ESL Tutor available for one-on-one lessons

Learn to speak fluent English confidently with me as your Tutor.

Learn from the comfort of your home, at a time that fits your schedule.

Contact me today to schedule a free 1/2 hour lesson & discuss your learning goals. I look forward to hearing from you!

How to contact me:

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Testimonials :

Hello Deborah. I'm writing to let you know I passed the IELTS. I got 7.5 in speaking. Thank you for all your help, I am very happy! (Kelly V. Peru) -November 2009

Hi Deborah, I passed the IELTS exam!!! Thank you!!! I really appreciate all your help and I am going to recommend you to all of my colleagues! (Nanci - Argentina) - August 2009

Dear Deborah,

I am writing to let you know that I passed the IELTS exam. I would like to thank you for your help. I couldn't have done it without you. You encouraged me in each of our classes. My spoken, writing and listening skills improved a lot with your teaching method. I enjoyed the lessons and I feel more confident now. I really appreciate your dedication, patience, and your punctuality. You are a great teacher!.

Patricia Mochon (Argentina) May 2009

Hi Deborah,
I would like to thank you for the trial lesson and for being a good listener. I had never told anyone about my English problems and to tell you the truth, for some reason I feel much better now. It was like talking to the doctor when you have a health problem, or to the chaplain /counselor. (Walter - The Philippines)

Deborah the lessons are fun and I enjoy them. It is well worth the money and I feel more confident now. Thank you.

Dear Deborah,
I would like to thank you for the quality of your course. I really appreciate the way you handle each lesson. It has been really difficult to find a teacher able to point out each weakness and to provide the answer to correct it. I have been learning so much about grammar and pronunciation that I now feel comfortable to handle a conversation with my English colleagues. The way I speak now is much more natural and sophisticated.
Thanks,

Laurent (Belgium)

Thank you so much Deborah for everything. You helped August to become what he is when it comes to English. His scores in the IELTS were really good, even in speaking,..more sessions with you will really make a difference. God bless you.
Januarie (Kansas)

"Deborah is a perfect English teacher. The interesting thing is that she is more than a teacher, she is a very awesome lady, who encourages us. The way she spoke to me the first time and told me which country I was from just by my accent, surprised me. She makes English very easy for anybody who seeks her classes. All the best to every one who wants to learn English. I can tell you that in Deborah's classes you will see that "learning English is not a Rocket science."

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity to write a testimonial about you.

Dr. Lakshmi ( India)

Dear Deborah,

Thank you very much for your help. Although my English is at advanced level, I feel my writing has improved since I started one on one sessions with you. Your attention to subtle points in grammar and meaning warns your students about the mistakes which can easily be made and avoided. Your method of teaching makes your students more accurate both with their speaking and writing skills. Your patience, diligence and your punctuality (which I would call the icing on the cake) makes your teaching even more helpful and effective. I am looking forward to having more sessions with you.

Farideh
July 2008

Hi, I am Yushi. I found Deborah's site through the internet and we began our lessons.
I am on a business trip to the US. At first ,I felt a little afraid of talking to people in English but after a few lessons, my spoken and listening skills improved very quickly. I can talk to my US colleagues in English now.
Thank you Deborah! (Yushi, China)

"Online learning is very convenient. We do the same things as you would in a classroom. I feel very comfortable talking with Deborah, she is a great teacher. I don't have to go anywhere to do my lessons, it's great." (Jennifer, New York)

"Hi, I contacted Deborah by browsing the Internet; I was tired of trying to find the perfect English school with the perfect schedule and price and I just didn't want to lose my money or my time. I was afraid of trying a tutor by Internet because I thought it would be too impersonal but it wasn't true. She is great! We contact each other through messenger, we write and speak in our class, we do home work, the sound is very good and she corrects my pronunciation. It's like being in a personalized class but better because I do it from my comfortable home. I am very excited about our classes and I feel very confident she will help me to perfect my English. Of course she doesn't do magic, I have to study by myself too! " (Victoria- East Coast)

"Thanks for your teaching. You are a very nice and patient teacher." (D .S - CA)

" Just three lessons with Deborah, I started seeing an improvement in my speech and pronunciation of words. My co-workers and supervisors noticed immediately the change in my speaking. I highly recommend Deborah, she is great." Crystal (CA)

" After just a few lessons with Deborah I notice that I am speaking more confidently and now I am catching myself before I make mistakes." Miguel Contreus ( Peru)

"My English improved quickly learning with Deborah. I became more confident and learned a lot of new vocabulary" - Thubten (Tibet)

