Super ESL teacher (MA Linguistics, university professor, experienced, multi-lingual) offers customized classes to individuals or small groups.

- Pittsburgh
- webcam

Super Prof

Nancy is one of our best tutors ESL. They have a high-quality profile, verified qualifications, a quick response time, and great reviews from students!

About the lesson

My classes are fun and always include several different kinds of activities to make the classes interesting, super-useful, and challenging. If the client (student) wants homework, I send him/her practice exercises to do--or--an audio file to listen to and practice with. I'm always patient, respectful, and kind--in part, because I know how hard it is to learn another language, having studied several of them, myself!

subjects

ESL
English Vocabulary
English speaking
+4

English writing

Business English

English phonetics

TOEFL

languages

English
Spanish

levels

Senior
Adult Education
College / University
+14

Advanced Technical Certificate

MBA

ILR Level 0

ILR Level 1

ILR Level 2

ILR Level 3

ILR Level 4

ILR Level 5

Other

Beginner

Intermediate

Advanced

Proficient

children

About Nancy

I've taught ESL for over 25 years and to thousands of students from all over the world--and I've loved it!
I always adapt my approach to match the goals of my particular student(s).
I can teach all skill areas--speaking, listening, grammar,reading, and writing--but I especially enjoy helping students learn how to talk more easily with Americans and how to present their ideas more comfortably.
My students describe me as: kind, creative, knowledgeable, and fun.

Review

All of our reviews are collected by us and are 100% reliable. They correspond to a real experience lived by students with Nancy.

5 (20 reviews)

Rahul
- 5
Perfect! I'm incredibly fortunate and grateful to work with Nancy on my accent reduction.

She taught me the musical aspects of the language like the rhythm,intonation and stress.

What impressed me the most is, she is meticuluous and makes correction to your pronunciation while you speak.

Her assignments are tailored and based on your performance during the class. Enjoy noticing the changes in your speech while you work on them.

Highly recommend Nancy to other folks for accent reduction.

Thank you Nancy.
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Rahul
Perfect! I'm incredibly fortunate and grateful to work with Nancy on my accent reduction.

She taught me the musical aspects of the language like the rhythm,intonation and stress.

What impressed me the most is, she is meticuluous and makes correction to your pronunciation while you speak.

Her assignments are tailored and based on your performance during the class. Enjoy noticing the changes in your speech while you work on them.

Highly recommend Nancy to other folks for accent reduction.

Thank you Nancy.
E
Edgard
- 5
Perfect! Nancy is great! I have been working with her for a few months now, and she has been super helpful. Her vast knowledge and experience in different English topics make her highly qualified to guide students from different backgrounds and English levels in their learning. She is always open to feedback and accommodating to the student's needs. One of the things that I like the most about her is that she genuinely cares about the people she teaches and does her best to bring value to their lives. I highly recommend Nancy to anybody looking to take their English to the next level.
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E
Edgard
Perfect! Nancy is great! I have been working with her for a few months now, and she has been super helpful. Her vast knowledge and experience in different English topics make her highly qualified to guide students from different backgrounds and English levels in their learning. She is always open to feedback and accommodating to the student's needs. One of the things that I like the most about her is that she genuinely cares about the people she teaches and does her best to bring value to their lives. I highly recommend Nancy to anybody looking to take their English to the next level.
L
Liviu
- 5
Perfect! Great, great tutor! You'll get from her not only helpful resources, customized feedback, and dedicated attention to your needs but also the positive feedback and support you need to accomplish your goals. Thank you, Nancy!
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L
Liviu
Perfect! Great, great tutor! You'll get from her not only helpful resources, customized feedback, and dedicated attention to your needs but also the positive feedback and support you need to accomplish your goals. Thank you, Nancy!
M
MATTEO
- 5
Perfect! Well, what to say about Nancy?
1. she is passionate about her work, engaging and empathetic; she will provide you with more motivation to study, interesting authentic materials and dynamic lessons; after her lessons I feel calmer and more confident;
2. she is professional and very knowledgeable; therefore she will be able to help you improve successfully anything that you need, from your vocabulary to your pronunciation, from your knowledge of the grammar to the history of english language;
3. she knows what she is doing and she is very adaptable; she will be ready to meet your specific needs and temporary priorities, while still managing to plan well ordered lessons and series of lessons.

Definetely recommended, 5 stars to Nancy!
Matteo
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M
MATTEO
Perfect! Well, what to say about Nancy?
1. she is passionate about her work, engaging and empathetic; she will provide you with more motivation to study, interesting authentic materials and dynamic lessons; after her lessons I feel calmer and more confident;
2. she is professional and very knowledgeable; therefore she will be able to help you improve successfully anything that you need, from your vocabulary to your pronunciation, from your knowledge of the grammar to the history of english language;
3. she knows what she is doing and she is very adaptable; she will be ready to meet your specific needs and temporary priorities, while still managing to plan well ordered lessons and series of lessons.

