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Meet Your Portland English Language Academy Teachers
The best part of the Portland English Language Academy is our great English teachers and helpful staff. Read below to meet the people who will help you learn English in Portland.
D'Arcy Owen
D'Arcy is the director of Portland English Language Academy. He has a Masters in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and has taught English since 1995. He has been at PELA since 2003.
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Why did you become a teacher? "I love the energy in a classroom full of study abroad students. I have visited many countries and everyone was always very helpful and friendly. I want to be the same for people visiting my country."
What experience do you have learning a foreign language or living in a foreign culture? "I lived in Japan for 3 years. I studied abroad in Australia, too. I have traveled around Europe and Africa. I studied Japanese while I lived in Japan."
How has your international experience helped your teaching? "Learning a language can be a challenge, but it can be really, really fun, too. If you keep the lessons interesting, students will want to study hard and they will learn quickly."
What do you do when you are away from school? "I enjoy biking and playing volleyball, and spending time with my family. Right now am learning to play guitar, too."
Why do you like Portland? "Portland really is a great city. It is so easy to take the bus and bicycle here that you don't need a car. It does not feel like a big city but it has all the big city activities. You can go skiing during the day and come back and watch an NBA game at night."
Why do you recommend our school to students? "Our school is best. Our students love our teachers. Our students love our unique programs. Our students love our location. Our students love the low tuition. You receive a lot of personal attention at our school. My office is always open. If you ever need any help, all you have to do is ask." |
Chris Quinn
Chris holds Bachelor degrees in English Literature and International Politics. He has taught many subjects, primarily English Composition, since 1993, and has been teaching TOEFL, TOEIC, and IELTS since 2006. He is also the Housing Coordinator at our school. He joined our school in 2007.
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Why did you become a teacher? "Over the years I have had many great teachers that inspired me to learn, and I hope to do the same for others. Since I was a child, I have always enjoyed sharing my knowledge and skills with people. I love to see the moment when a student suddenly understands a difficult concept!"
What experience do you have learning a foreign language or living in a foreign culture? "As an adult, I lived for 3 years in rural Japan, and studied Japanese at that time. I also studied Spanish throughout high school and college."
How has your international experience helped your teaching? "It has given me a better understanding of what it is like to be a stranger in a strange land. I have also learned to look at what I do or say from the perspective of someone from a different culture."
What do you do when you are away from school? "I enjoy writing, dancing, singing, and am learning to play the guitar. I also enjoy outdoor activities like hiking, biking and swimming. Oh, and wine-tasting trips are great!"
Why do you like Portland? "I have traveled to many cities in the United States, but Portland has one of the best mixes of 'big city activities' (live music, art, sightseeing) and 'small town activities' (the outdoors, quiet neighborhoods). Portland is also one of the friendliest cities I've ever been to."
Why do you recommend our school to students? "I like that students get to learn from many different teachers each week, and that there are many opportunities to do various activities in and around Portland. I also think it's great that even students who come from the same country will speak English with each other while they are here at school!" |
Devon Balwit
Devon has been teaching English for over 18 years. She has a Masters in English Literature. She joined our school in 1997.
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Why did you become a teacher? "I come from a family of teachers. I am an extremely physical person, and teaching allows me to be constantly in motion. Also, each class is its own new thing, so I can be endlessly inventive."
What experience do you have learning a foreign language or living in a foreign culture? "I've studied French, German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, and Japanese. I've spent time studying Spanish in both Guatemala and Ecuador, and I lived in Ecuador for a year."
How has your international experience helped your teaching? "It's always a good reminder for the teacher to experience communicating in a foreign language. What I noticed most is how much my personality changed. I could only show the "edited" version of me--with all the humor and intelligence cut out. It was humbling. It gives me more compassion for our students who are very smart, but sometimes have trouble expressing their ideas."
What do you do when you are away from school? "My best times are spent doing physical things out of doors--I love hiking, walking, yoga, and biking. I am also a folk singer, an artist, and a poet."
Why do you like Portland? "Portland gives you daily access to amazing physical beauty--you can hike, swim, mountain-climb, canoe, raft, ski all within 2 hours of the city. The views are spectacular. The city parks are fantastic. The people are laid back and friendly."
