Bonjour! Hola! Privyet! Hi!
Welcome to my site.
Please note canadatutor.ca is now myenglishtutor.ca.
Above are greetings in a few of the languages I have familiarity with. The first is French: Bonjour! The second Spanish: Hola! The third the informal hello in Russian, and the last is the preferred greeting short-form in English!
I grew up as an English speaker in Toronto, and I enjoyed high school French, and married a woman originally from Russia, but I admit I am not fluent in these languages.
I am however greatly and deeply interested in languages and culture. That’s partly why I have spent more than 15 years working as an ESL and English teacher and two decades total working in education.
My fascination with language probably started as a youth. As a child I’d sit with my mother and her friends, drinking tea and listening to grown up discussions. As a teen I discovered the arts such as poetry and music, and immersed myself in writing. Creativity is one of the core elements of my approach to life and teaching.
I still remember composing a song about romantic breakup that I called “Dumpt.” Before I ever studied linguistics or language training I was aware, particularly of the interesting sounds found in English pronunciation.
Speaking, listening and pronunciation became one of my areas of interest and specialization. I have taught hundreds and tutored dozens of students who worked with me on their language skills. Whether the background of the student was Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Saudi Arabian, Brazilian, Russian or Turkish, I recall the breakthroughs in language that occurred and the feeling of accomplishment in learning and improving.
Most recently I have worked online, using Skype or other tools to communicate at a distance with my students. If outdoor meetings are convenient I have also met students in places like High Park. If you are double vaccinated it may be possible to also arrange indoor tutoring.
Whatever the situation, whether you want to improve your speaking and listening, work on accent reduction and pronunciation, or focus on writing and grammar, I can help you get ahead. I’m also happy to assist with test preparation for IELTS or TOEFL.
How do you say hello in your language!? I’d love to practice a little. Send me an email and we can arrange an online meeting. My rates are reasonable, especially for the first session.
Please contact me at [email protected] and we can arrange a meeting!
