I speak:
Afrikaans, English, Italian
I teach:
English
Trial class: Free trial lesson!
Specialized topics:
Academic, Advanced, Beginners, Business, Communication, Courses for children, Culture, Exam preparation, Grammar, Literature, Pronunciation, Technical
Students do not book more than 3 lessons with this teacher.
Skype ID:
Country:
South Africa
Native speaker from:
South Africa
Lessons in: Online
Availability
Timezone: Europe/Rome (GMT+1)
Prices
ESL Independent Teacher - Developing\Enhancing the 4 Skills of Language: Reading, Writing, Speaking & Listening!
Hello World of ESL learners
I'm an experienced ESL, ELA, TEFL and TESOL independent teacher and transmedia writer. I began ESL teaching in 1990, and returned to the field in 2018. I've a decade of combined teaching experience. My CV is a short read: I've made it a 1-pager: it's concise and comprehensive and I strongly suggest you take a look at it to get a comprehensive view on what I bring to the table as an ESL educator. It's important to stress my approach to ESL instructing is learner-centric, so you may have heard many utter this phrase, but is it just semantics, hyperbole to stand out in a crowded space? Well let me elaborate a little bit on learner-centrism as the core value of my approach to ESL teaching: The banking system of education really came into its own in the post-WW2 world and the west began to slowly eliminate the Humboldtian system from its mainframe. My preference is to mimic as far as is practical the Humboldtian and Classical Liberal Arts systems and I incorporate insights from the rich field of ESL research and development. My experience illustrates that organic modes of learning have yielded the best results with reference to capacity, fluency and confidence. Gardner's 'Theory of Multiple Intelligence Centres' is as influential as the aforementioned educational systems, and I include insights learned from the field of ESL development, research and trends.
Today English is to the digital age what Latin was to the 3rd century. It is the Lingua Franca of the world and presents an exciting development in the history of languages and human beings communicating from and to almost every corner of the world. It's a great time to be learning English. There's never been a better time to be an ESL learner or teacher, especially if you're a serious lover of languages and language learning!
My library of content contains top tier course materials, e.g. programmes developed by Cengage Learning and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
All my course materials conform to global benchmark standards such as the Common Core State Standards (CCSS-USA), International English Language Testing Standards (IELTS - UK, Australia) and the International General Certificate for Secondary Education (IGCSE-UK).
My capacities include testing and assessment according to benchmark standards globally recognised such as the aforementioned and also CEFR – Common European Framework of Reference for Languages). Course materials are included in the fees. I deliver my lessons via Zoom, Zhumu or Voov: all three teaching/meeting apps enable learners to join the meeting room right from your browser for your convenience
Best,
Desiree Lourens
Teacher statistics
| Contacted by: | 0 students | |
| Active students: | 8 | |
| Lessons: | 9 | |
| Last access: | 1 year ago | |
| Registered: | 5 years ago |
Language proficiency test preparation:
English - ACTFL - American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages
English - Stamp 4s English
English - IELTS - International English Language Testing System
English - PET - Preliminary English test
English - CPE - Cambridge proficiency english
English - YLE - Young Learners English
English - CAMLA
English - ECCE - Examination for the Certificate of Competency in English
English - ECPE - Examination for the Certificate of Proficiency in English
English - EPT - English Placement Test
English - MELAB - The Michigan English Language Assessment Batter
English - MET - The Michigan English Test
English - CAEL - Canadian Academic English
English - TOEFL - Test of English as a Foreign Language
English - TOEIC - Test of English for International Communication
English - KET - Key English Test
Education:
UNISA - University of South Africa
South Africa
1988 - 1992
Bachelor of Arts
UNISA is South Africa's distance learning tertiary institution. I'd taken a number of courses over several years, however due to the change in the country's minority government during the early 90s I've found it difficult to re-enroll into the system to complete the Bachelor's post '94. My majors are English, Communications and for both of these courses I've completed second year levels - English 1 & 2, Communications 1 & 2 - and have Psychology 1. My interest is to do a few courses in Linguistics and also isiXhosa language. As I've mentioned there have been obstructions to my completing this degree through UNISA, and short of taking the institution to court (a costly affair) there is not a lot one can do against an institution, as everybody who has ever had run-ins with admin staff of any organisation/institution will know, it is a most unpleasant experience. I have however kept myself updated in my field, and have not let the institutional glitch deter my love of learning and knowledge. As you'll note I've been actively engaging in the online courses made available by globally respected learning institutions like the universities of Europe, the UK, Russia to name just a few. It's no longer important for me to complete a formalised degree. I have sufficient confidence in my capacities, skills and years of experience in my field to know that a formalised degree is unnecessary for me to deliver the best of my capacities.