Definetely recommended, 5 stars to Nancy!
Matteo

Nancy's response
Matteo was bright, focused, very high level already--a joy to work with!
- Nancy's response : Matteo was bright, focused, very high level already--a joy to work with!
S
Serkan
- 5
Perfect! Nancy is very enthusiastic about teaching. She is also enjoyable to speak with. Patience and encouragement are her middle names. She manages lessons specific to your needs and also gives super feedbacks. I can truly say that she is a reliable English teacher. I totally recommend Nancy. Be assured that you will be grateful for every session.
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S
Serkan
Perfect! Nancy is very enthusiastic about teaching. She is also enjoyable to speak with. Patience and encouragement are her middle names. She manages lessons specific to your needs and also gives super feedbacks. I can truly say that she is a reliable English teacher. I totally recommend Nancy. Be assured that you will be grateful for every session.

Nancy's response
Serkan is one in a million: intelligent, focused, and a joy to work with.
- Nancy's response : Serkan is one in a million: intelligent, focused, and a joy to work with.
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Recommendations

Recommendations come from relatives, friends and acquaintances of the teacher

Marta
Nancy is an excellent teacher, extremely dedicated and her method made me improve a lot in a few weeks.
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Marta
Nancy is an excellent teacher, extremely dedicated and her method made me improve a lot in a few weeks.
V
Vanessa
Nancy is a very patient, very professional and methodical teacher. I am very happy to say that it is an honor to meet her and be your student. I remember the first time I communicated with her in class, I could hardly understand it, but the teacher said something I deeply engraved it in my heart, the teacher said: "A little progress every day, as long as you don't give up your efforts, then you will improve more than a little in a year:" So insisting on memorizing even one word every day is progressing, thank my teacher Nancy, I grew up because of meeting you, I will work hard!
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Vanessa
Nancy is a very patient, very professional and methodical teacher. I am very happy to say that it is an honor to meet her and be your student. I remember the first time I communicated with her in class, I could hardly understand it, but the teacher said something I deeply engraved it in my heart, the teacher said: "A little progress every day, as long as you don't give up your efforts, then you will improve more than a little in a year:" So insisting on memorizing even one word every day is progressing, thank my teacher Nancy, I grew up because of meeting you, I will work hard!
C
Cuiling
I am very honored to be her student. Her patience and sense of responsibility in teaching make me more and more like to learn. This is that a good teacher is worth more than ten thousand volumes of books! Nancy thank you!
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C
Cuiling
I am very honored to be her student. Her patience and sense of responsibility in teaching make me more and more like to learn. This is that a good teacher is worth more than ten thousand volumes of books! Nancy thank you!
Joanne
I started working with Nancy to improve my English several months ago and I enjoyed every single session with her. We were able to adjust the lesson format to better suit my need. Nancy always encourages me and sends information that she finds helpful. I would 120% recommend Nancy.
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Joanne
I started working with Nancy to improve my English several months ago and I enjoyed every single session with her. We were able to adjust the lesson format to better suit my need. Nancy always encourages me and sends information that she finds helpful. I would 120% recommend Nancy.
Jennifer
Nancy is an extremely knowledgeable, personable, and highly experienced writing/ESL professional I wholeheartedly recommend her!
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Jennifer
Nancy is an extremely knowledgeable, personable, and highly experienced writing/ESL professional I wholeheartedly recommend her!
E
Ei Pa Pa Pe
I found Nancy through Carnegie Mellon University’s Intercultural Communication Center, and had worked with her for about a year to improve my English language skill, with an emphasis on intonation and variations of language use in different settings. She used teaching-by-doing method (perhaps she might have a better way to describe her own method) that uses non-textbook and topic-based practice sessions. After each session, she would prepare notes and exercises around specific skills that I needed to work on. I find these notes very helpful because, as a learner, I often wasn’t aware of my own mistakes, weaknesses and strengths. I recommend that anyone who want to improve their English language skill and especially to try out her new method of teaching, should work with her.
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E
Ei Pa Pa Pe
I found Nancy through Carnegie Mellon University’s Intercultural Communication Center, and had worked with her for about a year to improve my English language skill, with an emphasis on intonation and variations of language use in different settings. She used teaching-by-doing method (perhaps she might have a better way to describe her own method) that uses non-textbook and topic-based practice sessions. After each session, she would prepare notes and exercises around specific skills that I needed to work on. I find these notes very helpful because, as a learner, I often wasn’t aware of my own mistakes, weaknesses and strengths. I recommend that anyone who want to improve their English language skill and especially to try out her new method of teaching, should work with her.
S
Samyr
I've known Nancy since 2008: first, as her student at an ESL program in Pittsburgh, PA; then as a private student for face-to-face instruction; and currently as a private student working on conversation skills via Skype. I have been able to succeed beyond my expectations in all of these periods, thanks to Nancy's patience, creativity, and teaching competence. Nancy has a solid and remarkable understanding of how to teach ESL to adult students.
