Hi, I’m Cooper. I’m 25, and I was born in New York City, but I was raised and reside in a small suburb in New Jersey that is only a quick train ride away. I am of course a native English speaker and can help you with natural conversation, pronunciation, and words or expressions we use in everyday life here!
My life(so far)
Growing up in New Jersey and frequently visiting the city, I’ve interacted with so many people from different cultures, backgrounds, and languages. That experience has helped shape my worldview to cooperate with people from cultures I’m unfamiliar with, and has made me an extremely curious person always wanting to learn more about other people’s experiences. During college I was an active member of the Japanese Club and helped organize circle conversations with the teachers for Japanese learners of English, in conjunction with English-speaking learners of Japanese to exchange language and cultures after school. (We also made traditional Japanese foods together!)
The endgame
My goal is to make sure you have fun learning English, even though it can be frustrating at times.
I specialize in speaking, pronunciation, grammar, and formal writing (essays).
For these reasons, I work best with intermediate to advanced learners who want to move on to the next level in their language learning journey with the aim of conversing naturally and sounding like a native. Language is intimately tied with culture whether it’s traditional or pop and as a young adult from one of the pop culture centers of the world I specialize in helping to teach you about what is happening in the English-speaking world and how you can use it to think how an American would.
Common obstacles
As a language learner myself, I can sympathize with the many struggles my friends and students have shared with me. I’ve often felt this way about learning Japanese, these are some of the common issues I’m sure we’ve all experienced:
--I know all the words in a sentence or paragraph but I still can’t figure out the meaning.
--I can’t keep up with the speed of native speakers in TV shows, YouTube, or in person.
--I can’t speak naturally to express my true feelings and nuance in a sentence.
--My accent makes it difficult for people to understand me sometimes.
All of those statements are true of EVERY person who has ever learned a second language. I can help eliminate all those thoughts which may make learning another language stressful for you. I provide a laid back atmosphere where you can relax and chat about any topic the way native English speakers do every day.
How it works
I provide multiple teaching styles suited for different types of learners.
Real-time feedback and corrections- I will help you with word choice and appropriate syntax to make sure you are speaking in the correct register.
Free form conversation- We will have a discussion with the only interruptions being if you have a question, or I feel there is a miscommunication or major clarity issues in what is being said.
Collaborative output- We will work together to produce good writing, such as an email, letter, short story, or script. I will help you choose words that reflect who you are as a person when you write while maintaining clarity and proper register.
Student’s request- I will tune or use non-listed strategies at the request of the student to create an effective learning environment.
I look forward to working with you in the way that can help you the most!
よろしくお願い致します。
***ee