My interest in teaching English began as volunteering with refugees and exchange students. It led me back to school for a Master's in Teaching English as a Second Language and a position with a local language school. At the school I enjoyed teaching adults and university students who had relocated to the Capital District either temporarily or to make this their permanent home.

I believe that students learn best when they are talking, reading, writing and listening to things they enjoy. I teach vocabulary and phrases that they will use in writing and speaking about things that relate to their daily lives and encourage students to incorporate self-talk, music listening, and reading in their new language as a part of their everyday routine. I, too, study new languages, so my students and I can share learning experiences. Nobody is too old to learn a new language, but it involves repetition, experimentation, training the mouth to make new sounds — and making mistakes!

When children speak they make many language mistakes, but gradually the mistakes disappear. The same is true for adults if they aren't afraid to make mistakes. Simply mistakes, never failures. I make language learning fun.