A Passion for Breaking Down Barriers

You are only able to read this because you understand English.

Perhaps, like me, you were born into an English-speaking family and grew up surrounded by your mother tongue. You think in English. And perhaps also, like me, you have largely taken for granted your natural, easy ability to speak what has become the most economically important and useful language of our time around the world.

Maybe English isn’t your first language, though. Maybe you learned it early in life, or you may still be learning as an adult. You understand the struggle involved in acquiring this language. You probably also know better than native speakers the reasons people choose to learn English.

English is certainly not the most important language in the world in terms of culture, heritage, or the arts. It isn’t necessarily the most interesting or the most beautiful tongue. However, speaking English is unquestionably one of the most economically valuable skills a person can have anywhere on planet earth, and therefore is sought after in nearly unimaginable numbers. The number of people who speak English as a second language is nearly double the number of native speakers!

A good working knowledge of English can open doors for people everywhere to achieve their wildest dreams. My passion lies in helping people overcome their barriers to English fluency. I teach English as a second language to adult students around the world.

Imagine that you aspire to be a scientist, an engineer, or work in any technical field. Over 50% of the important reading you may need - technical and scientific periodicals - are in English. Want to excel in IT? Over 80% of the information stored in computers around the world is in English. A full three quarters of all the mail exchanged on the planet is written in English. For many disciplines, the only written materials available are in English. English is the dominant language of the internet. If you work for a company in Germany or Italy and you want to communicate with a company in China or Israel, you will almost certainly use English.

In addition to these statistics, I have personally heard from hundreds of students how important learning English is to them. I have been humbled to realize just how privileged I am to have English as my native language. I can honestly say that while the entire world was clamoring for English, I was completely unaware of both the need and the struggle.

I came to the English teaching world with this lack of awareness. Luckily, I showed up with an open heart, a deep love for humanity, and a genuine interest in world cultures. The more students I met the more motivated I became to offer real, practical help and to be the best teacher I could be. I’m still learning from them.

Most of the hundreds of students I have met in nearly 2000 online lessons are studying English for economic reasons: working for an American or British company, working anywhere in Europe, or just to have the chance to interview for such a position. Many students either have relocated to an English-speaking country or wish to do so. Others simply take for granted that English is an important language to know as a citizen of the modern world – an outlook that still astonishes me a little, as someone who grew up in America, blissfully ignorant of this notion.

Not having English can limit a person’s potential. My passion has evolved beyond just my own starry-eyed dreams of traveling the world to engaging with that world in real and meaningful ways. I’m a natural-born teacher and have spent many years teaching in a variety of settings – even when my job title wasn’t “teacher.” I conducted on-the-job training for adults with intellectual disabilities, I created trainings for colleagues, and even taught young children in preschool. The common thread in all of these positions was the desire and skill to help people overcome barriers to success in life. Now I feel I’ve finally found my true calling – to help people around the world smash their barriers to English language fluency. To that end, I’ve started a small business in which I teach one-on-one lessons to students online.

I teach adults English by first creating the space for them to speak. One of the main challenges for language learners is a lack of speaking opportunities. At the most basic level, this is what I offer them. But beyond this, my philosophy, which is based on my experience, is that a teacher must hold space for each individual student literally, emotionally, and even spiritually for them to get the most benefit from the lesson.

A teacher must hold literal space for a student to speak by minimizing his or her own speech and letting the student do most of the talking. Speaking is the area they have the least opportunity to do on their own, unlike listening, reading, and writing. It also has a huge emotional component. Speaking a second language to someone else – especially a native speaker – can be terrifying. Even with experience, students may feel nervous. Until a students reach the highest levels of fluency, they are not able to express themselves at the same level they can in their own language, which causes embarrassment and frustration, even shame. Sometimes, a student is reduced to speaking like a child. One's sense of self and self-worth is tied in part to one's ability to express oneself. A teacher must create a space wherein the student can feel dignity and respect while they undergo the same process they went through as a child learning their mother tongue. We must offer corrections, but in a thoughtful and skilled way that does not constantly interrupt or nitpick. We must trust the innate brilliance of the human mind to grasp language when given the right conditions, and not rush, reflect frustration, or push. Fear and shame are the first barriers we need to eradicate, and the most important. Confidence is crucial to mastering a second language. In my view, a teacher can be so much more than a purveyor of grammar rules. We have the opportunity to love people into a space of empowerment from which they can achieve anything.

My dream is to expand my small business and revolutionize the English language industry. Every lesson is completely tailored to that particular student’s needs, goals, and interests. To offer the most tools possible, I have begun creating my own grammar and other materials. I want to do so much more. Winning this challenge would mean that I could take the time to create more products for all four areas of language study: speaking (individual and group lessons), listening (videos, a podcast, and sound recordings), reading (written materials), and writing (exercises, including business email writing and more). I would like to create a membership program for students to access all of these resources.

Ideally, I would like to offer subscriptions at a variety of price points, with access to a plethora of high-quality ala carte tools. The higher-level subscriptions will consist of fully customized weekly or monthly study plans for individual students, based on their unique needs.

It is important for me to make a difference in the world. I want to make my mark by helping clear a path for others to make theirs. I believe that creating a membership program full of useful, practical tools for students will do just that. For what better service can we offer the world than opportunities and open doors?