Jennifer, from Pennsylvania, USA, is well-known to many English-learners and teachers through her website, English with Jennifer, her excellent YouTube channel, JenniferESL, where she offers free her amazingly-structured instructional videos (I've used them myself in class, highly recommended!) and her ELT blog. Due to her multicultural background (she has family members with Filipino, Polish, Serbian and Hungarian roots) and her experience learning various languages, she has a unique insight into what it is to learn English from the student's point of view. She is also the author or co-author of many English textbooks.
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| Jennifer Lebedev |
What was your ESL career path?
I was originally certified to teach Russian in the state of
Pennsylvania, but while I was finishing my graduate work in Moscow, I started
teaching English on the side. After graduation, I began teaching English full-time
both privately and in the classroom. I even managed to get some of my early
ideas published. I moved back to the U.S. in 2001, and soon after I earned my
ESL certificate.
In a private IEP in Boston, I taught adults and also took on
adminstrative duties. I had other opportunities to grow there as well. I wrote
in-house course materials, and I was chosen to run the teacher training
program. I stepped out of the classroom in 2005 to focus on materials writing.
In 2007, I began to work online, posting videos and eventually blogging. In
another couple of years I added private lessons to my online work.
The Internet has helped me gain visibility as a materials
writer and content creator. I am thankful for all the projects I have been able
to contribute to, from online tutorials for business professionals to classroom
textbooks.
Which of many ESL
activities you are engaged in do you enjoy most?
I love to make instructional videos. I have enjoyed the
challenge of using this medium to reach learners around the world.
How do you think
English learners could help themselves more?
Focus. There are many free online resources today, and it is
easy to be overwhelmed by all the options. Learners need to identify clear,
realistic goals and then select the resources that are most appropriate. A
study plan needs to be formed in such a way that the learner can follow it from
week to week consistently.
What more can we do
as teachers to help our students?
Remind them that one teacher, one resource, or one course
cannot hold all the information they seek. We need to guide students toward the
resources that will help them reach their goals. Give them the skills to become
lifelong learners and fill them with confidence in their own abilities.
Many teachers say
that generic English textbooks are really not useful for students. What is your
opinion?
Textbooks are already taking different forms to meet the
needs of today’s learners. I was fortunate to be on the writing team for
Pearson’s hybrid series Next Generation
Grammar. We designed the materials to give both teachers and learners the
flexibility they need along with the rich media everyone has grown accustomed
to in the 21st century.
The textbook can still serve as as key element of a course. It
is a compass and a source of information. Teachers are always able to
supplement instruction with outside materials, and students can also build on
textbook presentations and practice with learning experiences outside of class.
Do you think English
learners have an advantage these days, with all the technology and online
resources available?
Definitely. When I was learning French in junior high and
high school, I was thrilled to get an old
copy of a French comic strip or a cassette of popular French music.
Today all kinds of texts, films, and audio recordings are available online. Everything
is a few clicks away. We have also become better connected through the
Internet, so finding real opportunities to use the language is easier. Online
discussion boards present just one possibility.
Do you think your own
language-learning experiences help you as a teacher?
Of course. The poor results of my French studies played a
key role in my desire to become a language instructor. I learned how to learn
later as I formally studied Russian and dabbled in other languages. Even though
I am not functional in Japanese and Portuguese, I understand how these
languages work, so I can better understand the specific challenges speakers
face if those are their first languages.
I have also recommended that teachers occasionally put
themselves in the role of a learner, taking up new hobbies. For example, having
to start from a white belt in taekwondo, I have relived the frustration of
feeling out of one’s element and the joy of mastering new skills.
What do you think the
future of ESL holds?
More online activity and greater independence of the
learner. A few years ago I predicted changes in the nature of publications and
the role of the author. It is happening. I see increased interaction and
collaboration between content creators, teachers, and learners.
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