My name is Kelly Allen. In 2011, I graduated from Georgia Southern University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies and a minor in French. That following January of 2012, I began teaching English and have since had the chance to teach in South Korea, Chile, Japan, the United States and online. In 2013, I earned a 120-hour TEFL certification from Bridge TEFL.

I decided to become an English teacher because I love languages and their ability to open us up to new people, cultures, and ways of thinking. It made the most sense for me to share my native language with people of other countries, while taking the opportunities abroad to learn new languages myself. Learning languages has been an integral part of my development as a teacher because it gives me added empathy for how difficult it can be to learn a new language. It also helps me give more practical advice to my students and plan more effective lessons because of my own person language acquisition journey.

I am enthusiastic and passionate about teaching English and helping my students no matter their age or need. It is exciting to witness a student's English ability increase throughout our time together. I was able to see this especially well while working in Japan since I got to work with the same students over a span of three years. Having students that succeeded in their goals, like being able to enter the international school they were applying to or getting the job that required them to have a higher TOEIC score, was so rewarding. I love knowing that I was able to help them achieve that goal.

Working in a variety of schools with different teaching methods and age groups has also made me much more adaptable as a teacher. I am able to teach according to the method my school desires and plan lessons that are fun and engaging for my students. In my last job, in particular, I was required to teach at least six different styles of lessons because of the large age range of our students (1 to 84 years old). Teaching online taught me a lot about being flexible about my schedule. I was asked to teach lessons with less than five minute’s notice of what I would be teaching. This was challenging, but a valuable experience.

Additionally, I love that I learn a lot from my students; it is so fun and interesting. They teach me a ton about their cultures and school or work life, many things that I do not think I would learn otherwise. So, I also look forward to getting to know my new students.

These days, I am teaching in South Korea again. It is great to be back where my journey began after years of hopping around the world and experiencing life in other places.

If you are interested in knowing even more about me and my professional life, I would be happy to chat. Talk to you soon!