"I am writing to let you know that I passed my exam with flying colors. I couldn't have done it without you.... "Anabel (Madrid)

" ...I never thought learning over the internet would work but this turned out to be the most convenient method for me and my English improved quickly. Thank you so much. This was just what I needed...." Aleck (California)


I have taught students from:

• Spain
• France
• Mexico
  
• Germany
• Italy
• Japan
• China
• Tibet
• Nepal
• India
• Russia
• Slovenia
  
• Czech Republic
• Argentina
• Brazil
• Turkey
• Israel
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Belgium
• Kurdistan
• Pakistan
• Afghanistan
• Cyprus
• Greece
• Hungary
• Denmark
• Saudi Arabia
  
• and more
  

Qualifications:

I am a qualified & experienced English Language Teacher offering private tutorials to help improve your understanding and spoken English. Grammar, conversation practice, reading and listening skills will improve after just a few lessons.

I am University educated with a BA(Honors) in English. I am an accredited ESL teacher and have taught English to foreign learners for over 15 years.

My goal is to help you achieve excellent results quickly with the main emphasis on improving your spoken English. My expertise in teaching includes :

• Language skills for the work place
  
• Beginner , intermediate and advanced levels.
  
• Preparation for exams including TOEFL, IELTS, FCE
  
• Experience with teaching children , teens and adults .
• Grammar
• Conversation practice
  
• Pronunciation
  
• Accent reduction
• Business English
• Comprehension
• Confidence building
• Proof-reading and editing : essays, business letters, course work and more
  
• Weekend tuition available

I am available for online tutoring or in person if you are within traveling distance . For online tutoring you will need access to a computer, headset and the Internet. I offer competitive rates and flexible hours .

For further information and to redeem your free lesson please contact me via email or phone. I look forward to helping you improve your English .

To schedule your free introductory lesson, contact me today!

• email : shambhala_sedona@yahoo.com
• or simply fill out the contact form below
  

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Taking the IELTS in Australia

I am an IELTS tutor and have tutored people from all over the world. Many English speaking countries recognize the IELTS exam as an assessment of a candidates proficiency in English. Australia is one such country that uses the IELTS test results to determine competency in English.

Australia is a beautiful country with a great climate and many immigrants would like to make a life there. English is the main language of Australia and for many people who decide to relocate to Australia, English is their second language.

Most universities require that international students take an English assessment exam, usually IELTS and pass with a good band score to demonstrate that their English is of the standard needed. This is a compulsory requirement for many students from other countries. Please contact your choice of university to determine what the requirements are, as institutions can vary.

IELTS is also a requirement for anyone immigrating to Australia. The Department of Immigration requires that each candidate has a certain level of English that will enable them to be able to work in an English speaking country. Scoring well in the IELTS exam is therefore  and a minimum score is 6 is often required in all four components of the exam.

Once you have decided to take the IELTS exam, be sure you allow yourself plenty of time to prepare. Check out my IELTS Preparation Tips to get you started!

I am a qualified IELTS Tutor. If you need help with preparing for the IELTS exam please click here to send me email.

Taking the IELTS exam in Canada

I am an IELTS Tutor and in this article will examine some of the most popular reasons for taking the IELTS exam in Canada.
The IELTS exam is important in Canada for two reasons.  First, it is often used to demonstrate English proficiency for immigration purposes.  Second, it is used for admission to academic institutions.  The General IETLS exam is used for immigration purposes while academic institutions generally use the Academic IELTS exam. 


If You Want to Immigrate to Canada

Canada uses a point system to decide whether you will be eligible for permanent residence in Canada.  A person must have 67 points on their point assessment to be eligible for permanent residence.  Points are given to applicants based on several areas, including education, language, work experience, and age.

One of the areas on the assessment, language, is concerned with proficiency in one of Canada’s official languages.  Candidates can earn up to 16 points by demonstrating proficiency in English or French.  The most common language test used for immigration purposes in Canada is the IELTS test for English.  With good band scores on the IELTS exam, you can earn all 16 points possible in this category toward your Canadian residence eligibility. 

The IELTS band scores required to obtain 4 points for each section are listed below:

Writing:  6.5
Reading:  6.5
Speaking:  6.5
Listening:  7.5

The IELTS exam has two options for taking the tests.  For immigration purposes, you will need to take the General IELTS Exam, rather than the Academic IELTS.


If You Want to Study at University in Canada

Many educational institutions in Canada use the IELTS exam to make admissions decisions.   These institutions feel that the IELTS is a good assessment of a candidate’s ability to study and work in an environment using the English language.  For most universities and academic institutions you will need to take the Academic IELTS, rather than the general IELTS.

