Lauren

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I have been tutoring and teaching for over 10 years. I started tutoring my college and graduate school colleagues. I have a Bachelors degree in Languages from the University of New Mexico and a Masters degree in Linguistics/TESL from Indiana State University. I also have a TESL Certificate from the Trinity Institute that I received in Pontevedra, Spain. I have had the wonderful opportunity to work as an ESL professor in South Korea. I worked at Information and Communications University (which was incorporated in to KAIST) and the Gongju National University of Education. After three years in South Korea, I moved to Virginia and worked for Virginia International University.
I love working with foreign exchange students and introducing them to American culture. I have worked with students from South Korea, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Mongolia, Bangladesh, Colombia, Brazil, and Jordan among others.
I have taught classes and tutored students in the following areas: grammar, reading, writing, speaking, and Listening. I have also worked with students who are preparing for the TOEFL exam, especially TOEFL writing.
I believe in working with students who have a goal in mind and who want to make improvements in their language proficiency. I also believe making progress in learning English takes practice and patience. I try to making the learning process as fun as possible by including different activities and games to activate the varieties of learning styles of each individual student.
I look forward to working with the students at Varsity Tutors.

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Lauren’s Qualifications

Education & Certification

Undergraduate Degree: University of New Mexico-Main Campus - Bachelors, Languages

Graduate Degree: Indiana State University - Masters, Linguistics/TESOL

Hobbies

reading, knitting, TV/movies, walking, Swing/ballroom dancing, jigsaw puzzles

Tutoring Subjects

College English

English

English Grammar and Syntax

ESL/ELL

High School English

Test Prep

TOEFL Prep

Q & A

What is your teaching philosophy?

I believe in working with students who have a goal in mind and who want to make improvements in their language proficiency. I also believe making progress in learning English takes practice and patience. I try to make the learning process as fun as possible by including different activities and games to activate the varieties of learning styles of each individual student.

What might you do in a typical first session with a student?

I might do some ice-breaking activities and some diagnostic testing activities to do a needs analysis. This will help me determine where to begin with students.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

By making sure they have a positive learning experience and by giving them achievable goals that they can meet.

If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?

I would take a different approach to explaining the concept and try to introduce the ideas using different learning styles.

How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?

I would work with vocabulary skills and critical thinking skills to help develop the fundamentals for reading comprehension that might need improvement.

What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?

I have found that using games to break the ice and find common ground help the students feel more comfortable with the tutoring sessions. I also try to have the student set their own goals so that they can keep track of their success.

What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?

Depending on the material, there are a variety of assessments that can be used to ensure that the student understands the material. Keeping a constant review going helps to solidify the material for the student.

How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?

If a student receives positive reinforcement as they are building their skills, their confidence will grow. It also helps if they can visually see an improvement in their scores.

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