About Suzanne

Some Frequently Asked Questions:

Why do you teach English in business settings?

Language fascinates me—the way it changes as styles change, how it adapts and absorbs influences. My students come to understand why English is such a glorious, mixed-up mess, and how its history explains many of its idiosyncrasies. Students feel a sense of relief to learn that there’s nothing wrong with their brains—modern English is a combination of at least six languages that makes it seriously confusing.

After teaching all levels of writing and reading (middle school to college—but mostly high school), I decided to join other adults in the world of work. I recognized that too few people learn to write well, and in business that can be a costly impediment. The idea of working with individuals who see the need for better writing (and understand my jokes) opened me up to the field of training and development. Instead of grading 2000+ pages of assignments a week for students who were preparing for “someday,” I began instructing employees who were trying to improve their lot “right now.” I feel deep satisfaction when I clarify a writing or grammar question that has bedeviled someone for a lifetime, or when a student tells me that he or she now has the confidence to draft a report, memo or letter for a super-critical boss. I love making the complex understandable. English does make sense—at least most of the time.

What are some contributions you've made to your profession?

My chief contributions to the field have been unpublished, yet used by thousands of students for more than 20 years: curriculum dealing with everything from sentence structure and homonyms to learning guides for classic plays and novels. My more recently written curriculum examines the parts of grammar and writing that business people need to understand and apply—everything from writing concisely to using “I” and “me” correctly. I enjoy teaching my own curriculum, but I’m not led to publish it. Somehow I cannot believe that the world needs another book on grammar and sentence structure when so many excellent ones already exist.

What are some of your proudest achievements as a professional?

I have been blessed with wonderful students. Their ability to read and express themselves clearly in writing or speech makes me happy to my core. Among my high-school seniors, 94 percent passed the placement exams to begin their studies with college-level English, not remedial work. But my proudest moments come from my work in Adult Basic Education—teaching adults to read and speak English fluently enough to become successful in life (see left column).

What are some big things you've accomplished for clients?

In addition to the Case Studies detailed in that section, here’s something I accomplished for an industrial client:

The managers of a major Southern California oil refinery needed to regularly create and update safety tests to satisfy government requirements, so front-line refinery workers could be tested on safety procedures and technology changes. I worked with the managers to review basic standard English and the principles of test-construction. We analyzed the types of tests employees currently used, and practiced writing new tests that applied what they had learned. As a result of my work, the refinery no longer needed to outsource their testing materials, so the process became more timely and cost-efficient. The plant maintained an excellent safety record and attributed part of their success to their testing program.

What's your working philosophy and approach to working with clients?

I believe that great writers and speakers are born, but everyone else can improve. My approach to working with clients is to assess their writing skills, determine their most pressing needs, and fill in as many gaps in their languaging skills as I can in the amount of time I’m given. Students respond to my jokes and goofy examples by relaxing, daring to ask questions, and holding me accountable when I don’t explain something to their satisfaction. I’ve been called witty and encyclopedic in my background, and this allows me to home in on the stumbling blocks that have been keeping someone from writing successfully. An old colleague called me “an educational Annie Oakley,” by which he meant that whatever issue or question someone tossed up in class, I could shoot it out of the sky. I don’t know the answer to every question, of course, but I always get back to students with an explanation once I’ve researched it.

What are your educational background, degrees, advanced education and training, etc.?

I hold a Master’s Degree from the University of Southern California in Secondary Education with an emphasis in teaching composition, and a Reading Specialist Certificate. My BA is from UCLA, where I graduated cum laude in English.

Upon leaving the public school system, I completed a number of professional training workshops: the American Society for Training and Development’s Train the Trainer Workshop, the Instructional Developer Workshop through Daryl Sink and Associates, Criterion Referenced Instruction by Robert F. Mager and Peter Pipe, the Trainer Certification Program for the Literacy@Work Project of The Literacy Network of Greater Los Angeles, and others.

What extracurricular activities do you pursue?

I am a certified T'ai Chi Chih instructor. This moving meditation was synthesized by an American T'ai Chi Chuan master and is not the ancient martial art I’d seen seniors doing in China back in 1981. The first time I was introduced to this new form, T'ai Chi Chih, I realized immediately that it was something that would enhance my life and that I wanted to share it with others. I teach classes locally and at some of the organizations where I also teach business writing. After years of working almost exclusively with my mind, I find it wonderful to do something that is physical, intuitive, and spiritual. Balance is a beautiful thing! Learn more about T'ai Chi Chih at www.taichichih.org.