The Academic IELTS will test your knowledge in four areas:  writing, reading, speaking and listening.  The test taker is then given a band score, ranging from 1 to 9, for each of the four areas. 

Universities and institutions generally use the Academic IELTS, while schools, colleges and some vocational institutions use the General IELTS.  Before signing up for the IELTS exam, check with the institution you are interested in to find out which exam they accept and what their band requirements are for admission.

Once you have decided to take the IELTS exam, be sure you allow yourself plenty of time to prepare. Check out my IELTS Preparation Tips to get you started!

I am a qualified IELTS Tutor. If you need help with preparing for the IELTS exam please click here to send me email.

ESL Pronunciation

For the ESL student it is vitally important to minimize your native accent and improve your pronunciation skills so that your spoken English is clearly understood. As a rule, pronunciation and accent reduction should be learned as you pursue your English studies so that it becomes a part of your study program. Often times a person learns English with an excellent theoretical understanding but through one reason or another has not had enough opportunities to actively engage in the spoken aspect of ESL.

As time goes on the student becomes very despondent with the quality of their spoken English skills, because this is not reflecting the true level of their ability. It is easy to lose confidence when others cannot understand your accent easily. At the end of the day it doesn't really matter how great your grammar is if you have a hard time communicating clearly with others.

In an earlier post I explained some of the rules of English pronunciation. Please click here to read that article.

English is a very musical sounding language with a range of intonation and distinct rhythm which gives meaning to the words we say. Not all languages are like this, and therefore it is important for the ESL student to become familiar with the distinct sound of English.

Another difficulty for ESL learners is the fact that English is not a phonetic language. Some of the spellings are very odd and can be pronounced in many different ways. For example, the spelling of ough has a variety of ways in which it can be pronounced. No wonder ESL students encounter some frustrations when figuring out the correct way to say something! Looking at the example of ough here are some examples of the different ways to pronounce it.

• Cough   -   ough pronounced as off
• Thought  -  ough pronounced as or
• Though  -  ough pronounced as oh (as in so)
  
• Enough  - ough pronounced as uff
• Bough -   ough pronounced as ow ( as in cow)
• Fought - ough pronounced as ort 

For many people a viable solution to this dilemma is the learning of the phonetic alphabet. The symbols can help a student identify the correct way in which to pronounce words. I think that this approach works better the younger a person is. That is not to say that mature students cannot learn the phonetic alphabet, but in my experience younger people seem to pick it up more easily. However, if you do not have a pronunciation teacher to help you with saying the words correctly, then it is possible that through understanding the phonetic alphabet, you can learn to correctly pronounce words.

As an accent reduction and pronunciation tutor, I have can offer you the following tips to help you improve your spoken English.

• Speak as much English as possible and give people permission to correct you.   
• Watch English speaking movies and TV shows in order to hear the sounds of English. Over time this will increase your ability to copy the rythm and intonation patterns. 
•  Use an online dictionary with audio to help you with pronouncing words that you are not sure about. 
• If possible work with an ESL Tutor or native speaker. 
• Enjoy the challenges of perfecting your English skills. Try and remain confident and know that practice does pay off in the end.

With regular commitment and effort you will improve. I am a qualified ESL Tutor and specialize in pronunciation and accent reduction. Click here to send me email to arrange an initial free consultation.

Lesson Ideas for ESL Tutors.

I like to give ESL lessons that are topical, about things that students may have come across on TV or read about in the news. As we are now in "award season" and there have been many award shows on TV giving out statues to actors and the like, I decided to do a lesson with the students that dealt with this topic. This also gave us an opportunity to revise some vocabulary we had learned earlier in the year regarding movies, TV shows and actors. Some of the vocabulary we went over included,

• Blockbuster
• Comedy
• Thriller
• Romantic comedy
• Horror 
• Genre
• Independent
• Special effects
• Leading man
• Leading lady
• Ensemble cast
• The Oscars
  

Some of the new vocabulary that I introduced included,

• Nominations
• Nominee
• Award
• Golden Globe Award
• SAG Award
• Best Performance
• Motion picture
• Drama
• Musical
• Animated Feature Film
• Acceptance speech
  

We then brainstormed movies and TV shows that the students had seen during the previous year and I wrote them on the board. We decided to do our own awards show with the list that the students had created. I asked each of them to choose one movie and one TV show that they had most enjoyed and gave them time in the class to come up with some compelling reasons for their nominations as they were going to be giving a short speech on the reasons for their choices.

