| Name | John S. |
|---|---|
| City | Toronto, ON |
| Teaching | Polish |
| Native Language | English |
| Originally From | New Zealand |
| Working With | Youth, Adults, Groups |
| Levels I Teach | Beginner, Intermediate |
| Lessons Take Place | My Home/Office, Learner's Home or Work, Public Place, Online |
| Hourly Rate | C$35 |
I am an experienced adult educator and a trained linguist. I have designed and delivered training and education programs to adults of all ages, both in group and individual settings. I know Polish very well through completion of formal academic study of the language followed by travel and personal and professional contacts with Poles over the past 15 years. My proficiency in Polish is at the advanced level, and I speak the language with a near native accent. I prefer to take a skills building aural/oral approach when helping students attain functional competency.
As a linguist I have studied several languages, including some to an advanced level, and I have done a lot of research into the process of adult second language acquisition. I have also evaluated the design and presentation of language textbooks and second language teaching methods.
As a face to face educator I have worked with both individuals and small groups taking a skills building approach tailored to needs and goals. I have also designed appropriate learning plans and evaluations to support skills development and consolidation.
For conversational competence I take an oral/aural spoken language approach (no books or paper based exercises). For the beginner this approach is focused on building a complete skeleton of the language in an active, practical way in the shortest possible time. Other skills such as reading may be developed later.
Currently I am available in person most mornings Monday to Thursday, and am also available for Skype meetings some evenings.
While I can be flexible as to meeting place I would prefer to meet either at my apartment (near Wellesley subway station) or in the Toronto Reference Library where quiet study areas are available.
