English
Do you get nervous, anxious, or scared when speaking your second language? YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
This...
3 minutes
7 years ago
7 years ago • Comments: 0
Amanda Catron
5.0
United States•
1:30 PM (GMT-05:00)
English
19
40
English
19
40
Active Promotion (50% off)
MEETAMANDA
Apply CouponIn lieu of a "trial lesson" meet with me, at a greatly discounted rate, to assess your language level and develop a language learning plan that fits your goals!
Speaks
English
Native
,French
C2
About Me
Hi there! I'm Amanda!
Congratulations on starting/continuing your language journey in ESL or French! I would love to join you! Most recently, I was Assistant Professor of ESL/EAP at Santa Fe College and a PhD student at the University of Florida studying Second Language Acquisition (aka the best ways to learn languages)!!! Different, from the other individuals listed here, I am not a language teacher, I am a language COACH. It's time to learn a language like it's the 21st century! Let's work together to reach your goals!
What is a language coach?
As a language coach, I enable students to focus on their goals and hold them accountable for accomplishing them. I promote student agency and allow students to make choices about their own learning; this way each lesson fits their individual needs and differences. As your own language and success coach, we will not only work together to understand the target language vocabulary and grammar, but we will also delve into the metacognitive and self-regulatory skills necessary to study quickly and efficiently, feel comfortable speaking the language, and get ahead in other areas of your life as well!
My mission for each lesson is to provide a language learning experience unique in its approach to incorporate strategy instruction including reducing foreign language anxiety, building agency, and developing self-regulated learning skills. My coaching objective is to help learners reach their second language goals through not only language teaching, but student empowerment as well. I aim to help students realize and build their own agency, resulting in a self-actualized, relaxed, and engaged learning environment. Through this one-of-a-kind coaching method, success is having my students end each tutoring session feeling positive, and eventually ending tutoring sessions all together knowing that they are competent, intelligible, and composed speakers of the target language.
I have been a language instructor and coach since 2009 teaching children English in France through the TAPIF program. I have taught/coached undergraduates French at both the Ohio University (where I earned my BA and MA in French) and the University of Florida (where I am earning my PhD in Linguistics). Further, I have taught English as a Second Language and English for Academic Purposes at the University of Florida as well as Santa Fe College.
As a researcher, I have focused my life's work and dissertation on the topic of lowering Foreign Language Anxiety in foreign language learners. Foreign Language Anxiety is often cited as the number one correlation to achievement in acquiring the target language. Do you get nervous when you attempt to speak the language that you've learned? Are you scared what others are going to think of you? Do you have perfectionist tendencies? Well, helping you manage Foreign Language Anxiety while learning French or ESL would be exactly my skill set!
While I am a seasoned, SLAT (Second Language Acquisition and Teaching) certified instructor and am able to teach at the university level, tutoring is my true passion. I began tutoring in 2006 at Ohio University and I have not stopped since. My youngest tutee was 4 years old and my oldest tutee, who is still working with me, is 74 years old. Currently, I can cater to all language levels, individual differences, objectives and goals, attitudes, motivation levels, and ages 15+. Send me a message with any questions that you have, and we can chat and set some goals for your language learning journey.
I look forward to meeting you and helping you in any way possible in the world of French or ESL! Talk to you soon! :)
Read MoreCongratulations on starting/continuing your language journey in ESL or French! I would love to join you! Most recently, I was Assistant Professor of ESL/EAP at Santa Fe College and a PhD student at the University of Florida studying Second Language Acquisition (aka the best ways to learn languages)!!! Different, from the other individuals listed here, I am not a language teacher, I am a language COACH. It's time to learn a language like it's the 21st century! Let's work together to reach your goals!
What is a language coach?
As a language coach, I enable students to focus on their goals and hold them accountable for accomplishing them. I promote student agency and allow students to make choices about their own learning; this way each lesson fits their individual needs and differences. As your own language and success coach, we will not only work together to understand the target language vocabulary and grammar, but we will also delve into the metacognitive and self-regulatory skills necessary to study quickly and efficiently, feel comfortable speaking the language, and get ahead in other areas of your life as well!
