PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

August, 2015 – present: Lecturer, ESL Writing Service Courses, Department of Linguistics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Developed materials for and taught ESL 115: Principles of Academic Writing, ESL 500: Oral and Written Communication, ESL 501: Introduction to Academic Writing, ESL 502: Advanced Academic Writing, ESL 503: Advanced Presentation Skills and ESL 504: English Pronunciation for ITAs

• Served as course leader for ESL 115: Principles of Academic Writing

• As course leader: supported the success of graduate Teaching Assistants (TAs) as a course-level team leader and model of professionalism and best practice in teaching strategies

• Led weekly level meetings and supported TAs in the materials development projects to ensure successful creation of new materials and lesson plans that aligned with program needs and objectives

• Conducted observations of program TAs and held post-observation conferences to provide encouragement and guidance when needed

• Assisted coordination staff with orientation activities (Fall and Spring)

• Serves on “Rubric Norming” Committee to ensure the efficacy and utility of assignment rubrics for undergraduate classes within the ESL Writing Service Courses program

• Serves on “EPT Re-Scaling” Committee to improve accuracy of placements determined by the English Placement Test (EPT)

• Serves as a proctor for both oral and written elements of the UIUC English Placement Exam (EPT)

• Reviewed applications and served as a mock-interviewer for perspective Fulbright applicants on behalf of the UIUC National and International Scholarships Program

 

July, 2014 – Present: U.S. Department of State English Language Fellow, Moscow, Russia (co-sponsored by Georgetown University)

 

Host Institution: Visiting Lecturer, National University of Science & Technology NUST MISiS

• Developed and taught academic writing courses for undergraduate students in Linguistics

• Developed and taught academic communication skills courses for graduate students in the Science

• Developed and delivered a series of intensive workshops on research paper writing to supplement an American studies course taught by a colleague

• Developed extensive materials for graduate-level EAP courses at host institution

• Served as invited workshop presenter, plenary and keynote speaker at more than ten local universities and regional conferences

• Developed and facilitated teacher training workshops for local teachers and colleagues at host institution

• Developed and facilitated in-country TEFL orientation for Fulbright English Teaching Assistants serving in Russia during the 2014-15 academic school year

• Conducted outreach trips to English Language Programs at universities around western Russia

• Provided extensive item revision and editing for English component of the Russian National Unified Exam

• Effectively managed a small ($5,000) “Professional Activities Allowance” budget

• Served as primary consultant for the development of the NUST MISiS Academic Writing Center (AWUC)

• Partnered with various U.S. State Department-sponsored educational outreach services and organizations (including the “American Center – Moscow” and “Education U.S.A (Russia)”) to promote mutual understanding between the peoples of the United States and the Russian Federation

 

August, 2012 – May, 2014: ESL Writing Service Courses, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign 

 

2013 – 2014: Head Teaching Assistant (ESL 115)

• Taught English for Academic Purposes (EAP) writing class for international undergraduate and graduate students

• Co-taught seminars on EAP writing at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology (Fall, 2014)

• Supported the success of other Teaching Assistants (TAs) as a course-level team leader and model of professionalism and best practice in teaching strategies

• Led weekly level meetings and supported As in the materials development projects to ensure successful creation of new materials and lesson plans that aligned with program needs and objectives

• Conducted observations of program TAs and held post-observation conferences to provide encouragement and guidance when needed

• Maintained one of five course websites used by program TAs through the simultaneous management of various technologies (MS Office Suite, Google Drive Suite, Camtasia, Audacity Audio Editing, Blogger, Wordpress, Prezi and Adobe Photoshop)

• Assisted coordination staff with orientation activities

• Participated on the ESL 115 Objectives Committee tasked with creating new unit and module objectives to better align individual lesson objectives with greater course expectations

• Promoted fellowship through active participation on the Head TA Social Events committee

 

2012 – 2014: Teaching Assistant 

(Courses Taught: ESL 115, ESL 500, ESL 505)

• Taught dynamic, critically and creatively engaging English for Academic Purposes (EAP) writing classes for international undergraduate and graduate students through the use of best practice, technology-enhanced teaching strategies

• Gained extensive materials and curriculum development experience including designing new lesson plans and creating requisite lesson supplements

• Served as a proctor for both oral and written elements of the UIUC English Placement Exam (EPT)

• Gained experience teaching English for Specific Purposes (ESP) Business English classes (Summer, 2013) 

• One-on-one tutoring experience in ESL grammar, pronunciation and conversation topics

 

September, 2008 – July, 2012: Centro de Educación Continua de la Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Quito, Ecuador 

 

2011-2012 Academic Sub-Coordinator

• Charged with assuring the smooth operation and day-to-day function of the CEC-EPN language program’s largest location

• Assisted with foreign teacher visa applications and visa renewals

• Fulfilled duties included exam proctoring, student enrollment, troubleshooting student/parent problems, liaising between students, teachers and other staff on questions of policy, conduct and grades, all in a bilingual environment

• Performed substitute duties when other instructors were absent

• Awarded certificate as Evaluador del Premio Nacional de Calidad [Evaluator of the National Prize of Quality]

• Worked effectively in Spanish and/or English-speaking environments including document translation services                

 

2008-2012 EFL Instructor 

• Taught English as a Foreign Language (EFL) four skills classes to students ranging in age from 15 to 50, varying in proficiency levels, with a focus on university students from the Escuela Politécnica Nacional (EPN)

• Consistently received excellent student evaluations while gaining concrete experience teaching EFL classes

• Consistently demonstrated exceptional inter-personal skills and the ability to see any project through to its completion

 

2010 – 2012: Mendoza y Tamayo, Quito, Ecuador 

Translator

• Conducted English-Spanish document translation

• Made international phone calls for a small metal-working business located in Quito