Introduce yourself in a few words. (educational background / years of experience) My name is Chloe Donnelly, and I have been teaching ESL for almost four years now. It started as a summer gig teaching children in northern Italy, and quickly became my passion. It’s the perfect job because it combines my two great loves in life: traveling and language. This love is reflected in my formal education: I got my Bachelor’s Degree in English from Humboldt State University, but only after transferring all around California and Italy and acquiring credits from nine other colleges…Currently, I am pursuing a Master of English in Linguistics at San Francisco State University. What do you like most about being a teacher at EC? I have taught at a few different language schools, both locally and abroad, and I can confidently say that EC really has something special. I have never encountered a more positive atmosphere, or a kinder working environment. Of course, staff and teachers alike share an interest and engagement with language that makes me feel at home, but even beyond that, I truly believe that everyone I meet in this building, for the most part, really wants to be here–and it shows. What’s your favorite skill to teach? This will come as no surprise to my students and coworkers, but I love to teach writing. It is a fantastic way to synthesize and experiment with the grammar and vocabulary students are learning, and I like to give them a creative space to do that. I think the more they feel comfortable playing with the language, the more they will be able to make it their own. Plus, selfishly, I really love to hear people’s stories. I like to teach sensory language: adjectives to describe the sights, sounds, smells, and textures–and then … Read more

Glaucia, our brilliant student ambassador, conducted an interview with our popular teacher, Ricky. The interview took almost an hour. Ricky is also our accommodation coordinator. He’s been working for EC for almost 5 years now.   “Working at EC is a Way to travel without travelling, because we can learn about a lot of countries without going there.” – Ricky! Background & Experience:  Ricky has a Master’s degree in clinical psychology. He studied in San Diego for seven years. Then, he worked with people who were emotionally abused, or have behavioral problems. He also worked at a public foundation in Fremont, California for two years. Some of the challenges he faces were of some students who fought in school repeatedly. Changing Careers:  After working in the school system of fremont as a clinical psychologist, Ricky went to Thailand to get his English teaching certificate. He then moved to Japan to learn about Japan’s education system. He taught English for one year.  Being an EC Teacher: Rick knows how difficult it is to study abroad, far away from family and routine, also to adapt to a new culture. Rick enjoys helping students to grow, to learn and to achieve their purpose. He knows how important it is to learn a new language to succeed. He enjoys being part of that success. He has seen students who got a college and master degrees in America.  Success Story:  Recently, a student got a job in an international kindergarten achieved her goal after being able to finally achieve the proficiency level she needed for the job.  Favorite Skill to Teach:  Rick likes to teach subject that could be useful in real life. For example, in his last class he took students from elementary level to the streets and taught them how to ask for … Read more

We cheered for the A’s Teacher Ricky and Anna took us to an A’s game. Oakland Athletics are another SF Bay Area Baseball team. People in San Francisco either cheer for the Giants or the A’s. They’re rivalry teams. Our school director Ryan supports the Giants, while Ricky and other teachers stand behind the A’s. Who would you cheer for? We said goodbye to Rob Teacher Rob was part of EC San Francisco for over 4 years. He has a degree in English combined with a CELTA  which qualified him to teach. He’s originally from the U.K, but loves wearing Hawaiian shirts. This summer we said goodbye to him, and sent him off to start his journey with EC Los Angeles. We dyed shirts for pride Here at EC we advocate for an inclusive culture. We fight for women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights and empowering those who come from minorities. We teach our students about voicing their opinions and show support to those who face oppression everywhere. This summer, Anna helped us dye t-shirts in Rainbow colors to show our full support to the Pride community. We had a bonfire at Ocean Beach One of many American traditions we like to share with our students is s’mores! We planned a bonfire experience with students to Ocean Beach. Anna led students to the fire camps. We played games, sang songs, and had s’mores!   We threw a bagel party! We too get tired. We too earn the right to be lazy! So… We brought the party in the house! We ordered all kinds of bagels you can think of, with all kinds of spread filling your heart desires and served bagels and coffee! Mornings cannot get any better! We can’t keep up with the BBQs! Oh boy! Where do we start. Our … Read more