About me

I am a first-generation American, the child of immigrants from Holland.  My parents settled in Southern California, where I was born and grew up except for a four-year period when we lived on a kibbutz in Israel.  My early exposure to different languages and cultures was probably the critical factor leading to my eventual decision to become an ESL professional.  I have a BA in Near Eastern Studies and Linguistics (double major) and an MA in Teaching English as a Second Language.  I've been teaching since 1980, writing and editing ESL materials since 1985. 

Career highlights:

• Freelance writer and editor of ESL and professional materials, 1985-present
• Full-time (contracted) writer/editor for Cambridge University Press, January 2006-June 2008. Worked as Developmental Editor on three student texts, wrote tests and other ancillaries. 
• Author of more than a dozen student texts and teachers' manuals, most notably Interactions 2 Listening/Speaking (McGraw Hill 1985-2007) and Real Talk 1 and 2, a listening comprehension series based on authentic recordings (Longman 2007)
• Regular conference presenter, with special expertise in the area of teaching listening
• ESL teacher with more than 15 years' experience in intensive English programs and community colleges

Special skills and abilities:

• Work well with authors to deliver a product that satisfies publisher's specifications
• Write materials for any skill, at any level, for any audience
• Experienced copy editor
• Comfortable working alone or with a team
• Able to switch easily between "macro" and "micro" tasks
• Experienced researcher
• Dynamic and engaging public speaker