Seattle English ESL
English as a Second Language
English Classes Online
1-1 lessons with an ESL teacher
30+ years experience
ESL classes customized for your English needs
206.687.1338 estrellachan@gmail.com
Speak English with confidence at work and in daily life
Speaking English with confidence and expressing ideas easily are among the most common requests from my ESL clients.
Here are stories I often hear.
“Before I moved to the U.S., I already spoke English, but I did not have to use it everyday. Now, I am speaking a foreign language 8 to 10 hours a day. Sometimes it gets mentally exhausting. I wish I could speak English with more confidence and effortlessly.”
“In group meetings, I want to share my ideas, but sometimes I feel stuck expressing my thoughts in English. I know what I want to say, but the words just don’t come out easily. I want to be able to share my ideas fluently, concisely, and clearly.”
“My family moved with me to the U.S. Their English is not as good as mine yet, and they are having a hard time making new friends here because of the language. Even when they go to the stores, they are shy about speaking English because they don’t feel confident about it. They want to feel comfortable and confident speaking English with anyone.”
These are among the most common concerns I hear from my international clients who moved to the U.S. If it describes the challenge you are facing, please feel free to chat with me. Together, we’ll find ways that are most effective for you and your learning style to get the results you want.
I customize all my classes to meet your individual English needs. You can reach me through the Contact me page or email me at estrellachan at gmail dot com.
Also, I have written many blogs on how to improve English on your own. Feel free to use some of those ideas.
Career Coaching for Immigrant Professionals
Some immigrant professionals who work in American companies find that even though they are doing their best at work, they are not getting noticed.
Even if they are already very accomplished in their career before moving to the U.S. they seem to be overlooked for promotions. They start wondering why. Is it them? Is it something about the American workplace
they don’t know about?
Perhaps in the culture you come from, it is considered inappropriate to tell another about your professional accomplishment. It may feel like bragging to you. So, in interviews with an American company, you may feel uncomfortable “showing off your accomplishments” because it goes against your upbringing. You wish you can let the interviewer know how good you are without feeling that you are boasting.
Maybe you notice that in group meetings, your American colleagues just jump in to share their opinions. And you might have come from a culture where work meetings are conducted differently, perhaps going around the room so everyone has a turn to share their thoughts. What can you do in your new workplace? How do you practice a behavior that feels foreign to you?
Perhaps you notice that some Americans involve their audience when they present and are able to hold their attention. What if you come from a culture where work presentations are expected to be more formal? Maybe even considered as disrespectful to the audience? You wonder how you can change the way you present to Americans so that your ideas are well received by your listeners.
If these are some of the challenges you face, feel free to reach out to me for a free
consultation. We’ll explore skills you can develop to help you achieve your career goals faster. Sometimes it’s simply a minor tweak, or a cultural skill that you can develop easily.
You can email me at estrellachan at gmail dot com, or click on this Contact me link to discuss your career goals.
I also welcome you to learn more about my services.
Understanding
American Culture in the Workplace
If you are new to the U.S., you may be wondering how to navigate in an American work culture.
Here are some of the common
questions my clients ask me.
How to make small talk
How do I join in when American co-workers have small talk, like before Zoom meetings start? What do I say? Often,
they talk about sports and topics that require a deeper understanding of
the culture. I end up not participating in the conversation because I don’t know what they are talking about. This is
especially true when someone makes a joke.
Getting noticed for my work
It seems important in American workplace that we get noticed for our work and
contribution to the company. It’s so
different from my own culture. If my
supervisor is the manager, wouldn’t they already know the quality of my work from observing me? Why do I need to bring their attention to my accomplishments during performance reviews?
“Selling myself” at an interview
During interviews, it seems candidates are expected to “sell” themselves and show how good they are. It feels really
uncomfortable to me because it’s like bragging about myself. How can I let the interviewer know I am qualified for the job without sounding boastful?
How to make presentations engaging
It seems easy for American presenters to hold the audience attention. They engage their audience to keep things interesting. How do I do that?
Participating in group discussions
My American co-workers seem to have an easy time participating in group discussions. Is it possible to develop
that skill?
Networking with others in my industry
Networking seems to be a big deal here. How do I do that? And where do I go to find others in my industry outside of work?
Making friends at work
Why do American co-workers hesitate to make friends at work? Back home, colleagues do things together outside of
work. We spend half of our waking hours with them. They naturally become part of our friendship circle.
If these are some of the questions you’ve been asking, please feel free to chat with me. We’ll explore ways for you to develop
these skills and still feel you are honoring your own person.
To contact me, you can email estrellachan at gmail dot com or just click on the Contact Me page. You can read more about my background on the About page