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Experienced & Personalized Tutor for French, Spanish, and English
Allison P.

4.9 (82 ratings)

133 hours tutoring

Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee
Hourly Rate: $40
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About Allison

Bio

After assessing the learning style and the material of each student, I plan a teaching curriculum specifically geared towards each individual student. I let the student set the pace of their own learning by setting small, incremental goals for them to work towards. I also believe in positive reinforcement and praising students on their achievements instead of focusing on the negatives. I also don't believe in comparing one student to another because each student is unique in their own...

After assessing the learning style and the material of each student, I plan a teaching curriculum specifically geared towards each individual student. I let the student set the pace of their own learning by setting small, incremental goals for them to work towards. I also believe in positive reinforcement and praising students on their achievements instead of focusing on the negatives. I also don't believe in comparing one student to another because each student is unique in their own personal style and pace of learning.

Graduating as a French and Spanish major cum laude from Middlebury College, I was able to live in France and Spain to learn to speak and write both languages fluently. Following college, I worked for international corporations in New York City (banking, hotel, beauty) for over 15 years where I was able to use both French and Spanish language skills as well. I loved living in both countries and can incorporate my cultural experiences into academic lessons. I also have access to age and level appropriate activities students can do to enhance their language capabilities.

For the past nine years I have been writing for local newspapers and magazines. I can assist people of all ages with their English language reading and writing skills. I can help students study English vocabulary, grammar and punctuation. If you are not a native English speaker, I can help you with your English skills in preparing you for the three parts of the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). I tutor children and adults of all ages and levels - from beginners to the more advanced. With ESL students, I use phonetic materials to help students overcome any difficulties in pronunciation. As my daughter is enrolled in the New York City public school system, I am aware of the content on the ELA (English Language Arts) part of the Common Core exams and what students are expected to know.
I can give lessons in-person at a public library or a coffee shop. I am also able to give lessons online.

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Education

BA Middlebury College, VT, Cum Laude
French and Spanish

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Approved Subjects

ACT English

ACT English

I have taught students about various ways to improve their reading comprehension and writing skills. Working with students of various grades and ages, I have reviewed with them grammar, vocabulary, sentence structure, and essay writing.
American History

American History

In high school I took Advanced Placement American History and received a 4 or 5 on the exam. We started with the first settlers, the Pilgrims, and covered all aspects of U.S. history, especially the American Revolution and the Civil War. Currently, I watch films and documentaries about the role the United States played in the twentieth century: during the First and Second World Wars as well as the Korean and Vietnam Wars, the civil rights movement of the 1960's, and the responsibility the U.S. government burdened itself with in ending communism globally while spreading the ideology of a capitalist based society.
English

English

As an English minor at Middlebury College, I took university level classes in literature and writing. I currently work as a freelance writer for newspapers, websites, and magazines. I speak three languages fluently, so I am very knowledgeable about the process of learning a language, which is a combination of vocabulary, grammar, punctuation as well as sentence structure and composition.
ESL/ESOL

ESL/ESOL

I have worked with non-English speaking students to learn English. Because I know other languages, I understand the challenges of learning English - the silent letters, the pronunciation, the idiomatic expressions. There are also cultural differences to be learned in English and through my travels to other countries I have seen the importance of understanding the nuances of another language. What may be considered a compliment in one language could be considered an unenthusiastic compliment in English.
European History

European History

I took Advanced Placement European History in high school and got a 4 or a 5 on the test. As a French/Spanish major at Middlebury College, I studied European history in France and Spain. My knowledge of European History starts with the Middle Ages to the end of the Twentieth Century.
French

French

As a French/Spanish major at Middlebury College, I lived in Paris for nine months in a government subsidized dormitory with other international students who only spoke French. During my time in Paris, I attended a French university where I took classes in art history. Following my graduation from college, I moved to New York City where I worked for various multi-national companies in which I spoke French on a daily basis to communicate with the French employees in the office and with clients on the phone overseas.
Grammar

Grammar

As an English minor at Middlebury College, I took university level classes in literature and writing. After graduating for college cum laude, I worked at various international corporations in New York City where I assisted international employees with their correspondence in English. Currently, I work as a writer where I need to make sure any copy I send my editor is grammatically correct. I am also a prolific reader and am very well versed in sentence structure that contains proper grammar.
Literature

Literature

At Middlebury College, I had a minor in 19th and 20th century British Literature. As a French and Spanish major, I also had to read various types of literature by French and Spanish authors. From my classes in college, I learned how to read books by looking for thematic elements and character development. I currently belong to two book clubs where we read American best-selling fiction and non-fiction novels from the 21st century.
Proofreading

Proofreading

I currently work as a writer which requires constant proofreading of my own work when it is not accepted by an editor. I also worked for my college newspaper where I worked as a copy editor and learned how to correct articles for grammar and punctuation mistakes. As a prolific reader of books, newspapers, and magazines (book clubs are my hobby), I am confident I can help a writer better express their thoughts. The main goal of any proofreading assignment is to make the writer's material as organized and concise as possible with no grammatical or spelling errors.
Reading

