Princeton Ph.D. and published author teaches French, Spanish, and English to ages 11-70

Methodology

I learned French from my father, between birth and 4 years of age and Spanish from my aunt, between three and 11. I took French and Spanish all through school, with a double major in French and Spanish in College (Hunter). I received my M.A. in French from Stanford University, my M.A. in Spanish from Stanford University, and my M.A. and Ph.D. in French from Princeton University. I also attended the Universities of Geneva and Lausanne in Switzerland and the University of Lille in Boulogne-sur-mer.


I am a published writer of books for children and young adults, as well as a professor of languages. I have taught for many years, at universities, privately and online. I teach ages 11 - 70, language and literature, writing, and accent-reduction.


I have been teaching since I was 15 years old, when my French teacher arranged for me to tutor a very slow student. She had a subnormal IQ, but she was extremely sweet, and I was delighted to be able to help her to pass the course she was failing. Since that time, I have taught literally thousands of students, and some of them have gone on to be French teachers. One of the students I recently taught for two years is going to Spain for a year and then he hopes to do Spanish translation at the hospital where his mother works. Other students have just used their new language skills to enjoy trips to Europe or to speak with colleagues at work. One of my students, for example, is in charge of European marketing for her company, so she has to speak to her clients in their native language. I have also helped foreign students to get into American colleges of their choice by writing excellent essays.


I did win awards as a young person. I won a gold watch from the Société de professeurs de français en Amérique and a scholarship to the Centre d'art dramatique in New York. I also won a teaching Assistantship to Stanford University and a University Fellowship to Princeton University. My YA historical fiction, Summer of the Bear, was awarded best book for children and young adults by the Michigan Historical Society in 2005, and an article I published in Chaucer's Merchant's Tale was nominated by Ball State University Forum for a Pushcart Prize. The articles from two of my academic books, The Craft of Fiction and Chacuer and the Craft of Fiction, were republished by Gale Research and distributed to libraries all over the world.


I have taught at Stanford, Princeton, Rider College, Oakland University, Oakland Community College, and I am currently at Rochester College in Rochester, Michigan. I have also tutored many students on line in countries all over the world (Singapore, Rumania, Great Britain, Spain, Italy, Argentina, Canada, and the U.S., for example).
I usuallly charge $30.00 an hour for private students.