My mission for each lesson is to provide a language learning experience unique in its approach to incorporate strategy instruction including reducing foreign language anxiety, building agency, and developing self-regulated learning skills. My coaching objective is to help learners reach their second language goals through not only language teaching, but student empowerment as well. I aim to help students realize and build their own agency, resulting in a self-actualized, relaxed, and engaged learning environment. Through this one-of-a-kind coaching method, success is having my students end each tutoring session feeling positive, and eventually ending tutoring sessions all together knowing that they are competent, intelligible, and composed speakers of the target language.
I have been a language instructor and coach since 2009 teaching children English in France through the TAPIF program. I have taught/coached undergraduates French at both the Ohio University (where I earned my BA and MA in French) and the University of Florida (where I am earning my PhD in Linguistics). Further, I have taught English as a Second Language and English for Academic Purposes at the University of Florida as well as Santa Fe College.
As a researcher, I have focused my life's work and dissertation on the topic of lowering Foreign Language Anxiety in foreign language learners. Foreign Language Anxiety is often cited as the number one correlation to achievement in acquiring the target language. Do you get nervous when you attempt to speak the language that you've learned? Are you scared what others are going to think of you? Do you have perfectionist tendencies? Well, helping you manage Foreign Language Anxiety while learning French or ESL would be exactly my skill set!
While I am a seasoned, SLAT (Second Language Acquisition and Teaching) certified instructor and am able to teach at the university level, tutoring is my true passion. I began tutoring in 2006 at Ohio University and I have not stopped since. My youngest tutee was 4 years old and my oldest tutee, who is still working with me, is 74 years old. Currently, I can cater to all language levels, individual differences, objectives and goals, attitudes, motivation levels, and ages 15+. Send me a message with any questions that you have, and we can chat and set some goals for your language learning journey.
I look forward to meeting you and helping you in any way possible in the world of French or ESL! Talk to you soon! :)
Private Lessons
60 minutesTeacher Stats
Very quickly 
8 years ago 
100.00%40 
4.5 lesson average
5.0 Schedule
Teaching Expertise
Beginner
Upper Beginner
Intermediate
Upper Intermediate
Advanced
Upper Advanced
American English
Résumé
Education
2014
PhD in Linguistics
University of Florida - Gainesville, FL
Specialization in Second Language Acquisition, Second Language Acquisition and Teaching Certification
2010 - 2012
2006 - 2009
BA in French
Ohio University - Athens, Ohio
Completed Linguistics minor as well, Magna Cum Laude
Work Experience
2008
Private Tutor
Privately, now Verbling.com - Gainesville, FL
Providing customized action plans for ESL and French students focusing on increasing perceived self-efficacy, agency, and lowering foreign language anxiety. Truly providing a one of a kind tutoring experience that includes life, academic, and career coaching as well! Tutee experience ranges from 7 year olds to 68 year olds!
2017
French Instructor
University of Florida - Gainesville, Florida
Organize, teach, and evaluate two sections (~23 students per class) of beginning French to college students.
2019 - 2020
Assistant Professor of ESL
Santa Fe College - Gainesville, Florida
Focus: Adult EAP Courses
2018 - 2018
Adult ESOL Instructor
Santa Fe College - Gainesville, Florida
Teaching formal and informal English to beginning and advanced learners of English from various language backgrounds. All four language skills taught: listening, speaking, reading, and writing to classes containing students from low/mid/high backgrounds in the level. Learning strategies and study skills coached during each lesson in addition to formal language learning. Promoting student agency and foreign language anxiety reduction in the classroom daily.
2015 - 2017
English Instructor
English Language Institute of the University of Florida - Gainesville, Florida
Independently organized, taught, and evaluated low-intermediate and intermediate ELL students, Energetically taught multiple skills including Reading & Writing and Listening & Speaking
2010 - 2012
French Teaching Associate
Ohio University - Athens, Ohio
Organized, taught, and evaluated four weekly classes of French to beginning college students
2009 - 2010
English Instructor
L'Academie d'Orleans-Tours, TAPIF Program by French Government - Tours, France
Independently created and coordinated six weekly lessons for 200 students aged 6-12
Certifications
2014 - 2014
Second Language Acquisition and Teaching Certification
University of Florida - Gainesville, Florida
Endorsement of education, training, and practice in teaching second languages as well as confirmation of significant contribution to the language teaching profession through presenting original, innovative research at conferences and holding workshops on language pedagogy (teaching).
Sample Videos
a minute
7 years ago
English
You go to speak with your new conversation partner and your heart starts racing, your palms start...
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