Alva R.
Private tutor in Houston, TX
Education
Education 2008 – 2011University of Washington, Seattle, WA, M.A. in Central Asian Studies 2000 – 2007 University of Houston, Houston, TX, B.A. in Sociology and English Additional Education 2009 – Present Private Kyrgyz Language Training with Dr. Gulnara Jamasheva, Institute of Language and Literature, Academy of Sciences of Kyrgyzstan 2005 TÖMER – Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey: Ten months of Intensive Turkish Language Training
Experience
My name is Alva R. I have been teaching ESL, TOEFL Prep and World and Turkic Literature for nearly 10 years. I have been certified for the past four years in teaching English grammar, and have taught diplomats and other government officials while abroad. Like those learning the language, or just trying to equip themselves for upcoming tests, I have also learned other languages. With that said, I can understand the anxieties and expectations for learning a new language, but learning languages is a must. As a highly respected writer of Central Asia once pointed out: without the development of language and literature, and the production of writers, a nation would be "deprived of consciousness, view, ideology, and so it decays." I double majored in English Literature and Sociology as an undergraduate. I received an M.A. from the University of Washington in Turkic Literary Studies. I am a Fulbright alumna and the author of several academic articles and a book chapter. I serve as editor for two international magazines and an academic journal. I volunteered as an English instructor for a local orphanage in Kyrgyzstan. I have over five years experience teaching literary studies, eight years experience teaching Test-Prep (TOEFL and SAT) and ten years experience teaching English as a Second Language. As I learned from my German professor and mentor, there is no sense in becoming a teacher if you are not interested in being available for them. You'll have my undivided attention and my guarantee that your English and or test prep skill will improve.
Subject Expertise
SAT Critical ReadingForeign LanguageGEDGMAT VerbalGrammar and MechanicsGRE VerbalGRE Verbal ReasoningHistoryIntroduction to PoetryIntroduction to FictionLanguagesLiterary AnalysisLiteraturePersuasive WritingReadingExpository WritingSAT Subject Test in LiteratureSAT VerbalSAT WritingShort NovelShakespeareStudy SkillsSummer TutoringTest PrepTOEFLVocabularyWorld LiteratureWorld HistoryWritingACT Reading11th Grade Reading12th Grade Reading12th Grade Writing10th Grade Writing10th Grade Reading6th Grade Writing7th Grade Reading7th Grade Writing8th Grade Reading8th Grade Writing9th Grade WritingACCUPLACER ESLACCUPLACER Reading ComprehensionACT English11th Grade WritingACT with WritingACT WritingAP English Language and CompositionAP English Literature and CompositionAP United States HistoryAP World HistoryBritish LiteratureCollege EssaysCreative WritingEnglishEssay EditingESL/ELLEuropean History
Availability
Weekdays after 5PM, Saturday at any time
Can Meet
Up to 30 minutes away for no additional charge
Hobbies
I love to read and learn new languages. I am especiallly enthralled by nomadic cultures of Central and Inner Asia. I also love to travel.
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