The students really enjoyed this exercise and we were able to practice the past tenses, adjectives, as well as honing their presentation skills. The lesson also offered the students some insight into what is a culturally popular past time here - award shows. Many students use TV and movies to develop their English skills as well as gaining understandings about the culture they are temporarily living in so this lesson fitted in well. The students learned some new vocabulary and relished the chance to vote for their favorites. As a follow up assignment we discussed the movies and TV shows in their own countries and how they differ from typical Hollywood offerings. This proved to be very educational for me and I appreciate learning from my students, about their homelands.

I am a qualified ESL tutor who specializes in online ESL tutoring .

Click here to send me email.

Accent Reduction Tips for Japanese speakers

In my accent reduction classes, we look at the various pronunciation problems that the ESL student might be experiencing. Over time and with plenty of practice, it is possible to vastly improve the sound and quality of your spoken English.

A native speaker of Japanese will generally need to focus upon intonation so that the voice has the rise and fall of standard English. It is sometimes difficult for learners of English to speak words with the correct intonation and the voice at times can sound a little quiet. It is worth spending time on practicing pitch, stress and intonation in order to overcome this. Please click here for an article I previously wrote on accent reduction.

The sounds of ee and i are difficult to distinguish between for many nationalities and the same holds true for Japanese learners of English. In an earlier post I wrote about this. Please click here for practice with the sounds of ee and i ( as in heat and hit).


The sounds of l and r are especially difficult and the correct position of the tongue will ensure that you produce the sounds correctly. The tongue needs to hit the top of the mouth behind the teeth to correctly sound l. For sounding r the tongue is toward the back of the mouth but should not touch the roof of the mouth. Please click here for tips on how to pronounce l and r correctly.


Extra practice with the sounds of th will also help improve the quality of your pronunciation as this sound can be either unvoiced or voiced. Compare the following words,

• think   -  those
• teeth  -  that
• health  - breathe      

The first word in each line is said with an unvoiced th, whereas the second word is said with a voiced th. Notice the difference in sound and the vibration that is felt in the lips with the voiced th. In an earlier post I wrote about the different th sounds. Please click here for further practice.

It is often helpful when working on individual sounds, to have a hand mirror to make sure that your tongue is in the correct position and that your mouth is in the correct shape. It is also worth recording yourself so that you can evaluate the sounds and keep track of your progress.

I am a qualified Accent Reduction Tutor and have helped many Russian speakers with the challenges of the English language. You are welcome to contact me for a free evaluation.

 Click here to send me email.

 

Accent Reduction Tips for Russian speakers

In my accent reduction tutoring lessons, I aim to cover the main areas of difficulty that the person may have.

A native speaker of Russian will generally need to focus upon intonation so that the voice has the rise and fall of standard English. Often referred to as the music of English, Russian speakers benefit from adding more rising sounds to the voice. Russian speakers already have plenty of falling intonation sounds so pay more attention to the peaks in your voice. In an earlier blog I wrote about some of the things you can to improve the overall sound and clarity of your voice. Please click here for further details.

There are certain sounds that are difficult for Russian speakers to produce. You might have problems with v. Make sure that your top teeth touch the inside of  your bottom lip and this will allow the v sound to vibrate. Try saying aloud the following words,

• vine
• vote
• valley
• van
• vinegar
  

You might also encounter the same difficulties with w. Perhaps you mix them up so that vest becomes west and vine becomes wine. For pronouncing w make sure the lips start in a tight round shape and your top teeth are not touching the bottom lip. Try saying aloud the following words,

• west
• wine
• wind
• win
• wheel
  

Distinguishing between the sounds of ee and i can also be difficult and in an earlier post I wrote about this. Please click here for practice with the sounds of ee and i ( as in heat and hit).

Sometimes the English sound of t is difficult and is mistakenly sounded as a d. For example the word tip is pronounced as dip instead. For the t sound make sure the tip of the tongue remains behind the top teeth. 

The sound of ing can also be challenging. Sometimes instead of the ing being pronounced as one sound, it can come out as just n. Remember that ing is a soft nasal sound and this helps it not sound too hard. 

It is often helpful when working on individual sounds, to have a hand mirror to make sure that your tongue is in the correct position and that your mouth is in the correct shape. It is also worth recording yourself so that you can evaluate the sounds and keep track of your progress.

I am a qualified Accent Reduction Tutor and have helped many Russian speakers with the challenges of the English language. You are welcome to contact me for a free evaluation.

Click here to send me email.