Global Language Training UK - online
United Kingdom
2014 - 2015
TEFL/TESOL Masters
The Master's TEFL and TESOL was a year long course which I'd opted to do having been out of the ESL realm for some two decades, and although the Inlingua School of Languages in Italy has a rigorous & updated teacher training programme, it was necessary to update my knowledge of the latest developments in the field of ESL. I enrolled in the Master's course offered by Global TEFL UK. The application of Gardner's Multiple Intelligence theory was a game changer for me, especially in light of the rise of the English language to the status of the world's Lingua Franca during the digital age! English as the world's medium for communication exchange has yielded an abundance of possibilities and opportunities for teachers, learners and content/course material that is unsurpassed in excellence of quality!
University of Leicester Online
Leicester, UK
Applied Linguistics and TESOL
This six week course, offered by the University of Leicester's Applied Linguistics dept, focused in on the field of ESL course materials' transformation. I'd recommend everybody with a curiosity and/or interest in the field of ESL to do the course because it is insightful and provides useful tools for ESL teachers as well as serious ESL passionistas! It's tailored to meet the needs of both ESL learners and nonnative teachers. Great course. I highly recommend it. You'll find it at FutureLearn
University of Groningen
The Netherlands
Introduction to Frisian Language
https://www.futurelearn.com/profiles/2512525
The above link directs to my learner profile on the FutureLearn website; one of the very many manifestations of 21st century learning. Scroll down past the certificates to ACTIVITY. You'll find a thread of commentary I've made in response to the courses that I'd been studying. It should give you a clear indication of how serious I am about my field, and my learners learning to achieve knowledge and cognitive flexibility within the medium of the English language.
I'll post a screen shot of the courses I've completed, but have reneged on paying the approx USD50 for the certificate to prove credentials. To me it's the knowledge that has far more value than the written text describing the knowledge I've gained or not. Again I'd like to draw your attention to the contrast between the Banking system of education and, for the sake of argument, the Humboldtian. Note the pink lines at the bottom of the poster - it's a marker identifying the quantity of course material completed. I've also done courses through the Coursera Edx massive online open courses that top notch global universities and learning institutions offer as 'hors d'eouvres' for degree courses in the specific fields. It's true that 'we live in interesting times' and there's an entire new way of learner/teacher engagement.
The British Council via FutureLearn
United Kingdom
The International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
FutureLearn is a massive open online course (MOOC) learning platform founded in December 2012.
It is a company launched and wholly owned by The Open University in Milton Keynes, England. It is the first UK-led massive open online course learning platform, and as of March 2015 included 54 UK and international University partners and unlike similar platforms includes four non-university partners: the British Museum, the British Council, the British Library and the National Film and Television School.
Queensland University of Technology
Australia
Teaching Phonics in Early Childhood
"Phonics is important in learning to read and write. Research supports the view that phonics is a key predictor of later reading success. English is a phonetic language, which means we have a sound that is matched by a written letter or combination of written letters. English is the most complex alphabetic language to learn because it is irregular - there can be many options for combining letters to create a specific sound, or combining sounds to make up a word. However, there are parts of the English language that do follow rules and it's important that children understand these rules to be successful decoders. Learning to read is complex and phonics is just one part of the code-related literacy development and becoming literate"
University of Leeds
Leeds UK
Discovering Science: Writing in the Sciences
It's the 2nd MOOC I've done on writing in the sciences, and both were insightful. I was particularly interested to compare and contrast the one I'd done through Stanford Lagunita online system. It was noteworthy that the one offered by FutureLearn was aimed at a different audience whereas the Lagunita's target demographic was journalists/writers who came with an already existing understanding of the sciences, Leeds uni has made it accessible to people who have an interest in writing in the sciences with a specific view of climate change and environmental issues. Excellent course and one I'd recommend for anybody with an interest in the earth, the weather, the climate, ecosystems, systems etc to do the course. The course gives you all the necessary tools to write authoritatively on anything in the sciences, and access to resources the course enables is fantastic.
