As a student at Lanier Middle School, Shanedria Wagner found herself in a French class because the Spanish class was full. Little did she know, that class would change her life. Not only is she now fluent in French, the Houston-based educator teaches others and has channeled her love of foreign languages into a business and a backdrop for her comedic skills.
“I fell in love with my French teacher,” she said. This serendipitous start led her to fluency by the time she graduated from Lamar High School, thanks to dedicated French instructors.
Wagner’s linguistic talents continued to flourish at Texas A&M University, where she excelled in several French courses, even studying abroad in France. After graduation, she worked as a French and Spanish teacher in Alief and a bilingual teacher in Houston ISD before becoming a nationally recognized educational consultant in 1998.
“I really love preparing my students to master both oral and written proficiency,” she said.
Wagner is also a successful entrepreneur. She and her husband run two businesses—Comuniquemos, Inc., which offers in-class coaching and professional development, and “Spanish Etc. of Pearland,” which allows her to tutor students in both French and Spanish. Her clients range from high school students preparing for rigorous oral exams to adults seeking language skills for travel abroad.
Despite being a champion of multilingual education, Wagner insists French holds unique advantages.
“Spanish is definitely wonderful, and if you can learn a second language, you can learn a third,” she said. “So pick up French as your third language because it enhances your English fluency.”
She cites numerous French borrowings in English and the cultural richness it brings, arguing that learning French refines grammar and deepens historical and geographical understanding.
“People think learning French is hard, but it’s not. If you can imitate and mimic and not be afraid of making mistakes, you’ll be fine. So if you’re open to making mistakes, laughing at those mistakes, and being corrected lovingly, of course, you will master it. French does have five accents compared to the Spanish one accent, and the accents do determine the way the word sounds. So it’s more challenging, more, more complex, but it’s definitely beautiful and worth the trouble,” she said.
Pursuing other passions
In addition to her academic and business pursuits, Wagner’s love for comedy has also bloomed into a fulfilling career. Inspired by her classroom experiences, where she used characters like “Grammar Ma” to engage students to make learning grammar fun and “get off the Facebook and put their face in a book.”
“I find that these characters entertain the children. They help me to ‘edutain’ and it teaches children that everyone has an accent no matter where you’re from. And that increases cultural sensitivity and builds bridges, and I absolutely love it.”
Wagner began performing comedy at local events. Encouraged by a venue owner, she started doing regular shows, even hosting virtual events during COVID-19. Her characters, including Lupita from Puerto Rico and Abigail from London, have become fan favorites.
“I started writing fiction and I infused a lot of comedy in the fiction, but I secretly wanted to be a comedian and never told anyone,” she said. “So for 10 years I wrote comedy and kept it a secret. And then when my grandmother’s cancer came back, and I looked at all the sickness in my family, I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, you’re not gonna live forever so you better get to living life! So I said, what is on my bucket list that I absolutely want to do? And that was comedy.”
See “Grammar Ma” on social media. https://www.facebook.com/reel/2029545230763285
Wagner’s talents don’t stop there. She is also the host of “The Shan-Wag Show,” a platform she created to interview notable figures and everyday people. Guests on her show have included “Grey’s Anatomy” star Chandra Wilson and local broadcaster Sharron Melton. Wagner’s commitment to showcasing the stories of her community continues to grow, with her show becoming a beloved platform for both serious conversations and laughter.
“I’m doing the things that make me happy – all of them and I think that’s what makes a person live their best life,” she added.
Get info on her upcoming shows at https://form.jotform.com/241995413593163
