Teacher's Corner
Since our founding in 2015, Speakeasy Language Academy has developed and grown in a positive direction. We’re very proud of the diversity of our teachers, and their abilities to contribute their own unique experience and skills to our success. Find out more about the teacher of the month below.
Featured Teacher
Elizabeth DePola-Fortier
We would like to congratulate Elizabeth as our Featured Teacher of the month.
Elizabeth is an enthusiastic and patient English teacher, focusing on business English, young learners with ASD, and academic English. Speakeasy highly recommends Elizabeth as a specialized English trainer in the above-mentioned training programs.
She has a background in behavioral psychology, working with kids on the autism spectrum. She also earned her bachelor's degree in foreign language, focusing on Spanish language and culture. She is Tefl-certified and brings a unique professional experience to language learners. Elizabeth provides private or group training with tailored lessons for your company. She will train your staff onsite at your preferred location.
We are very proud of her and all of her accomplishments! Thank you for being part of the Speakeasy team, Elizabeth.
Questions & Answers with Elizabeth
The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires. -William A. Ward
1. Tell us about your time living and teaching abroad. How long? Where?
I've been living in Aachen, Germany since September 2019 and have been teaching here since January 2020.
I primarily teach through language schools, though I teach privately as well.
2. When and where did you receive your TEFL Certification? If no, TEFL certification, then tell us your background and why you decided to teach.
I completed my certification through the International TEFL Academy's 12-week online course. I chose to include specializations in Business English / English for Academic Purposes and English for Young Learners.
3. What is the most surprising thing you have learned during this experience?
Just how dynamic class schedules can be. Coronavirus has maximally highlighted the professional and economic challenges of working freelance, especially in a private educational capacity.
4. What are your preferred areas of teaching English?
I mainly teach one-to-one, which to me is more important than which subject area I'm teaching. I love being able to offer students my undivided attention, and one-to-one students progress more quickly because the classes are hyper-interactive.
However, my favorite classes are English for Academic Purposes, English for Young Learners, and Conversational English.
5. Do you miss anything from the states? (e.g., family, food, shops, etc.)
Luckily, we have friends on a military base in Germany, so I get LaCroix and chipotle peppers in adobo sauce as often as possible. Obviously, I miss my family, but waking up to my whole street smelling like fresh German bread, having accessible travel, and the diversity of languages and cultures in Germany are what dreams are made of.
6. How are you handling the global pandemic and living in Germany?
I feel lucky to have been living here during COVID. Germany has handled the pandemic phenomenally, and it's been a privilege to have transitioned back to some semblance of normalcy while family and friends in the US are still under lockdown or working from home.