Cassandra Krygier

I have been an EFL/ESL Teacher for more than 8 years, teaching adults with differing needs profiles: from Business English corporate workers and returning English speakers looking to dust off their language skills, to academics looking to prioritize highly-specialized language in their respective fields and students learning to manage the anxieties of learning and using English as a Second Language. I have experience conducting conversation courses, blended courses (conversation & grammar in one unit), and strict grammar & prose courses (more akin to a traditional language learning environment you may have taken part in during university or potentially high school), and each have their merits. I am quite flexible and highly-adaptable when it comes to teaching, as it matters most what works best for the student, and not for me, the teacher.

I would describe my teaching method as a blend of the direct method, where we speak exclusively in English during the lesson, with a kind, patient, people-centered therapeutic approach to managing the stresses and anxieties that are part and parcel of learning and using English. It's hard, but it doesn't have to be with the right teacher. In my years of experience, I find that language learning should feel more personal and friendly, and less didactic and high-pressure, as it leads to more long-term growth, comfort, ease of use, and fluency with my students. As a result in wanting to create a stable, welcoming, and inclusive environment, I teach 1:1 online as to be able to best personalize a class for each student's specific needs, background, experiences, and goals, rather than a larger group environment. Additionally, I believe teaching in an inclusive environment is a necessity in proper education, so all are welcome; y'all means all.

Pertaining to course content, I develop a working plan or syllabus for each prospective student after the first lesson, in order to pinpoint exactly what a student's needs are, and what may best suit them: from traditional grammar books, exercises, hand-picked short form content (videos or articles typically), and conversation pieces (think a themed topic relevant to a language level and interest).