Olen

Shiori M. from San Mateo, CA

Olen is a true professional and dedicated teacher. Before I had his ESL lessons, I could not speak loudly because I was unsure about my English skill. Olen improved my pronunciation back to vowels and gave me confidence. Thanks to him, my co-workers and boss are now impressed with my progress. As well as a good teacher, he is a very cultured person who is free from bias. You can talk freely from religion to politics without worrying that your different ways of looking at things might bother him (or you.) If you would like to speak English like a native, I recommend you to try his "sessions".

Les Y. from El Cerrito, CA

I made a conscious decision to learn French in January 2009 and visited the WyzAnt site via a general internet search. Here, I discovered a tutor who possesses the requisite characteristics and "fit" that provides me the best pathways in which to become fluent in French. Olen is quite adept and proficient in several languages; moreover, he has a significant breadth of understanding of the cultural nuances and contextual phenomena necessary for a student to become proficient in a foreign language; this is in stark contrast to other instructors who resort to simply having student memorize a litany of phrases. Olen is extremely well-grounded and knowledgeable in grammar, vocabulary, syntax, etc. Moreover, he is well equipped in tailoring lessons for the individual learner based upon his experience with a myriad of pedagigcal methods. Although I am primarily using a "Living Language" French textbook, he is very adept at delving further into just the printed lessons and providing personal guidance which fosters an increased resonance and relevancy of the language for me. Because I work and travel frequently, it may be difficult sometimes for me to keep pace with the intensity of the lessons. However, Olen is extremely patient and will modify his approach accordingly. We have also learned about French culture through reading various French magazines, articles, and by watching France-24 on his I-Phone. In addition, he possesses a gift of making our sessions engaging, insightful and entertaining. He is very professional (always on time), has an excellent sense of humor and has tremendous patience relative to my persistent mangling of the French language. I would highly recommend him as a young, passionate instructor to those who have some experience in foreign languages, complete novices (like myself), and those individuals interested in refining their English/American accent. This young man will definitely make an impact on your life and aid in expanding your world-view.