Do you want to build your fluency in English? Do you want to gain confidence that you will find the right word or expression to use? Do you want to finally begin thinking in English?

Hello, I'm Irene, I'm from California, and I can help you do that. 

For students at low-intermediate level and above, I offer conversation practice using topics like: 

Likes and Dislikes

Free Time & Hobbies 

Sports

Jobs & Occupations

Food & Eating

Culture

My Life So Far

City & Neighborhood

You will develop the ability to express opinions and support them through topic exercises like Would You Rather?  In this conversation practice, I'm your conversation partner, responding with comments and questions as a fluent speaker of US English does.   I also correct your grammar errors, suggest new natural vocabulary and expressions in the conversational context, provide pronunciation feedback, and generally tell you if something you say doesn't sound natural.   

Our goal is for you to practice your recall of English words and phrases in real time, but also for you to practice expressing your way "around" an idea when you can't easily recall the English word or phrase,  

During the lesson, I put all these corrections and suggestions into a Quizlet deck of digital flashcards that you can study later, so that all that feedback goes into your long-term memory. 

To provide you with additional review material, I offer to record our conversation lessons.  

Para los principiantes, tambien ofrezco classes de escucha con pares minimos para familizarte con los sonidos de ingles.   Luego uso una metologica de enseñar vocabulario basico  con imagenes y tarjetas didacticas para que puedas memorizarlo y empezar a pensar en el idioma.  

In all these lessons, translation from your native language is used carefully.   Translation can interfere with your ability to start thinking in English. 

I have a TEFL certificate from the University of Toronto.  My great love is history and historical fiction, and I'm an amateur writer.