can be mean and leave comments online. I create content to help people learn English as a second language.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Right now, I’m focused on making content on social media and teaching English to anyone in the world who wants to learn it, no matter what language they speak or country they are from. I also just began a second channel called @SoyAriannita, where I speak Spanish and show people more about my personality. I’m very proud of the community I’ve built over the last two years because my content is for everyone. I am so happy that I have created a community about learning and improving daily without judging or criticizing anyone. I am proud that my videos can help thousands or millions of people reach their goals. Many people have said that my videos have helped them get a job, date, or get through life more accessible due to the language barrier. Many people have also said that my videos have helped them feel more confident and have been able to improve their English. I have an English course, but most of my videos and content are free on social media, so anyone with an internet connection can see them. Through my videos, I want to leave a lasting legacy that many people enjoy and learn from. I want to encourage people to be bold, learn another language, and show them that everything is possible if they set their minds. I want to show them that the United States is a great country full of good and kind people and opportunities. There is no reason not to learn English; having the right attitude is vital. We should encourage and support them to keep going instead of criticizing someone when they make a speaking English mistake.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from growing up.
My favorite childhood memory is trips with my parents to different countries and places. My dad is a pilot, so he would fly the plane whenever we traveled, and I would help the flight attendants pass out snacks. We went on many trips, and I lost my first tooth on the plane! Traveling was one of my favorite ways to get away from my small town of Cincinnati, Ohio. Traveling is the best investment anyone can make because you can meet new people, learn a few new phrases in the language of the country you are visiting, and expose yourself to trying new things. When I fly, I always think of how fun it is to see new places and countries with my mom, dad, and brother.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ariannitalagringa?igsh=dTZnc3p6dXpmMzZ0
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092260975342&mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Youtube: www.YouTube.com/@ariannitalagringa
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@ariannitalagringa?_t=8lXbAOAlaUZ&_r=1
Image Credits
Credits to Photographer in Images: Madeleine Hordinski. My boyfriend, Gerardo Contreras is featured in the photos.
