Valerie
Visited a day ago
Valerie
Professional Teacher
Teaches
English
Native
Speaks
Chinese (Mandarin)
Japanese
Other
Specialties
Test PreparationTeaches
English
Native
Speaks
Chinese (Mandarin)
Japanese
Other
Specialties
Test PreparationFrom United StatesLiving in Leeds, United Kingdom (17:33 UTC+01:00)
About Me
italki teacher since Aug 20, 2021Interest topicReadingFoodTravel
I was born and raised in America, but I did graduate study in England and now live here. I have dual US and UK citizenship. My first job many years ago was working at a radio station! Since then, I've received TESOL certification in Edinburgh, and MA degrees from University of Leeds and University College London. I have worked as an English teacher and private tutor in China (Jinan and Shanghai) and in Taiwan (Kaohsiung City) for around six years. I have also worked as a clinical teaching associate and as a clinical trials coordinator in the UK. I have done extensive freelance work in proofreading and copywriting for professional websites and evaluation reports.Me as a Teacher
• Trinity Certified TESOL instructor
• Native American English speaker and educated in British English
• ~6 years of experience as a classroom teacher in China and Taiwan, including at Taiwan's Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages
• ~2 years of experience as a private English tutor for exam prep, essay writing, and oral English coaching
• Taught English classes to a variety of professionals to prepare for Kaohsiung's 2009 World Games
• Professional experience in medical settings and experience of teaching medical professionals
• Proofreading experience for native and non-native English speakersMy lessons & teaching style
My teaching approach is student-centred. I want to know about your language goals so that I can make a lesson package to help you achieve them. Every lesson will have clear aims and objectives so that you know you are making progress. We can:
• focus on a particular skill such as speaking or writing,
• work towards a particular goal such as a presentation, essay, application, or exam (TOEFL or TOEIC),
• review fundamental English grammar and conversation skills,
• help your pronunciation sound more natural,
• and so on!
I'm also happy to offer you additional support if you are already enrolled in an English class and want some one-to-one help with your course material.My teaching material
- Audio files
- Test templates and examples
- Text Documents
- Articles and news
- Graphs and charts
- Quizzes
- Homework Assignments
Certificates
Teaching IELTS Exam Prep - Bridge TEFL - 2024
Certificate verified
Foundation Language Studies - Leeds Beckett University - 2020
Certificate verified
Test of Chinese as a Foreign Language - Taiwan Ministry of Education - 2010
Certificate verified
Trinity CertTESOL - Regent Edinburgh - 2004
Certificate verified
Education
2003 - 2004
Master's - Medieval Studies
1998 - 2002
Bachelor’s - Philosophy & Religion, Political Science
2006 - 2007
Master's - Scandinavian Studies
Work Experience
2005 - 2005
English teacherHelped students improve speaking and listening skills. Planned and delivered two-hour lessons with games, dialogues, role-play, and listening exercises for students.
2005 - 2006
English teacherTaught reading, writing, listening and speaking in English-only classrooms with students ranging from absolute beginner level of English to advanced composition classes.
2008 - 2012
English teacherTaught reading, writing, listening and speaking in English-only classrooms with students from an absolute beginner level of English to advanced composition classes. In spring 2012, travelled to Shanghai and assisted at the opening of the school's first branch in mainland China, teaching demo lessons to prospective students.
2010 - 2012
Private tutor to Dr Yu and colleaguesPlanned and delivered weekly private lessons for Dr. Ming-lung Yu, focusing on English news reading, pronunciation, and common collocations. Proofread medical studies for publication in English-language journals and assisted in preparing conference presentations in English for Dr. Yu and his colleagues.
2009 - 2009
English teacher and evaluatorProvided special short-term English courses to help various businesses (hotels, hospitals, restaurants, etc) prepare for an influx of foreign visitors during Kaohsiung's 2009 World Games. Carried out evaluations of English-language services to determine which businesses could be promoted to English-speaking visitors.
2010 - 2010
English teacherTaught an intermediate level English class to adult learners, focusing on speaking and listening skills.
2017 - 2017
Clinical Teaching AssociateHelped to develop a patient-centred approach to pelvic examinations in a pilot programme in the department of obstetrics and gynaecology, in liaison with department head Dr. John Dalton and fellow CTAs. Delivered small-group instruction to medical students performing their first examination.
2014 - 2021
Clinical Trial CoordinatorCoordinated early phase randomised controlled clinical trial in the cancer portfolio, with oversight of data management team and responsibility for pharmacovigilance: monitoring patient safety and reporting to trial sponsors and the MHRA. Because of this and other job roles, I have a high degree of familiarity with specialised terminology for medical English.
2019 - 2021
Professional website copywriterWrote copy for professional website of Dr Simone Doctors.
2018 - 2020
Reporting on M&E of education projectsWorked with external evaluator Dr Simone Doctors during the baseline, midterm, and final evaluations of the USDA Food for Education Project in Maputo province, Mozambique. Provided quantitative and qualitative data analysis, provided technical support and proofreading, and generated written copy for the final report.
5.0
Rating
34
Students
441
Lessons
100%
Attendance
100%
Response
English Lessons
Grammar and vocabulary to your level
A1 - C2Language Essentials86 lessons completed
USD 30.00+
Package with 5% off
Conversation with integrated vocabulary and collocations
B1 - C2Conversation170 lessons completed
USD 30.00+
Package with 5% off
Test preparation (e.g. IELTS, TOEFL, Duolingo)
B1 - C2Test Preparation150 lessons completed
USD 30.00+
Package with 5% off
Availability
Based on your timezone (UTC+00:00)
17 Reviews
Lisa
52 English lessons
Teacher’s pick
Valerie is a very nice and patient teacher. She answered all my questions clearly. After having 10 classes each in speaking and writing, my IELTS speaking&writing band improves from 6.0 to 7.0. Now I decide to take more classes in conversation and writing for business and academic purposes with Valerie. I believe with her help, I will be able to improve my English a lot before I go study abroad.
Oct 20, 2021
Nathan Lin
6 English lessons
Teacher’s pick
This lesson was about writing down the thought after watching a TED talk. Valerie was very nice and patient to correct my composition. Also the TED talk was very helpful for me to think more, which I also appreciate very much. Looking forward the next lesson.
Sep 3, 2021
Nicole
3 English lessons
Teacher’s pick
Very nice and professional teacher! And she is also experienced about Ielts test.
Aug 28, 2021
Anna Hernandez
31 English lessons
Thanks to Valerie I could get easily a good mark in Duolingo test (equivalent to C1-C2). She is a really good teacher, she prepares the lessons very well and is very patient. I would definitely recommend her.
Aug 22, 2022
Diego Montecino Díaz
27 English lessons
Excelente profesora! Tiene mucha paciencia y siempre está dispuesta a poder explicar y corregir los errores que uno comete. Me ayudó a ganar mucha confianza en mi inglés tanto escrito como oral. Gracias por todo Valerie :)
Dec 16, 2021
Claudia ma
2 English lessons
Such a wonderful experience.
Oct 19, 2021
Lessons
Hourly rate from
USD 35.00+Your final payment will be made in USD