Jonathan L.

First of all, I am qualified to teach English in the US, having graduated, (with honors), from a prestigious American university, after studying English, teaching, and rhetoric, (i.e. the art of language.) This alone would put me in the top 5% of teachers on this site. Since then, however, I've logged 26 years of teaching experience, 14 in Ukraine & Japan, plus 14 in the US. I've routinely taught English teachers English! In addition, I've got countless supplementary home-made materials for every level, but my background is most useful to upper-level students. In fact, if you are an upper-level student, you'd be remiss to NOT have a trial class with me, as odds are you'd find it both enlightening and practical.

In the US I taught 9-13-year-olds, so I have taught many subjects besides English, but I'm now in my 15th year of teaching English as a Second Language. I use books, (which I provide), along with loads of supplementary materials, (which I use as my students require.) I even created an original placement test - 50 questions but 65 answers. I've found that this forces prospective students to think long and hard about what they know about the language. It also guarantees they will learn a lot during our first class! I've edited two novels, and if you are looking to improve your writing, there's no one better on this site than me!

As stated above, I can 100% guarantee that you will learn some useful, practical English during your trial class. I also recognize that my prices are higher than many other teachers here, but, do they have a teaching degree? From an English-speaking country? Have they taught in an English speaking country? How much experience do they have as a teacher? What special skills do they bring to the table? Can they use idioms in the correct context? Can they help you sound like a native speaker? Do they guarantee results?

The answers, for me, are as follows: I graduated with honors after studying at an American university. I've since taught 12 years in the US, 2 in Japan and 13 in Ukraine. Besides Teaching & English, at university I studied Rhetoric, which is the art of language. This has helped me teach hundreds of students how to write more effectively. I routinely use idioms in class, then explain them if needed. The part of the US I'm from, (Minnesota), has been said to have the easiest accent for people to understand. National broadcasters were trained to speak like people from the Midwest. Finally, yes, I guarantee results even on your trial lesson. Most people learn at least 10 important things about my mother tongue that they will take with them, even if I never teach them again.