Ethel Swartley, Lecturer

• B.A. English Writing and in Sociology , Eastern University, Philadelphia, PA
• M.A.,Instructional Systems Development for ESL Education, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

I was born in the northeastern state of Maine (a cold and snowy place), but I first became interested in teaching when I was a high school student here in Denver. I had friends who were refugees from Laos, and they always talked enthusiastically about their ESL teacher. Because of my Lao friends, I learned to communicate with people from other cultures and discovered that I love helping people learn English.

After high school, I went to college at Eastern University in Philadelphia and to graduate school at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. My first real job was teaching English conversation at the Pagoda Institute in Seoul, Korea. After returning to the United States, I became a specialist in teaching business communication and other specific types of English, such as English for medicine, tourism and engineering.

Because I love to travel, I have had many opportunities to train English teachers in other countries, including Algeria, Indonesia, Jordan, Turkey, West Africa, and the Caribbean. In my free time, I enjoy gardening, hiking, quilting, snowshoeing, and just hanging out with my husband and two daughters.