Why do you recommend our school to students? "The staff is very dedicated to helping students learn English in ways that are both entertaining and effective. It has a great location--both in terms of being downtown, and in terms of being in the Pacific Northwest, which is lovely." |
Dianne Barrett
Dianne has an RSA Cambridge Certified Certificate of English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA) and has taught English since 1996. She joined our school in 2005.
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Why did you become a teacher? "Having been exposed to many cultures and languages while traveling, I became interested in being involved in communication and bridging the gaps between cultures. I really enjoy interacting with students and aiding them in cultivating their skills."
What experience do you have learning a foreign language or living in a foreign culture? "I spent a total of eight years living and traveling abroad in Australia, Southeast Asia, East Asia, and Europe. In every country I traveled in, I did my best to learn some of the language and to experience the culture. I spent the majority of my time in Indonesia as a volunteer English instructor. I spent over three years in Japan as an English instructor where I studied Japanese in my free time."
How has your international experience helped your teaching? "The experience I gained by traveling, living and working abroad helps me to be a better teacher. By being a student or by living in a different culture other than my own, I fully experienced what it is to be a language learner and I have developed and applied teaching techniques that I found useful to my own learning."
What do you do when you are away from school? "Reading, writing, travel, cultural studies, child development, swimming, hiking, yoga, design and crafts. "
Why do you like Portland? "I love Portland. Out of all the places my family and I have lived and visited we chose to live here because of the quality of life. Portland has many interesting neighborhoods and many choices. There are parks, theaters, cafes, galleries; the city life with the great outdoors just a short trip away. "
Why do you recommend our school to students? "The variety and uniqueness of the programs, the commitment and support of the staff and the central location are all reasons why I think this school is the best choice for anyone wanting to study English." |
Fritz Balwit
Fritz has Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) certification, along with a B.A. in History and Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Jerusalem/University of Wisconsin in Madison. He also holds an M.A. in History from the University of Wisconsin in Madison. He joined our school in 1997.
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Why did you become a teacher? "Teaching has offered me the chance to share a passion for learning, exploration and creativity. I have enjoyed meeting people from all over the world who have taught me countless things about life." What experience do you have learning a foreign language or living in a foreign culture? "I have lived and taught English countries all over the world, from Germany to Israel and Mexico. I speak Spanish, German, and Hebrew and have studied other languages as well. I love learning a some new phrase or word from students from their own language." How has your international experience helped your teaching? "My international experience has taught me how to relate to people from differnet backgrounds and showed me that English presents a variety of challenges to people based on their own first language." What do you do when you are away from school? "Away from school I am a serious amateur musician. I also love the Asian game of Go (baduk), Chess, Archery, Reading and hiking." Why do you like Portland? "Portland is a culturally rich environment with lots of natural beauty and a mild climate."
Why do you recommend our school to students? "I recommend this school for its enthusiastic and committed teaching staff and the wide array of options for study." |
Katja Gluhr
Katja has been teaching English to adults in England and Germany and the U.S. for the last 7 years, focusing on Business English. She joined PELA in 2007.
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Why did you become a teacher? "There is nothing better than to spend my days sharing my hobby with the next generation!" What experience do you have learning a foreign language or living in a foreign culture? "I have studied for years overseas, so I know what it is like to be a student in a new country. I studied 2 years in France, a year in Germany at various universities. I’ve also taught overseas, spending 3 months training high school students for the British A-level exams in London, England as well as training adults in Business English in Germany for 4 years. I speak several languages, such as German, French and Japanese." How has your international experience helped your teaching? "Having once been in the shoes of international students, I feel their curiosity and respect their never-ending search for answers. Also, having lived in different parts of the world, as well as coming from a diverse background, I have been blessed with the perspectives of issues from multiple cultures and upbringings. Everyday, I take these invaluable bits of education into the classroom and allow them to guide me in respecting the students and their needs." What do you do when you are away from school? "On a weekend day, rain or shine, you can find me running on trails, hiking among the Oregon trees, practicing yoga, or playing in a café... chess piece in one hand, Stumptown coffee in the other." Why do you like Portland? "I LOVE Portland because it is my true home. Born and raised here, I feel a soulful attachment to the diverse aspects of this beautiful city!! The verdure is calming, the culture is energetic and the people are genuine. The weather is nourishing and the visitors are surprised and grateful." Why do you recommend our school to students? "All members of the PELA team put their hearts into their work. We are passionate about teaching and sharing our unique culture. PELA is a very well situated school with access to so many features of the city." |
Natalie Thomas
Natalie has a Bachelors of Science in Communication Studies. She is the Admissions Director and Volunteer/Internship Coordinator at PELA. She joined our school in 2011.
