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Learn English working with our great staff. Their classes will be the highlight of your study abroad experience.
Devon Balwit
Devon has been teaching ESL for over 18 years. She joined our school in 1997. She has a Masters in English Literature.
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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." |
Christie Crosby
Christine holds a Masters in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). She has been teaching ESL since 2001 and joined our school in 2009.
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Why did you become a teacher?
“I enjoy the process of discovering what students know, teaching new concepts, and watching the students progress in their language abilities. It’s so rewarding to see the excitement in the students’ faces as they understand more and can communicate more and more. I am fascinated by language and love working with people from a variety of cultures.”
What experience do you have learning a foreign language or living in a foreign culture?
“I learned Spanish in high school when I spent a summer living with a family and studying Spanish in Costa Rica. During college, I studied Japanese for two years, but ended up with a minor in German after spending a summer working in Switzerland. I learned to speak Slovene while living in Slovenia for a year and a half, which sparked an interest in Slavic languages. I later taught at the University of Guanajuato in Mexico for a year and lived with a family there. Most recently, I have learned some BCS (Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian) and studied Russian.
How has your international experience helped your teaching?
“Learning to understand other customs and cultures has made teaching more enjoyable. I also understand what many of the students are dealing with when they arrive in a new country and are trying to learn a second language. Having a language and grammar background has helped me know how best to present English concepts to students.”
What do you do when you are away from school?
“I enjoy hiking in the Columbia River Gorge, playing golf, and playing the piano. In summer, my husband and I go camping in Oregon and Washington. In winter, we enjoy snowshoeing near Mt. Hood.”
Why do you like Portland?
“With the mountains to the east and the ocean to the west, there is so much beautiful nature so close to Portland. It’s easy to get out of the city and take interesting day trips or weekend trips. Portland is not too big and not too small, so the people are friendly and it’s easy to get around. Also, Seattle is not far away when I want to visit a big city.”
Why do you recommend our school to students?
“This is a great place for students to practice their English in a relaxed, comfortable atmosphere. We have fun activities where students can visit various places in the Portland area and experience American culture.”
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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 ESL instructor. I spent over three years in Japan as an ESL 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 ESL." |
D'Arcy Owen
D'Arcy is the director of the English Language Program. He has been with the school since 2003. He has a Masters in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and has taught ESL since 1995.
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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 play ultimate Frisbee and I hang out with my family."
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 a Bachelors 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.
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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!" |
Paige Talbot
Paige has a Masters in English Literature and a TEFL Online certificate. She is the Admissions Director and Volunteer/Internship Coordinator at PELA. She has been teaching ESL since 2005 and joined our school in 2008.
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Why did you become a teacher?
"Getting to know new, interesting people every day and helping them learn a new language is the best job there is. Education is something that connects all people together, and being a link in such a meaningful chain is very rewarding."
What experience do you have learning a foreign language or living in a foreign culture?
"My mother taught ESL in different countries when I was a young child, so I tagged along and attended schools in Bosnia-Herzegovina, China, and Holland. When I got older, I continued to travel, visiting 18 countries in the last ten years. I lived in Scotland for a summer where I helped run a ferry boat, and I lived in Spain in 2008 where I got to enjoy late dinners and café con leche every day."
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 many activities in Oregon. I love going to the beach, the mountains, and hanging out in the different neighborhoods of Portland. It's also important for me to read at least one book a week and spend time with my family on the weekends."
Why do you like Portland?
"It's a city that feels like a town--everyone is friendly and it's easy to get around. If you want to go from one end of the city to the other, you don't even need a car; the bus or train will get you there. Portland is a growing city that continues to get more exciting every year."
Why do you recommend our school to students?
"We have experienced teachers who are always happy to meet new students and help them with their language goals. There is a real sense of community and togetherness here." |
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