"I am an English language teacher with several years' experience, and I work with groups and individuals on all English language skills. I believe students should learn with activities related to their real-life situation.

I tutored hard-working students at LaGuardia Community College individually and in small groups, where they worked on essay writing. In the process of developing their ideas through conversation, they learned writing techniques, grammar, and vocabulary. Conversation is a large part of my lessons with college students and private students because it develops confidence. In a class at the YMCA, in small groups they learned techniques for creating stories from guided conversations. Students think and write best about what they know and what they are curious about. Grammar is practiced with stories, role play, songs, and exercises. I have worked with professionals and graduate students, and taught political refugees. As an editor, I helped students write more effective presentations and prepare admissions essays.

For more than three years, I taught at the New York Public Library with students at multiple levels.

I developed most of my own materials, focused on reading and writing, with attention to grammar. Much of the reading material came from online literary and news sources, the Center, and my own nonfiction writing. We did an entire project reading about the Great Migration North, with much discussion. We took a trip to the Jazz Museum in Harlem to learn about recent American cultural history. To learn vocabulary through exposure to American culture, they listened to American songs. We read Shakespeare plays in simplified form and discussed responses. We went to see "West Side Story" on Broadway. Learning from the environment created independent learning in students.

I have been a student of French literature, language, and culture for many years. As a student of foreign languages, mainly French, I have a greater understanding of the problems that students" less...