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What experience do you have with foreign culture? “I haven't traveled off the North American continent yet, but hope to visit Thailand, Japan, Greece and other countries in Europe. I enjoy working with international students because it allows me to experience different cultures while learning about lifestyles in other countries.” How has your international experience helped your teaching? "Being a second-language learner myself, I understand how hard it can be to immerse oneself in a new country, with its own particular culture and language. Experiencing a new culture and learning a new language is full of scary, uncomfortable moments, but in the end, it's one of those experiences in life that compares to nothing else."
What do you do when you are away from school? “I enjoy horseback riding and bike riding, and outdoor activities like kayaking and hiking. Right now I am exploring Portland and all the bargain-shopping you can do here!” Why do you like Portland? “I think Portland is a great American city, and a perfect place to learn English. It is a good city for biking and getting around easily by bus or MAX. As a shopper, I like that Portland has no sales tax. It is full of friendly, outgoing people who are genuinely interested in meeting new people and getting to know each other.”
Why do you recommend our school to students? “PELA is in a great location in Portland—right in the middle of downtown! Our students are a mix of many nationalities from around the world, with students from every continent. This makes PELA a great place to interact with not only Americans but also people from around the world.” |
Vonna Witham
Vonna has a B.A. in English and an M.A. in Education. Taught English in Japan for two years and is currently pursuing a secondary ESL endorsement. She joined PELA in 2011.
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Why did you become a teacher? " I've always been fascinated by languages and learning, and as I got older I realized all I wanted to do was spend my time in a classroom navigating the ins and outs of both with my students."
What experience do you have learning a foreign language or living in a foreign culture?" In high school and college I studied French, but switched to Japanese my last two years of college. I spent 3 months as a study abroad student in Japan when I was still in college. After graduating, I moved to Tokyo to teach English, and was able to experience the cultural as an employee, something completely different from my previous experience."
How has your international experience helped your teaching? " I hope that my experiences make me more aware as a teacher. I can relate to my students and we can discuss the different ways that we adapted to life in a new country. I also have experience learning a foreign language in a classroom in a foreign country. I think that experience helps me understand my students as students, and structure my classes in a way that benefits their learning."
What do you do when you are away from school? " I have a huge Romanian family, so I often spend time with one of my 25 cousins!"
Why do you like Portland? " I love all the coffee shops and bookstores! Downtown Portland is a great place to explore on foot and there are always new restaurants or hidden restaurants to check out!"
Why do you recommend our school to students? " PELA is a great place to learn English at a pace that is comfortable to you! The staff is both friendly and supportive, and Portland provides plenty of places to explore on weekends!" |
Kenneth Beare
Ken has a B.A. in Music (with a minor in various Foreign Languages) and an M.A. in Music Performance from Musikhochschule Koeln in Cologne, Germany. He earned his TESOL degree from Trinity College in London, England. Ken has been teaching English since 1983, and joined PELA in 2012.
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Why did you become a teacher? " I became an English teacher as a means to support myself while studying abroad. The idea of teaching English appealed to me as I was fascinated by the language acquisition process that I had gone through myself in both German and Italian."
What experience do you have learning a foreign language or living in a foreign culture?"I lived in Cologne, Germany from 1983 - 1993, and in Livorno, Italy from 1995 - 2006. I speak both German and Italian fluently, as well as having studied French at college."
How has your international experience helped your teaching? " I've learned a lot about the difference of learning English as a second language, as opposed to learning English as a foreign language. Each type of student needs to learn basic grammar, but the linguistic goals of each group are very different. I've also had the opportunity to teach quite a bit of business English abroad which has led to a number of projects as an English for specific purposes content material writer."
What do you do when you are away from school? " I spend time with my family, and I like to play golf as often as possible. I continue to sing classical music, most importantly modern classical music in the Portland area on a semi-professional basis."
Why do you like Portland? "I like Portland because it has all the metro attractions that I enjoy, while having incredibly easy access to a wide range of outdoor activities such as hiking, climbing, biking, etc."
Why do you recommend our school to students? "I'm very impressed by the professional quality of the staff, and, more importantly, their dedication to providing inspirational English language education. The mix of students from all over the world is an added bonus!" |
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