As an Ivy League graduate (BA from Columbia University), who has spent great deal of time in academia (having obtained both a Masters and PhD in Linguistics), I’ve had the privilege of being able to make a career out of my life-long love of words, literature and language. In addition to being a linguist, I’m an avid polyglot and language-learner, fluent in French, Mandarin Chinese, Russian and Spanish (plus my native English, as I was born and raised in New York). I’ve lived in Taiwan, France, and Russia, and travel frequently (both because it’s fun an in order to keep my languages skills in shape) .

My teaching experience is extensive. University courses I’ve taught include: Introduction to Linguistics, Phonetics, Syntax, Sociolinguisitics, ESL Speaking, ESL Writing, Chinese Language and Culture, among others. In my own research I’ve explored various topics, including: an Optimality Theory-based phonological analysis of Fuzhou Tone Sandhi, the syntax and semantics of second-position enclitic and sentence-final particles across various languages (including Slavic, Sino-Tibetan, Austronesian and Quechua); and scope freezing effects in Chinese and English relative clauses.

After so many years spent reading, writing, conversing, and lecturing in academic environments, I have gained a strong awareness of the subtle (and not so subtle) differences in vocabulary, grammar and other turns-of-phase that distinguish spoken from written English. As such, I very much enjoy working with students on actual assignments they have, helping them improve their work on every level, including generating interesting ideas, organizing and structuring their arguments, and ensuring that the sentences themselves ring with confidence and grace.