Experienced and Certified ESL, English and Spanish Instructor

• Undergrad:

  Western Washington University

• Tutors Out Of:

  Seattle, WA

• Travel Radius:

  12 miles

• Tutoring Certifications:

  English - ESL/ESOL - grammar - reading - Spanish - study skills - vocabulary - writing

• Tutor's Fee Per Hour:

  $36.00 * with a 10% discount after purchasing $360

• Email Carly from Seattle today!

Teaching has been a passion of mine ever since the moment seven years ago where an English and Social Studies teacher I had told me that "learning is not something you ever graduate from, but that continually creates a desire for knowledge in your soul," (Mark Klune, Tolt Middle School). Ever since then, there has been a desire to inspire a passion for learning in each and every one of my students, even if the learning process is a challenge. Every person deserves the opportunity to receive an education that empowers, encourages and inspires them to reach the dreams they hope for.

I am a recent graduate of Western Washington University with a Bachelor's Degree in Spanish Language and Literature, a minor in Sociology and an internationally recognized teaching certificate in TESOL; English as a Second Language. I have been a professional tutor for over six years, and a teacher for two. I have worked with many diverse languages and cultures, ranging with students from Korea, Japan, South America, Russia, Germany, Africa, Indonesia, China, Norway, France and Spain. My experience tutoring TESOL or Second Language Acquisition, and Spanish includes specialization in: reading, writing, grammar, pronunciation, spelling, vocabulary and study skills development.

Recently in 2006, I taught English as a Second Language in Punta Arenas, Chile in South America to grades 6, 8, 9 and 10 as a full-time visiting instructor to complete my certificate in TESOL instruction. This experience helped improve my bilingual abilities with the English and Spanish languages and work and learn in a new culture and society. I had the honor of being a part of another culture, invited into people's lives, work with students with varying academic abilities and disabilities, and share in the joy of creating an environment with my students where they were not just coming to class, but embarking on an adventure.

As well, I was able to apply and reinforce new teaching concepts through a context-embedded teaching approach based on comprehensible input where students learn through a variety activities based on practical everyday and academic experiences such as processes and stories, rather than just simple repetition and memorization techniques. Currently I live in Seattle where I instruct English and Spanish, and where I am working towards becoming a certified Translator and Interpreter. I work to live, and thus in my free time I love to read, hike, adventure, ski, sing jazz and eat chocolate. I look forward to meeting you, and working together in meeting your goals! Life, just like knowledge, is a journey we take, not a destination we arrive at.

• ESL/ESOL

  The significance of ESL or English as a Second Language is educational diversity in itself. It is the ability to teach the English language, to students who are non-native English speakers seeking to learn and understand the finer points of the English language. As a TESOL Certified Instructor from Western Washington University, or Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, ESL instruction has come to mean much more to me than 'simply teaching English grammar.' Learning English, or any other language is just as much of learning about the cultural and dialectal differences, as it is about learning about the grammar and fundamentals of the language, when to academically use it, and when to socially use it. For Instruction style, I most often teach from a context-embedded approach, use a Prescriptive approach in the teaching of grammar, and I understand that not every student will have the same educational background as another. In terms of a context-embedded approach, I feel that students learn better when they have the chance to learn a lesson embedded within a social situation such as shopping or meeting with friends, and group exercises. As a tutor working one-on-one, I use stories quite often. I give the student a basic set of vocabulary words and an outline accompanying the story that will be read, and then, after they understand the vocabulary and the basis of the story, we read the story, and I deduct my grammar lesson from this interaction. This way, students are not completing straight drills. In the instruction of Grammar, I most often elect a Prescriptive approach, but I also consider the Descriptive approach beneficial as well. Prescriptive grammar is the foundation of a language directly by the grammatical rules that govern it, and is set by an academic authority. Descriptive grammar is the grammar assigned to a language by the people that speak it, such as "you ain't got any soap," instead of "you do not have any soap." The first example with "ain't" is incorrect prescriptively, but it is correct descriptively if the majority of the speakers in that area use that particular method of phrasing. One may cringe when they hear that phrase because it is grammatically incorrect academically, as 'ain't' ought to be 'isn't,' but correct within that social norm. I choose a Prescriptive approach to grammar so that my students are learning sound rules governing the English language. Once a student has a good grasp of the fundamentals, I believe that linguistically they would be able to understand the descriptive differences between the way a Texan speaks, and a Jamaican speak English. Educationally, I understand that not every student is going to have the same educational background. I have tutored college-aged students studying for the TOEFL English Proficiency exam to enter a US institution with a degree from their home country, a 13-year-old Honduran student with very little educational background in her home country, as well as middle-aged adults, half with an education and half without, in a primary English class in Punta Arenas, Chile. As well, I taught English to 6, 8, 9 and 10th graders at the private school Miguel de Cervantes in Punta Arenas Chile, as well as substituted part-time at the public school four miles up the road. Within all of these situations, I found that students come from all different educational backgrounds, some very well educated in their home countries, and others, as in the Honduran teenager, not educated academically in their native language, and having to be taught grammar in both Spanish and English. Every student deserves an equal opportunity educationally. This is the vision and encouragement that I wish to bring to every teaching opportunity with ESL students. I have been a personal tutor for over six years, and I look forward to continuing my educational teaching career through WyzAnt and within other opportunities that may arise.

