"I am a Certified ESL Instructor. My clients are adult and young adult learners. They come to me for help in English for a variety of purposes: work, school, community, social, and personal. I offer lessons in English conversation, reading, vocabulary, writing, grammar, and pronunciation.

First I evaluate your current skills. This includes analyzing your listening, speaking, grammar, reading, writing, and pronunciation. Next we talk about your immediate and long-term goals. Finally we make a plan for your rapid improvement. By following this process, you get the most benefit from your tutoring time and money.

I customize each lesson to suit your specific goals and learning style. We decide among a wide selection of learning activities: oral drills, worksheets, writing exercises, role-plays, scripted dialogues, open-ended conversations, flash cards, everyday objects, dictionary work, word study, TV, movies, YouTube videos, listening websites, interactive grammar websites—and more. We choose those learning activities that work best for you.

I use The Communicative Method. This means I help you first achieve practical English skills to benefit your daily life. Then for intermediate and advanced students, I focus part or all of your lesson time advancing to native-like competence in grammar and pronunciation. So we begin with your basic need to understand and be understood in English and then proceed to fine-tuning your English skills.

Because second-language learning is a lifetime process, I give you tools and strategies to improve your English skills outside of our lesson time. I also coach you to use the resources in your everyday life to help you advance to the next higher level in your English. In this way, you increase the value of your English lessons by becoming an independent language learner.

We meet at a coffeehouse or public library. My minimum lesson times are 60 minutes. However, students who want more practice or focused instruction can choose to have 90-minute lessons. To encourage 90-minute lessons, I offer the extra 30 minutes at a reduced rate. If later you decide you would like to reduce your overall cost even more, we can discuss a prepaid package of lessons.

My teaching style is upbeat and supportive, and I am patient and kind. I know that learning a second language as an adult is challenging—but I am confident you can do it. On the plus side, as an adult, you come to language learning with a wealth of knowledge. To boost your success, I work with your wisdom and your personal strengths to improve your English.

I look forward to hearing from you about your particular tutoring needs." less...