My Story
I'm an online English teacher living in Sunnyvale, California. I have a particular interest in studying how people can master new skills with ease. Experiencing a devastating repetitive stress injury as a young professional harpist taught me that practicing long hours and pushing beyond our limits isn't the only way to make progress.
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Today I help U.S. immigrants and English learners who have limited speaking opportunities find a more mindful approach. I create speaking programs so that my students can practice in a safe space while building confidence to have more real-life conversations.
Career Experience
I taught English in Seoul, South Korea for a year and a half and fell in love with a new culture. With neon signs, busy nightlife, and a mix of ancient history and modernization, I was fascinated by Seoul. But I also felt lonely because I didn’t know the language and couldn’t connect to people. I learned about the challenges of moving to a new country and trying to speak a new language.
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At the conclusion of my stay in Seoul, I decided to enroll in a master's program in teaching English as a second language at the University of San Francisco.
Out of graduate school, I taught international students at a private language school in Berkeley for seven years. My favorite program involved taking our Japanese students to volunteer in the community. The students were not focused on their mistakes in English, and I noticed that their English improved quickly through their social interactions with others. I learned the power of learning language by "doing".