• grammar

  As a certified TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) instructor from Western Washington University, grammar is a friend. Why? Grammar is the basis of instruction in ESL. A lesson starts with a topic, a theme, and a grammar point. For example, the theme of Animals, going to the zoo, and a grammar point on the present progressive as exemplified below would constitute a lesson. I feel that grammar ought to be taught in a context-embedded manner, so as to lower the Affective Filter, or a student's anxiety barometer in a classroom setting. The lower the Affective Filter, the better a student is able to understand the grammar presented to them. I have been tutoring and teaching for six years. The curriculum that I completed at Western included one Grammar seminar class, as well as classes based around this class in how to construct lesson plans around a grammar point. Grammar lessons are instructed so that students practice what is being taught under teacher instruction (a Controlled Activity), group instruction (a Semi-Controlled Activity) and personal study (an Applied Activity). These three types of activities allow students to practice the grammar point under instructor and group supervision, ask any questions necessary and then continue further with the grammar at home. As submitted in my ESL request, I explained the differences between Prescriptive and Descriptive grammar as follows, with more of my personal emphasis in teaching on Prescriptive grammar: Prescriptive grammar is the foundation of a language directed by the grammatical rules that govern it, and is set by an academic authority. Descriptive grammar is the grammar assigned to a language by the people that speak it, such as "you ain't got any soap," instead of "you do not have any soap." The first example with "ain't" is incorrect prescriptively, but it is correct descriptively if the majority of the speakers in that area use that particular method of phrasing. There are academically acceptable prescriptive norms to grammar, and socially acceptable descriptive norms to grammar, depending on the ideology of the group employing such grammar. To approach grammar from a prescriptive approach allows students to have the basic framework needed in order to have a working academic understanding of the English Language. For example, below is an outline of one of my grammar presentations for a group of sixth grade students. Presentation (20-25 min): • Today we are learning about how to describe things we see using the verbs There's (there+ is) + ing and there are + ing. Listen carefully. I'm going to read over the quiz we all took on Friday one more time. All you need to do is listen. Listen carefully for there are+ ing and there's + ing. (I'll read it slowly). • We will then do 3a through 3c in the book the students have together as they emphasize the vocabulary. • So, as we've found out, there are+ ing is used when observing more than one object or person. We use There's (there is)+ ing when we're talking about observing more than one object or person. • For example, I can say (writing), "there are 25 students sitting in front of me." "There's one who is not." "He's standing up (or talking) when he should be listening." Why do we use there are+ ing in the first sentence and not in the second sentence? Anyone? Right…because the first sentence is talking about a plural object and the second sentence is talking about a singular object. • I will continue until I'm sure they understand. I will then have one student come up and stand in the front of the room and then two to practice there's and there are+ ing. • I will continue this exercise with objects such as my books and pens on the desks. I will call on students randomly to give answers to check for comprehension. This hopefully gives a thorough example of how I approach grammar first hand, before any activities are given to students. Thank you for your consideration!

• study skills

  Aside from the desire and motivation to learn, Study Skills are the other crucial element to a student's success in the academic world. Study Skills teach us how to mentally and physically prepare for listening, comprehension, studying and test-taking. If a student does not have proper study skills, then they will not be able to succeed as well as they would like. As a certified TESOL instructor from Western Washington University and having taught in South America and tutored for six years, I find myself often going over the 'How-to's' of studying a particular subject with a student, before being able to actually being the learning process. I think that students need to be taught, and comprehend how to study at a basic level in order to succeed academically at any level. For the most part, I am referring to high-school students with the following, but they apply at the college level as well: 1. How to set personal goals, and determine what one wishes to accomplish by a particular time period. This helps with procrastination. 2. Understand proper time management techniques: How to time oneself, when to take breaks and so forth. 3. Note-taking strategies and shorthand techniques: How to copy quickly, omit vowels and complete needed information after a class session. 4. How to form, facilitate and work cooperatively in study-groups. 5. How to ask for help. I find that many of my students are weary of asking a teacher or tutor for help, and that is why we are here! 6. Test-taking strategies: Time management in sections on tests, when to pass a question to complete the test on time if this option is available, and how to approach essay questions. 7. Essay Question Tips: Idea webs, basic outlining skills, developing a thesis, an introduction, body paragraphs complete with concrete detail and commentary and thorough conclusions. 8. How to find outside research material and record it properly. As well, a good understanding of what Plagiarism is. 9. How to find ones best environment to study in (for me, it was a coffee shop), how to pace oneself for last-minute projects, and create and study effective flash cards. 10. How to organize a class into a binder for notes, hand-outs and other important material. 11. Last but not least, how to keep a day-planner! I personally feel that ever student should have one so that appointments, deadlines and projects are not missed. Overall, there are many more study skills that could be listed here. These are the ones I find most effective, and have taught the most. I want my students to succeed, and feel good about the advancements that they are making. If they can organize themselves enough to have a basic idea of how a project will start, and the steps to be taken therein, then they will not have that 'floundering feeling' to deal with.