Melanie Julien : English

I am a native of Austin, Texas. I tutored while I was a college student and I continue tutoring, now that I've graduated. In addition to my passion for foreign languages and foreign cultures, I am also very active. I enjoy traveling, weightlifting, running, and martial arts (I have a Black Belt in Kung-Fu).

I found my passion for teaching while in college. I tutored students in my major, which was Spanish, and eventually began helping English Language learners, as well. I found it to be such a rewarding experience; I loved it!

I have worked with native speakers of Spanish, French, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, and Arabic and I have found that everyone has a unique perspective. Three years after graduating with my Bachelor's degree in Spanish, I have had a wonderful experience as an English teacher in an elementary school in Spain. I still tutor, as well, and I still enjoy the one-on-one experience with individual students.

I have a Bachelor's Degree in Spanish from St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas and five years of experience tutoring languages, including English and Spanish. I have tutored middle school, high school, and college students, as well as adults - I am currently pursuing my tutoring certification.

I am also in my second year of teaching English to native Spanish children for the Ministry of Education of Spain. My first year, I taught children between the ages of 3 and 11; this year, I will be teaching high school students.

"It is hard to beat a person who never gives up." ~Babe Ruth

This inspirational quote by an inspirational athlete reminds us of the importance of persistence in the accomplishment of difficult tasks. Learning a language is no exception- it can be difficult and it requires persistent practice and dedication. The right tutor can guide you through this process and is encouraging, patient, and flexible, according to the needs of each student.

I am encouraging, patient, and flexible, as I have a conversational teaching approach, which I like to adapt to my students' individual needs. I can design my lessons to focus on conversational fluency, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, or a student's request.

I may adjust my speaking speed or use pictures, visual cues, or descriptions in English in order to convey ideas. I always try to avoid speaking in a language other than English during my lessons and I ask the student many open-ended questions that encourage them to put the English that they know into practice. I may discuss topics such as culture, food, current events, hobbies, sports, etc. and I am also open to requests for specific English topics. Additionally, I am available to help with students' language homework in other English courses, including grammar and proofreading.