Q. Please tell us your name and a little more about yourself?
My name is Kara Germany. I was born in the Bronx, New York City, USA. Currently, more than 75 languages are spoken in the Bronx. Living in New York gave me the opportunity to meet and interact with people of many different cultures. Eventually, my family relocated to Florida, USA, where I currently live.
Q. What inspired you to embark on your teaching journey?
In every job title I’ve ever held since college, I’ve been asked to train and teach new employees one-on-one or in a group setting. After more than 20 years of teaching, I decided to pursue Conversational English as my new craft. With my years of life experience and secular skills, I feel that I have something so many other people want and need – the ability to communicate effectively in English.
Q. Please tell us about your experiences tutoring people from different countries and communities.
Over the last four years, I have had the privilege to teach mostly adults and some children from more than 20 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe and South America. I also have several students in the United States. This experience has enlightened me to the linguistic needs of many non-native English speakers. The most common statement from students is, “In my native country, I was only taught English grammar and written communication. But, I cannot speak English.”
Q. We came to know on your website about your technical and management experience. Please tell us more about that.
I worked in telecommunications engineering and tech support for 19 years at Verizon Communications. Afterwards, I had the opportunity to work as an assistant manager at an Amazon warehouse in the United States. My technical and management experience have given me the needed skills to work with all categories of occupation. Several of my English students hold executive-level job titles or work as professionals in their fields.
Q. What was your role as a volunteer in the Chinese community?
Over the past 17 years, I have learned to speak Mandarin Chinese while helping local Chinese-speakers read and study the Bible. In addition to my volunteer efforts, I have also been able to use my secondary language skills to teach English and to provide technical support.
Q. Lastly, What advice would you give to aspiring tutors around the world?
My advice to aspiring tutors is quite simple. Don’t ever stop caring about the needs of your students. It’s likely that you will always find someone that needs your help.
To learn more about Kara Germany visit www.karatutors.com
