In this blog series of introducing some of our English language tutors, we are featuring Mandy today. Mandy has been part of the Spoken English Practice family since 2009 and has clocked more than 80,000 hours teaching Spoken English to students around the world. Outside of work, Mandy is a world traveller and avid comic book fan. Today she shares some of her insights teaching English and interacting with ESL students around the globe. If you are interested in scheduling a trial Skype English lesson with Mandy, send us an email to info@spokenenglishpractice.com with “Mandy” in the title and we will arrange the lesson.
I always start with welcoming the student and checking with him/her how their week is going. Sometimes talking about the weather is a good ice breaker and a smart way to get the conversation started. I also make sure to ask whether they have any lingering questions from from the last class. I usually have a topic in mind before the class. For example with one of my students from Japan, we walked about the the whaling industry last week. With another student who is working at an University, we talked about education standards of different countries. I pick the topic depending on the student’s level of English proficiency and their area of interest.
TV Series, Pets, Travel, Family, Photography, Fashion, Technology, Apple Products, TED Talks, Hobbies, Legal Stuff, Parenting.
I look at Grammar, Vocabulary and Pronunciation as the 3 pillar in learning English. If you are beginner in learning English, I would definitely do a lot of corrections until you get better in Grammar, Vocabulary and Pronunciation. Once you get better, I would focus more on speaking fluently without translating mentally in your native language. This requires a lot of practice. That’s what we are here for 🙂
Start practicing English with native speakers early. Do this often as you can.
Listen to audiobooks and try to mimic how native English speakers talk.
Learn a few new words everyday. There is always room to expand your vocabulary.
I feel really blessed to be able to talk with people from so many different countries. I have ESL students from Japan to Ukraine, from Peru to Germany. I learn so much about culture, food and lifestyles. This is the next best thing to traveling.
I’m an avid traveller. I have been to 5 continents, 24 countries. Next year I’m planning a trip across Europe – covering Spain, Italy, France and Germany. I love cooking and trying dishes from different parts of world. I also like binge watching TV series. Some of my favorites are the Mindy Project, Orange is the new black and Breaking bad.