University of California Irvine Extension via Coursera
California USA
High-Impact Business Writing
"Effective writing is a powerful tool in the business environment. Learn how to articulate your thoughts in a clear and concise manner that will allow your ideas to be better understood by your readers. Improve your business writing skill by learning to select and use appropriate formats for your audience, use the correct medium and adjust your writing style accordingly, as well as identify your objective and communicate it clearly. You'll also learn to spot, correct and avoid the most common writing pitfalls, and gain valuable experience analyzing, writing and revising a wide spectrum of business documents. From a simple interoffice memo to a twenty-page business proposal, learn how to put good business writing to work for you. Upon completing this course, you will be able to: 1. Write effective business communications, including bad news, good news, persuasive writing, presentations, emails, memos, business reports and press releases 2. Learn how to edit and proofread business documents 3. Learn how to write for a global market"
Coursera is a digital company offering massive open online course founded by computer teachers Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller Stanford University, located in Mountain View, California.
Coursera works with top universities and organizations to make some of their courses available online, and offers courses in many subjects, including: physics, engineering, humanities, medicine, biology, social sciences, mathematics, business, computer science, digital marketing, data science, and other subjects.
Moscow Institute for Physics and Technology
Moscow
Technical Writing
Elena Bazanova: Director of Language Training & Testing Center Moscow Institute of Physics & Technology.
The course develops technical writing skills necessary to communicate information gained through a process of technical or experimental work. The course highlights the factors that determine the degree of technicality of the language and concepts involved. You will learn how to write different technical reports, e.g., laboratory reports, research reports, design and feasibility reports, progress reports, consulting reports, etc. The course also approaches several language, structure, style, and content issues that you can encounter while reporting the results of your research.
University of Birmingham via FutureLearn
Birmingham UK
Digital Storytelling
How to tell powerful stories using digital technology to achieve broadcast quality content.
Open University via FutureLearn
UK
Start Writing Fiction
Hands-on course to help a writer explore the fiction genre. Highly recommend for professional writers. Excellent course materials, educators and authors. One of the best MOOCs available for writers in my opinion.
UEA University of East Anglia
UK
An Introduction to Screenwriting
The course covered the key concepts and fundamental principles involved in the process of screenwriting. It was a brilliant course and again I'd recommend it for all writers.
Abertay University Online
Scotland
N/A
Video Game Design and Development.
The course was an introduction to video character design for games.
Work experience:
Trainee Mineral Analyst and Assayer
Beisa Mine, Gencor Mining Group
1982 - 1984
Welkom
Mineral analysis involves determining the chemical relationships between and within mineral grains. Microanalytical techniques are essential, and methods include X-ray spectrometry and mass spectrometry. I enjoyed working in the field, but most of my time was spent in the laboratory and I didn't think that I could spend my working life confined to working in laboratories. I learned a lot, including how to write reports and technical specs. I'd always been analytically minded, and the lab work sharpened my analytical capacities which is a transferable skill and has stood me in good stead over the course of my working life.
Electroplating Technician
Barry Colne Pty Ltd
1985 - 1986
Johannesburg
Electroplaters are professionals who coat objects in thin layers of metal by using the process of electroplating. They can work with jewelry, electrical components and technology like electrodes and conductors. My job was to maintain the consistency of the chemical compositions of their electroplating baths by regularly taking samples to the laboratory for testing and analysis. Accuracy is as important as having an analytical approach towards trouble-shooting and problem-solving. I enjoyed the work a lot, and was not confined to only the laboratory. I travelled to across the Greater Johannesburg area to see my clients. It was a great position and I learned some fantastic skills such as client-relationship building, interpersonal and people skills.
Insegnante di Inglese
Inlingua Scuola di Lingue
1990 - 1993
Milano, Roma, Italia
Teacher
Top Online Teachers
2018 - current
China
Resident Artist and Web Administrator
Zygote Zulu Art Gallery
1997 - 2006
Seattle, Washington State, USA
I arrived in Seattle in July 1995 and this coincided with Microsoft Windows 95 and the beginning of the internet for public consumption, or the internet in the public domain rather than being confined to academia, which is where it had been prior to the mid 1990s.
My website was www.zygotezulu.com and had brick and mortar exhibitions of my oil paintings in both Seattle and New York between 2003 and 2006
Proprietor
A Book and Art
2006 - 2022
South Africa
I'm an entrepreneurial artist and publish my writing through this business. In addition to being an independent ESL educator, I continue writing scripts for transmedia projects which includes digital through to television broadcasting. My focus is education and educating. My approach is the ESL pedagogy that emphasizes an alternative approach to teaching and learning specifically with reference to Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligence Centres of human learning and the classical approach to learning along the lines of the Humboldtian system.
In addition I offer professional writing services to businesses, professionals and university students. The types of documentation I write include concept papers, executive summaries, proposals, business profiles, personal statements, vision and mission statements, curriculum vitae + letters including letters of request, cover letters, follow up letters, grants, proposals.