S.Carneiro, M.D.
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S
Samyr
I've known Nancy since 2008: first, as her student at an ESL program in Pittsburgh, PA; then as a private student for face-to-face instruction; and currently as a private student working on conversation skills via Skype. I have been able to succeed beyond my expectations in all of these periods, thanks to Nancy's patience, creativity, and teaching competence. Nancy has a solid and remarkable understanding of how to teach ESL to adult students.
S.Carneiro, M.D.
Max
Throughout my time with Teacher Nancy, she has been reliable, well-prepared, understanding of my deficiencies, and highly organized. I've never had any need that she hasn't met, and she's always been there when I've needed help. Highly recommend if you're looking to improve quickly, with tailor-made classes to suit your needs.
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Max
Throughout my time with Teacher Nancy, she has been reliable, well-prepared, understanding of my deficiencies, and highly organized. I've never had any need that she hasn't met, and she's always been there when I've needed help. Highly recommend if you're looking to improve quickly, with tailor-made classes to suit your needs.
Jessica
I met Nancy at our local coffeeshop, and I am truly blessed to know her. She is loyal, compassionate and able to hold conversation with anyone, truly anyone. She is a force, has a determined work ethic and never stops learning. I highly recommend working with her.
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Jessica
I met Nancy at our local coffeeshop, and I am truly blessed to know her. She is loyal, compassionate and able to hold conversation with anyone, truly anyone. She is a force, has a determined work ethic and never stops learning. I highly recommend working with her.
Mary
You can’t possibly find a better teacher than Nancy! With ideal credentials in English, linguistics, languages and writing, Nancy approaches teaching from a highly informed perspective. Having worked with Nancy, I know that she plans individualized lessons with a deep understanding of how language works and the best techniques to promote language learning. Couple that with many years of successful teaching experience and she’s just the person you want to guide your learning. in addition, Nancy is culturally sensitive, empathetic, kind, warm and funny. She is highly organized and very responsible. Interacting with her is a delight. I recommend Nancy wholeheartedly.
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Mary
You can’t possibly find a better teacher than Nancy! With ideal credentials in English, linguistics, languages and writing, Nancy approaches teaching from a highly informed perspective. Having worked with Nancy, I know that she plans individualized lessons with a deep understanding of how language works and the best techniques to promote language learning. Couple that with many years of successful teaching experience and she’s just the person you want to guide your learning. in addition, Nancy is culturally sensitive, empathetic, kind, warm and funny. She is highly organized and very responsible. Interacting with her is a delight. I recommend Nancy wholeheartedly.
A
Andrea
Nancy is very experienced in teaching. She cares about her students and their progress. I have known Nancy for about four years, and she has always tutored students of all ages. Also, she has a Master's degree and is multilingual. I highly endorse her to be one of your tutors. Sincerely, Andrea DiBello
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Andrea
Nancy is very experienced in teaching. She cares about her students and their progress. I have known Nancy for about four years, and she has always tutored students of all ages. Also, she has a Master's degree and is multilingual. I highly endorse her to be one of your tutors. Sincerely, Andrea DiBello
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Peg
Nancy is my sister, but also my professional colleague. I'm a college prof., and we've worked together frequently on projects involving teaching. Nancy's smart as heck yet gets along with everyone, determined yet amazingly pleasant and accommodating. She's worked with a wide variety of clients from all over the US and the world. You'll love learning with her!
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P
Peg
Nancy is my sister, but also my professional colleague. I'm a college prof., and we've worked together frequently on projects involving teaching. Nancy's smart as heck yet gets along with everyone, determined yet amazingly pleasant and accommodating. She's worked with a wide variety of clients from all over the US and the world. You'll love learning with her!
A
Anna
I have known Nancy Downes for many years. Her thoughtfulness, creativity in approaching issues and dealing with problems, and energetic curiosity have always been very apparent to me! Nancy responds quickly and really tries to see different peoples' perspectives. I would highly recommend Nancy as a teacher!
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Anna
I have known Nancy Downes for many years. Her thoughtfulness, creativity in approaching issues and dealing with problems, and energetic curiosity have always been very apparent to me! Nancy responds quickly and really tries to see different peoples' perspectives. I would highly recommend Nancy as a teacher!
John
Nancy is extremely knowledgeable and fantastically dedicated to her work and her students. She is friendly, helpful and a model teacher.
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John
Nancy is extremely knowledgeable and fantastically dedicated to her work and her students. She is friendly, helpful and a model teacher.
J
Jacobo
Nancy is very committed to her work. In addition, she is very knowledgeable (she has a Master in Linguistics) about the difficulties international students face when writing in English (their non-native language). I recommend her without hesitation!
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J
Jacobo
Nancy is very committed to her work. In addition, she is very knowledgeable (she has a Master in Linguistics) about the difficulties international students face when writing in English (their non-native language). I recommend her without hesitation!
View more recommendations