Amelia Simkins
@amelia_teaches_english
Language Skills
- English (US): Native
- German: Elementary
Interests
Price (25 min):
16.00 Coins Book Sessions
* This price is for free conversation lessons.
Rating & Experience:
Introduction:
Guiding Diligent Business Professionals Toward Impactful International Careers
Hi! I'm Amelia. It's been my ongoing mission here for several years to help Japanese & Korean professionals from different industries advance their English communication skills. English is the most widely used language in the world, and the people who know it, especially those who know it well, have major advantages.
If you sign up with me, I will do my best to help you gain these advantages.
If you want to sign up with me and you can't find time on my calendar, please don't hesitate to send me a message!
I spent over a decade working for international corporations in a wide variety of industries ranging from automotive (Toyota) to durable consumer goods (Weber grills) to food (Barilla - Italian pasta).
My past positions were as a packaging engineer and a big part of what I had to do was communicate technical concepts to non-native English speakers. I have worked with people from North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. Together we successfully launched hundreds of new consumer products to market.
In May 2018 I decided to take an indefinite hiatus from my engineering career and the corporate world to focus on other life goals. I recorded the video on my profile in 2016 right before my first lesson here on SkimaTalk. If you would like to watch more recent videos I've created and see where/what I've been up to, while learning more English with me, please subscribe to my YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/AmeliaTeachesEnglish
If there is a specific topic you wish to study, please let me know! I enjoy custom-designing materials for my students to help them reach their individual goals. Additionally, I've invested in a wonderful online resource with hundreds of well-organized worksheets that include articles, videos, audio files, vocab exercises, discussion questions, and more. These can be utilized to keep "Free Conversation" lessons focused on one central topic for students who are motivated and interested. I will also enjoy hearing about your career and any personal life updates you would like to share during "Free Conversation"s.
I've taught thousands of sessions online across multiple platforms, with SkimaTalk being my #1. Now I look forward to speaking with YOU!
Teaching Specialty:
All wonderful writers benefit from an excellent editor! I really enjoy correcting typos, spelling, and grammar, and I try to do so in a way that is not offensive to the author. I have been published in a trade magazine (Packaging World, March 2018) and on relevant industry-specific websites: https://www.packworld.com/home/blog/13374725/club-stores-claim-environmental-responsibility-while-shifting-burden, www.iopp.org, www.greenerpackage.com, International TEFL Academy: https://www.internationalteflacademy.com/blog/5-reasons-teaching-english-online-is-way-better-than-being-a-corporate-engineer GAFFL: https://gogaffl.com/blog_posts/Amelia-travel-story
As part of my TEFL certification class, I completed additional coursework on techniques for teaching business professionals. As an online ESL teacher, I’ve coached a myriad of business professionals including financial and real estate investors, bankers, engineers, salespeople, project managers, data analysts, and even doctors! Additionally, I have several years of practical experience as a business professional myself. In my last two corporate engineering positions, I collaborated with non-native English speakers (with varying levels of fluency) from Europe, Asia, and North America. Together we successfully brought hundreds of products to market.
I worked as a packaging engineer for renowned international companies. It was my job to develop packaging for a variety of products so they shipped safely to customers around the world. My duties included selecting appropriate materials, calculating freight costs, conducting testing, writing reports, analyzing data, creating & managing specifications, and much more. I am an expert in analytical thinking and would be happy to pass my knowledge on to you in this area.
I can help you expand your vocabulary both organically through conversational practice as well as through the use of worksheets, articles, slides, and other materials.
Proper pronunciation is often the key to being understood, so I emphasize its importance ad hoc throughout my lessons. Some students benefit from me breaking down a word into its syllables and/or discussing syllable stress, whereas others can achieve accurate pronunciation of specific words after they learn the mouth (tongue/lip/teeth) placements & movements.
My TEFL certification course prepared me well for teaching you how to improve both your productive (speaking and writing) language skills as well as your receptive (listening and reading) language skills. Since acquiring my certification, I've honed my teaching methods through years of experience.
Résumé:
Education:
Engineering › Packaging Science (Bachelor)
Work Experience:
Designer
Industrial Designer: January 2010 – January 2011 [Chicago, Illinois, USA] • Developed fabricated foam products based upon customer-supplied parameters • Worked closely with primarily Spanish-speaking production staff to create part-specific procedures for factory personnel • Supported the sales and other staff by creating drawings for costing and customer service purposes using AutoCAD and other design software
Engineer (Other)
Packaging Engineer: September 2011- February 2017 [Palatine, Illinois, USA] • Communicated on a technical level with non-native English speaking professionals from North America, Europe, and Asia • Worked with a global team of product managers, purchasing agents, R&D engineers, financial analysts and accountants, and others to ensure the successful launch of over 150 barbecue grill accessory SKUs • Collaborated with domestic vendors as well as overseas supply chain to develop packaging adequate for distribution • Participated in educational outreach activities, including volunteering with an all girls’ STEM summer camp and partnering with a class at my Alma mater
Other Professional
Packaging Lab Technician, Contracted by Aerotek: January 2011 – September 2011 [Melrose Park, Illinois, USA] • Coordinated and performed component testing of all new and proposed packaging following standardized test methodology • Compiled supporting documentation, results and recommendations in formal test report summaries
Teaching Professional
English Language Consultant: December 2016 - March 2021 •Conducted one-on-one 25 min sessions & 45 min sessions with up to 6 students (located in Asia) at a time •Assisted students ranging from beginner to advanced, both adults and children (junior sessions) •Provided student progress reports and corrections to lesson materials •Consistently maintained above a 9.7/10 star rating
Teaching Professional
ESL Tutor & Classroom Aide: July 2016- November 2016 [Morton College - Cicero, Illinois, USA] • Assisted an advanced level student from Czech Republic in the improvement of his English language skills • Helped student prepare for and pass the Language Arts, Writing GED examination • Taught English to adult Spanish-speaking students • Focused on the improvement of pronunciation and accent reduction • Facilitated vocabulary expansion through the use of textbook material as well as conversational practice • "Star Awards" recipient
Engineer (Other)
Packaging Engineer: February 2017-May 2018 [Northbrook, Illinois, USA] •Designed retail-ready packaging and POP displays •Collaborated with our headquarters in Parma, Italy on developing specifications for cartons, cases, and more •Utilized AutoCAD and TOPS software during design development process •Participated in cooking classes, "SMART working" and various business trips mostly to suppliers & trade shows
Teaching Professional
"I lived in a little village and I taught at the eerie neighborhood house." ~Teacher Amelia --- Actually, I lived in La Villita/Little Village (a neighborhood in Chicago, with many Mexican immigrants) and I taught English to them four days per week at a social services nonprofit organization called "The Erie Neighborhood House". It was named this because the original location is on "Erie St". Usually, there were five to seven students in each group session. Sometimes we went on field trips (e.g. to local museums or the library). After all, immersion is the best way to learn. Occasionally we also held virtual classes, like when there were frigid temperatures in Chicago. I enjoyed having this beautiful and unique experience of teaching face-to-face. Not everything can be done online all the time.