Meet Native English Teacher Leslie

Describe your past experiences teaching Conversational English

I have lived and worked abroad for decades and have considerable practice with conversational English. Presently, I am enjoying teaching conversational English in a number of a different venues

Tell us more about your education?

I have been trained as a scientist (B. Sc Environmental Science; PhD Biological Sciences). After years of working as a researcher in academia, I retrained. With a TEFL Certificate in hand, I taught English briefly in Greece. I then returned to the States and gained further experience as an Herbalist. Presently, I continue to teach men, women and children on a variety of topics.

Much of my work today centers around my professional qualifications as an herbalist, that is using plants as medicines (herbalism).

How would you describe a typical Skype English lesson at Spoken English Practice?

My lessons are relaxed and well paced. Students can practice conversation across a wide variety of topics. I focus on student needs. This means that if a student wants to improve “everyday” conversation we work on this. Some students want to focus on topics (food, work or travel for example) while others want to improve a work-related vocabulary.

My lessons also include a little humor and are sensitive to each individual’s experience of English. My lessons vary from session to session, and student to student. I always check to see if I am meeting a student’s need and their satisfaction level.

What are your favorite conversation topics?

They vary day to day. I am very open to discussing most topics including travel, food, leisure activities, work, home and family life, music, sports etc.

In your experience, what area in English do students need the most help? Grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation or something else? How would you address this in your classes?

I place a great deal of emphasis on conversation and pronunciation and less emphasis on grammar and vocabulary unless a student specifically requests that we review these topics.

What are your top 3 tips to ESL students around the world?

~ to practice listening as well as speaking by turning on English speaking radio, listening to movies, music and YouTube videos, on-line lectures

~ to take a deep breath and speak; speak about anything that is interesting … or to focus on areas of conversation where practice is essential

~ practice with native English speakers whenever possible!

A little bit about what you like to do when you are not teaching English.

When I’m not teaching English, I’m often outside with my dog. I enjoy nature and the water. I also read, paint in watercolors and work with wood and beads

What kind of students do you prefer?

I prefer students who want to learn English and are willing to talk about topics that are of interest to us both.

January 20, 2016