Our teachers and staff are university-educated, multi-cultural individuals with very diverse backgrounds. We are all certified English language professionals with at least one year of teaching experience, and we are all native speakers of English. We have masters degrees in Business Administration, TESOL and even Gender and Cultural Studies. But we are much more than that. We are musicians and artists, writers and performers. We have all lived overseas and most of us speak two, and even three, different languages. We are, therefore, sensitive to the experience of living and studying overseas. We know what it means to be lost and confused in a new country, the excitement and fear involved in living abroad. We aim to be as culturally sensitive and individually supportive as possible. We provide services that are meant to help our students get used to life in New York City. From new student orientation to weekly staff and teacher-led activities, it is our plan to help make our students feel at home in New York City as quickly as possible.
Who are we? We are New York. We are Manhattan Language.
Manhattan Language is English in New York.
Anthony
Anthony came to ML in 2007, returning to teaching after working for several years in the financial services industry in New York City. “The cubicle is no match for the classroom. I missed the intense multicultural interaction with students and decided to go back to the job that has consistently given me the greatest satisfaction, teaching.” Anthony is a licensed high school teacher from Canada with over 14 years of experience. He has taught ESL in Japan, Greece, and France, as well as in public schools in the UK and Canada. He also holds an MBA and is responsible for teaching ML’s afternoon and evening business classes in addition to his grammar and conversation classes. “I have high expectations of my students and push them to do the best they can. But my main goal is to instill in my students the confidence and desire to pursue their goals, of which mastering English is often only a beginning."
Douglas
Douglas has been teaching English in New York City for ten years. He came here after starting his teaching career in the Czech Republic and Italy. Douglas enjoys teaching students from beginners to advanced, and he particularly likes helping students improve their academic English skills in preparation for university studies. His TOEFL Skills class gives students the opportunity to develop those academic skills while also learning strategies for scoring high on the test. “There’s no better feeling than seeing a student’s English ability and comfort level grow over time,” says Douglas. “I love my job!”
Jason
Jason came to Manhattan Language after teaching English and TOEFL in Spain and the Czech Republic for nearly a decade. He is the TOEFL and Academic Skills teacher at Manhattan Language. He works diligently to adapt his course as the test changes to insure that his students master all the skills they need to get a high score. Jason's classes focus on developing and perfecting the skills his students need for each aspect of the test. Every month Jason interviews former students who have taken his class and passed the test so that he can look for new ways to improve his curriculum. He also works hard to make sure that his classes are challenging and accurately reproduce the conditions of the actual test. “I want to make sure that there are no surprises for my students on the day of the test. Once they have the right skills and know what to expect, they will be able to get the best score possible.”
Lindsay
Lindsay came to Manhattan Language from Tokyo, where she taught English for three years. She says, “I love teaching because I learn something new from the students every day.” Lindsay writes songs, plays the piano, and sings in a band. At Manhattan Language, she teaches the English through Popular Music elective class which uses song lyrics to study vocabulary and inspire discussion. She received her degree in English and TESOL at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Matthew H
Matthew has been teaching English for the past seven years. He discovered this passion while teaching Art and Engineering to young adults ten years ago. Matt spent two years in Japan, teaching English to children and young adults, and also taught international students planning to attend West Virginia University while he was getting his Masters degree in TESOL. Matthew has had the opportunity to develop and teach English through Art, a special elective course at Manhattan Language, which allows students to learn English and create art. It is a unique way to learn and practice English that goes beyond the classroom and takes advantage of all that New York City has to offer.
Olga
Before joining Manhattan Language in 2010, Olga spent two years in Spain and South America teaching English to both children and adults. Olga also speaks Spanish and Russian. “I love learning languages and I know what it feels like to be a student! That’s why I try to fill my classes with laughter and create a comfortable and fun learning atmosphere.” She enjoys taking students on activities and sharing with them her love of New York City.
Susie
Susie began at Manhattan Language six years ago and quickly became known for her classes filled with laughter. “What can I tell you? I love my students.” When asked about her classes with Susie, Junko Itohara said, “The best thing about Susie’s class is that you learn so much but you don’t even realize it until later because you are having so much fun.” After receiving her TEFL certificate in Prague, Susie taught English in the Czech Republic for three years. She sometimes teaches a slang class on Fridays and it is one of the school's most popular free classes.
Gerald
Gerald has an American father and Irish mother, and lived all around the world when he was growing up (Thailand, Germany, Iceland, the UK). He graduated from Dublin City University, and has been teaching ESL in New York since 1999. Although he knows Irish English well, he only teaches American English! He loves his job, and tries to make his lessons both entertaining and informative. "Laughter and learning should go together." When he's not handing out gold stars to fantastic students in his classes, he's busy writing novels. He already has two available, An Embarrassment of Riches and Hand In The Till, and a third one, Fleeing the Jurisdiction, will come out this year!
Kate
Kate came to Manhattan Language in 2010 after teaching English for several years in California and before that, teaching English to the crew members onboard Princess Cruises. She studied in Germany for a year in college, so she remembers what it feels like to be in a foreign country trying to master the language. As someone fairly new to New York City herself, she is really enjoying learning about the area along with her students!
Matt S
Matt is originally from Long Island, New York and has been teaching ESL since 2006. He has a B.A. in French from Marist College and a CELTA from International House, Budapest. He has taught in Manchester, England, South Korea and Hungary. Matt is really happy to be back home helping students learn English in NYC. He aims to make each of his lessons enjoyable and educational, with a strong communicative approach to language learning.
Nick
Nick graduated from Ithaca College and gained his teaching experience as an English instructor in Japan for 4 years. He has been teaching at Manhattan Language since 2010 and also quite often leads the activities for the students. Nick enjoys teaching ESL because he says, "It's interesting to participate in a cultural exchange in every class."
Larry
Larry has recently joined Manhattan Language after many years in ESL teaching and administration in New York and abroad. After a two-year sabbatical he realized that he missed the field and international students too much to stay away any longer. "I chose Manhattan Language," he says, "because I had heard from students in the international community that it was 'serious, friendly, and creative' in its commitment to language learning, and after a remarkably short time here, I totally agree." Larry strongly supports the integrated skills approach that characterizes the program, and is especially delighted by the way it works in the advanced levels and in one of his favorite classes, the English through Film elective class.
Michael
Michael is originally from California. His first English teaching job was in the Caribbean, where he taught ESL to secondary school students. Since then, he has taught business English in China and ESL courses in California and New York. Michael came to New York in order to pursue a master's degree in applied linguistics. He likes teaching because he finds interacting with students interesting.
Dinnah
Dinnah is originally from Brooklyn, New York. She was an ESL teacher in Paris, France for over seven years and has recently moved back to the New York City area with her French husband and two children. She graduated from SUNY Albany in 2003 and got her Master's in Education in 2010. "I love teaching my students and learning from them, also. Knowing that you are making a difference in people's lives is the most rewarding experience you can have." Dinnah started teaching at Manhattan Language under a year ago and is glad to be back in New York.
