Part-Time Teachers and Private Tutors

David Doyle,
from Ireland, is the principal of Ascend and a CELTA qualified English teacher, who specialises in teaching IELTS. David has extensive experience teaching IELTS preparation courses in Singapore. In class, David maximises the students speaking and writing time by using past IELTS exam papers to ensure they understand what the examiners are looking for in the real test.

David’s IELTS class size is limited to 15 students to ensure that all of his students receive individual attention. Studying in a small class also allows David the time to give comprehensive feedback to his students to ensure they get value for money and most importantly of all to ensure they improve their IELTS score.

Lisa van der Berg,
has been teaching, training, facilitating and lecturing. Her students have spanned the full spectrum from complete novices to highly proficient individuals and from toddlers, through primary, secondary, tertiary and adult learners. Her classrooms have been in kindergartens, schools, universities, language centres and community centres in North America, South Africa, Hong Kong and now in Singapore.

She tries to create an honest and authentic, dynamic and interactive classroom where students from all walks of life feel comfortable participating and communicating. She aims to provide age and level appropriate materials and activities that are both interesting and challenging to her students. She uses positive reinforcement and constructive correction to maintain a high level of motivation in her classes and to keep all her students progressing towards their desired learning outcomes.

Natalie Visscher,
Natalie Visscher, originally from Ireland, is a Singapore permanent resident and has lived in Singapore for the past 13 years. Prior to that, she lived in Sydney Australia. She graduated as an Audiologist(hearing and hearing therapy) and worked in Ireland, England, Australia and Singapore in this profession. Natalie discovered her passion for teaching whilst working as an Audiology trainer for Siemens Medical Instruments in Singapore.

She recently qualified as a CELTA trainer. She likes to develop a good rapport with her students and strives to deliver a fun, interactive and engaging class. In her spare time Natalie enjoys reading, hiking, cooking and running around after her three active sons.

Lucy Brosnan,
Lucy Brosnan is from the UK. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from King's College, London University. Following her degree, Lucy worked as a lawyer in London for approximately 11 years, working for a law firm and then as an in-house lawyer in that time. Lucy moved to Singapore 3 years ago and then qualified as a CELTA teacher.

Lucy believes in building good relationships with her students and making lessons fun as well as useful. She endeavours to make her classroom interactive and positive so students feel encouraged to participate fully.

Eleanor Kim,
Eleanor graduated from the National University of Singapore with a Bachelor of Arts degree. She has more than 10 years of extensive coaching and teaching experience in English Language. Her students come from local public schools as well as ESL learners, both young and adults from countries like China, India, Vietnam and more.

As a TESOL trained English teacher, she also conducts English courses for corporate clients. She has trained technical and operational staffs ‘Technical English’ related to their working environment. Through communication with clients and students, she also customizes and develops special programmes and materials to help students learn and perform better, be it academically for Cambridge ‘O’ Levels or IELTS or to equip them in performing their work related functions more efficiently.

Concurrently, she also an assessor of English tests scripts for the Workforce Development Agency of Singapore (WDA). Besides being clear and thorough in her classroom delivery, students also find her approachable, caring and inspiring.

Carolyn Penny,
is originally from Canada. She is a TEFL certified English teacher and has been teaching in Singapore for almost 5 years. She has a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations/Geography. As well as a Post-Graduate Diploma in Geomatics. Before coming to Singapore she was a Corporate Trainer for Geographic Informations Systems (GIS) in the USA.

Carolyn loves meeting students from all around the world. Last year She took part in a Youth Conference in Dubai and was amazed how well the students there spoke English. She loves teaching conversation and just finished taking a Speech and Drama course at the British Council so students might just be doing a little acting in her class.

Zee Ryan,
a Singaporean, has been cultivating her interest in teaching since 2000. Upon completion of her Sociology & Economics degree at the National University of Singapore (NUS), she went on to complete her TEFL certification with ITTT (International TESOL Teacher Training). Her teaching background includes local and overseas stints, teaching students of all ages and nationalities.

Not a fan of monotony, she believes that interest will lead to the desire to pursue. As much as she can, she tailors her lessons to suit the various needs and interests of students. This, she admits, is not necessarily easy but definitely worthwhile.

Peggy Rose Swartzentruber,
originally from the USA, is new to Singapore. She has lived twenty years of her adult life in Indonesia. There she taught English reading, writing, and conversation skills to Indonesians of all ages. She has an MA in TESOL. Living abroad and soaking up international wisdom is one of her greatest life joys.

Peggyrose endorses a classroom that engages the emotions—laughter, joy, anticipation, and sadness. These can promote learning whereas boredom and disengagement do not.

Kasia Johnson,
Kasia Johnson is from the UK and graduated from Oxford University with a master’s degree in modern languages. Kasia is a friendly and highly experienced teacher who has taught all over the world. Kasia has herself learnt several languages and so has an excellent understanding of her students’ needs. She enjoys preparing fun and thorough lessons and creates a welcoming environment for learners.

Kasia has lots of different strategies to help push her students to the next level, whether they are beginners, university standard or business people upgrading their skills. Kasia also holds a diploma in languages from the London Institute of Linguists.

Jaki Fisher,
Born in Australia, and a resident of Singapore for almost 20 years, Jaki worked in the TV industry and as a Librarian before completing the Certificate in English Language Teaching for Adults (CELTA). She has been teaching for ten years and has taught students of every level, from elementary to advanced, and from every continent. She has also taught a diverse range of English classes - general English, business English, academic English, and exam preparation (IELTS and TOEIC).

She particularly enjoys focussing on pronunciation and accent reduction and has worked with with private students ranging from business people to housewives and those preparing for English exams. She strongly believes in a communicative approach to language learning with plenty of controlled and freer speaking practice, and an equal emphasis on improving both fluency and accuracy.

Sutha Koneshon,
is a Canadian citizen who has worked in the education sector for 12 years and counting. Sutha holds a Masters in Education and is a fully certified teacher in Canada. She has been teaching English as a first and second language for many years. She is a dynamic Edu-preneur with focus and passion that is oriented towards teaching excellence, student learning, pedagogical research, and innovation. Her teaching philosophy is 'WE' not 'I' and 'they'. If her students succeed, she succeeds, and vice versa.

She feels it is her responsibility to try to meet the learning needs of each and every one of her students. It is her goal to give her students the opportunity to work to their highest ability, and to enjoy learning while attending this goal. Sutha believes that when students are given the opportunity to succeed and have fun with learning, they will become life-long learners.

Norma Bowen,
Norma Bowen, from the UK, has lived in S.E. Asia and the Far East for more than 30 years. She holds a B.A. Honours in Fine Art and a Post- Graduate Teaching Diploma in Art and TESOL, and has taught English in both primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong, as well as having taught children and adults in language centres in Malaysia and Singapore. Norma has been a volunteer for a disaster-relief and social service organisation since she first came to Asia.

Roger Anderson,
Originating from the north of Scotland in the UK, Roger has spent the past 28 years in various parts of Asia - the last 18 of these in Singapore - and holds a Cambridge CELTA and an honours degree in Chemistry and Maths. Although a relative newcomer to the English teaching profession, having spent the early part of his career in industry and business, he has taught English and Business Studies in Thailand and Singapore since making the move. Having been a very shy French student himself, Roger's particular concern in class is giving students the confidence to use English in the real world.