Reading

Graduating cum laude from Middlebury College with a major in foreign languages and a minor in English, I left college with a book in my hand. You will always find some reading material in my purse - be it a book, newspaper, or magazine. My love of books spurned my desire to become a writer which is my current profession. From the countless articles and books that I have read and from being a member of book clubs, I have learned to read while identifying the narrator, the intention of the narrator, the main idea of the piece and its supporting details. I have also learned to keep time and location in perspective and accept that every reader usually has their own valid opinion about a book based upon that reader's own personal experience.
SAT Reading

SAT Reading

As a language major and English minor from Middlebury College, I graduated from college speaking and reading three languages fluently. Since graduating from college, I have become a writer for a newspaper and family magazine, which requires me to be constantly reading material to improve upon my articles. From reading the SAT prep books, I have learned how to read the test's reading passages to obtain the main idea about the passage as well as find the supporting details. I can help students learn to read these passages while assessing the important information necessary to answer the SAT test questions. From my experience, this involves some practice but after awhile becomes an easily acquired technique.
Spanish

Spanish

As a Spanish/French major at Middlebury College, I lived in Madrid, Spain for five months with a family who did not speak English. While living in Madrid, I took university level classes in Spanish literature, political science, and art history. Following graduation from college, I worked for various international corporations in New York City where I communicated and corresponded with customers in Spain and Latin America.
Spelling

Spelling

Editors have asked me to read and write about subjects that I have needed to master in spelling, despite the "spell check" option on the computer. Since there are many different ways to spell a certain sound, I tend to group words together and have the student practice pronouncing the words and then writing a sentence using the word. For example, I might put together words like "might, fight, right" and another group with the same pronunciation such as "kite, spite." Asking the student to study these different spellings, I later ask the student to take a short spelling quiz.
TOEFL

TOEFL

As a French/Spanish major in college, I learned the steps necessary to learn a foreign language. I attended Middlebury College which is a nationally renowned college for its language programs. Besides emphasizing speaking only the language that is studied, the Middlebury technique also stressed repetitious drills for verb conjugation, developing necessary oral accents, and learning new vocabulary from a cultural context. I have also found visual learning to be effective in practicing speaking and writing a new language. In the end, it is the work of the student who determines the pace and development of acquiring English language skills.
Vocabulary

Vocabulary

As a speaker of three languages, I have an English vocabulary that has been aided by acquiring the vocabulary of two other Romance languages - French and Spanish. Sometimes these foreign languages are a genesis for English words. I am also a prolific reader which constantly challenges me to learn new vocabulary. Currently, I work as a writer which always gives me the opportunity to incorporate new vocabulary into my work. After studying Latin for two years, I discovered many words in English have their roots from Latin. This enables me to break down a word to its basic meaning so it is easier for students to remember it.
Writing

Writing

As an English minor from Middlebury College, I took university level classes in English literature and composition. After graduating from college cum laude, I worked in New York City for fifteen years at international corporations assisting employees from other countries in their correspondence in English. Currently, I work as a writer for a newspaper and parenting magazine which requires me to write articles on various subjects using an organized writing structure and implementing grammar, vocabulary, and punctuation techniques. My goal as a writer is to always make the content concise so that it is easy for the reader to understand. Furthermore, the content must always engage the reader so they will not want to stop reading the material.
ACT Reading
Geography
SAT Writing
World History
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Ratings and Reviews

Rating

4.9 (82 ratings)
5 star
(77)
4 star
(4)
3 star
(1)
2 star
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1 star
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Reviews

Great tutor

My son is taking Spanish lessons with Allison. She is patient, punctual, caring and always came prepared. My son's performance keeps going up with Allison's help. We enjoy working with her greatly!

Maggie, 20 lessons with Allison

Toefl tutoring

Allison has helped me a lot during these 2 weeks. We had met just 2 times but during the week she is also sending me exercises and feedbacks about essays I sent to her to review them. She also made the time to create 2 templates, that help me a lot to organize mi ideas when I'm writing.

Maria, 2 lessons with Allison

She is very help full and professional tutor

Before I met Allison my writing skill was not that much good. Her teaching style is the best way to learn. She encourages me to write more and share her knowledge. I really learned a lot from her, she guides you where to begin and how to develop it.

Tiblet, 5 lessons with Allison

The right selection!

My son is from China and after being here over a year he has plateaued in his language acquisition. Even before the first lesson Allison asked all the right questions. In his first session she quickly assessed his skills and level for each. The exercises she prepared were aligned with his favorite subjects such as travel, fashion, art, and learning about New York City museums. She rewarded my son with a map which he liked and has been using. Although his lessons started at Allison's home, she has agreed to meet at my son's school so he can have longer sessions. If you are seeking a professional tutor who understands each student and tailors their learning experience Allison is the right selection!

Shannon, 9 lessons with Allison

Prepared

Allison came well prepared for my first lesson. She brought a good deal of material and we practiced pronunciation and travel related conversations. Now it's up to me to do the work of learning the material.

Anthony , 45 lessons with Allison

Very patient

Allison is an excellent tutor. She is very knowledgeable and patient. She knows how to make you feel comfortable, and by the end of our session, I felt more confident speaking Spanish in front of her. I would highly recommend her to anyone who needs tutoring.

Tara, 2 lessons with Allison
Hourly Rate: $40
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