Type of Programme
One-to-one, personalised English language tuition living full-board with the tutor's own family and in the tutor's own home, including local visits and excursions, meeting friends, neighbours and professional colleagues etc.

Type of House: Detached House

Teaching Qualifications and Experience
Honours Bachelor of Arts (English), 1st class honours, 1974. Successful completion of course work for Master of Arts (English), 1975. Recipient of various university scholarships and book prizes. Ontario Graduate Certificate in TESL, 2005. 96% grade average. Member of TESL Ontario with current TESL Ontario Certification (higher standards than TESL Canada Certification).

Hobbies and Interests
Photography, Gardening, Hiking, Bicycling, Art, Theatre, Films, Literature, Writing, Cooking (ethnic), Antiques, Museums, Computers, Internet, Website design, Music, Astronomy.

Excursions and Local Attractions
NIAGARA: British Columbia and Niagara River, Maid of the Mist, Niagara Parks, Botanical Gardens, Niagara Gorge, Lundy’s Lane Historical Museum, Fort George & Fort Erie (historical), Niagara Escarpment (UNESCO Biosphere), Wineries (There are over 38 wineries in the Niagara Region), Niagara-on-the-Lake (historical & cultural), Welland Canal Lock System, Rodman Hall Arts Centre, Port Dalhousie.
TORONTO: Provincial Parliament Buildings, CN Tower, University of Toronto campus, Art Gallery of Ontario, Royal Ontario Museum, Kensington & St. Lawrence Markets.
OTHER: Six Nations of the Grand River (Native Indian Reservation), Onondaga; McMichael Collection of Canada Art (Kleinburg); Hamilton, Art Gallery of Hamilton; HMCS Haida. (Student will be responsible for own fee at the attractions and museums that charge for entrance - generally $10 to $15 Cdn. per adult).

Accommodation, Facilities and Local Area
The wondrous waterfalls of Niagara (over 1 million bathtubs per minute pour over the cataract) and the beautiful Niagara River are within walking distance of where I live. My home is a single storey, detached dwelling on a treed lot in a quiet family neighbourhood located in an older area of the city. I have lived here for more than a decade. My property backs onto an elementary school yard. Within 5-10 minutes walk are the train station, the intercity bus station, the city hall, the main branch of the library, banks, restaurants, convenience stores, wine/liquor/beer stores, the police station, and a movie rental store. The main local bus routes are only one block away. There are also places of worship within easy walking distance - Roman Catholic and Protestant churches, and two Buddhist temples. There is also a mosque in the city where I would be pleased to drive students who practise the Muslim faith. Also within walking distance is the Clifton Hill tourist district. Major shopping centres are within 5 - 10 minutes driving distance.

My home features 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, hardwood floors, a wood burning fireplace in the living room, quite a lot of antique furniture (including a pump organ that is almost 100 years old), attractive gardens both front & back with porch/deck, and laundry facilities including a washer, dryer, ironing board, and iron. All student rooms have free high speed internet connection, as well as a bed, a dresser, a desk, a chair, a closet, and book shelves. In the recreation room downstairs, there is also a student desk with a computer terminal with high speed internet connection for students who do not bring a laptop with them. For people who are active, bicycles are also available for use, and 5 minutes away is the Niagara River Recreational Trail - a great place for cycling. The climate in the Niagara Region is more moderate than in many other parts of Canada, as evidenced by Niagara’s thriving wine industry. However, we periodically have snowfall during the months of November through February. In the winter, the house is heated throughout by a gas furnace - the fireplace is mainly for pleasure. My home is non-smoking but smoking outside on the porch is acceptable.

I am a creative, friendly, patient, and talkative tutor with a strong general knowledge of many subjects, a keen interest in other cultures, and a wealth of knowledge about the cultural, geographic, and historical amenities offered by the Niagara Region and other areas of Ontario. Experienced teaching English for Academic Purposes and general English, I can also offer advanced software proficiencies and more than fifteen years of business communications experience as a marketing, corporate, and technical writer. I am flexible about where English tutoring takes place - my office, the living room, the kitchen, the student area in the recreation room, or (weather permitting) outside on the back porch / deck, or a combination of all of these, wherever the student is most comfortable. I welcome students of all ages and levels.