Message from the Director
Christine Knorr
Academic Director, Washington Academy of LanguagesWelcome to the Washington Academy of Languages (WAL) at City University of Seattle and thank you for choosing our TESOL Certificate program! We understand the time and effort it takes to complete this program and we are committed to helping you succeed. As your Course Manager, I have an appreciation for your dedication, having completed a similar program. Our faculty are experienced in teacher training as well as English language instruction and are ready to help you succeed. Please get to know our instructors by reading their biographies below and meeting them in class online or on-campus!
Ewa Barbara Krawczyk, PhD in Bilingual Education/TESOL
Ewa joined WAL at CityU in summer of 2019. Originally from Poland, she moved to the US twenty years ago and obtained a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies and Master’s degree in Applied Linguistics, both from the University of Massachusetts in Boston. Her interests include multiculturalism, diversity, and social justice issues. She has focused on immigration issues and policies, sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, and second language acquisition. Ewa has worked in a variety of locations where most recently she taught developmental English at the College of the Marshall Islands in Majuro, the capital of the Republic of Marshall Islands, South Pacific and English to immigrants and refugees at Literacy Source in Seattle. She earned her PhD from New Mexico State University.
Gudrun Scheffler, MA in Education, TESOL Diploma
A native of Germany, Gudrun earned her MA in Education from the Free University in Berlin and started her career by teaching immigrants in Germany. Since her move to the United States in 2002 Gudrun has been a teacher and tutor of ESL and German for learners of all ages. In 2005 she received her Connecticut Educator Certificate after taking courses at Southern CT State University. In 2009 she received her CELTA from International House in NYC and she earned her TESOL Diploma in 2013 from Vancouver Community College in Vancouver, BC. Gudrun is very happy to teach ESL, TESOL, and German at City University as well as Workplace-ESL for Literacy Source. In her free time she enjoys movies, books, singing, and exploring the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest.
Richard West, MA Applied Linguistics and TESOL
Richard West went to Grinnell College to get a Bachelor’s in Cognitive Science with a focus on Linguistics. He taught English in an elementary school in Thailand for a while, then he moved to Ohio to teach in Intensive English programs in Cleveland, Columbus, and Athens focusing on preparing international students to succeed in American universities. He finished his Master’s degree in Applied Linguistics and TESOL in 2015 at Ohio University, where he focused on pronunciation training, English for Specific Purposes (ESP), and Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL). In addition to a wide range of English language courses, he has also taught English composition and Linguistics at the university level. He moved to the Seattle area in 2017 and has taught multiple courses in the TESOL program at CityU, where he has found diverse, dynamic students ready to engage with the challenges and rewards of teaching language in a diverse, dynamic world.
Christine Knorr, MA TESOL & French
Christine Knorr has over 25 years of language teaching experience in various settings including US high school, community college level ESL and community English classes for immigrants and refugees. She began her career as a French teacher in the public schools and later taught English for business managers in Paris, France. She transitioned to teacher-training in 2003, when she facilitated courses for post graduates seeking certification in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. In addition to teaching, Christine has been an administrator of several language schools and departments. Currently, Christine directs the Washington Academy of Languages at City University of Seattle where she oversees TESOL Certification, the Intensive English Language Program, and World Languages Program. Most recently, she has been involved in developing curriculum for the design of online courses in English and world language courses. Christine holds a Master of Arts in Teaching ESL and French from the School for International Training (SIT) in Brattleboro, VT.
Megan Nestor, M.Ed TESOL
Megan has been in the TESOL field for 15 years. She earned her M.Ed TESOL at Seattle University in 2006 after moving from her home state of Kentucky to the Pacific Northwest a few years prior. In addition to teaching at CityU, she has worked with immigrants and refugees as well as international students at Highline College, Seattle Central College, and Kaplan. She has also served as a volunteer on the WAESOL Board in various roles for 4 years. Outside of the classroom, she enjoys traveling, all things food, spending time with family, and exploring the great outdoors.
Becky Culver, Master of Education
Becky holds a Bachelors Degree in General Studies, and Masters in Education, both from the University of Washington- Tacoma. She holds an endorsement in teaching K-8th grade, and English Language Learners. Becky has worked with students from many different cultures and linguistic backgrounds; Russian, Ukrainian, Marshallese, Korean, Vietnamese, and students from various Middle Eastern countries. Becky has a passion for learning about cultures other than her own and through her teaching experiences, Becky has gained valuable skills in educating young learners with diverse ranges of ability, backgrounds, and language skills. She is eager to share her experiences and knowledge with future TESOL educators, as well as continue to learn and contribute to the field of education. In her private life, Becky and her husband live in Tacoma with their cat and their new “son”, an international student from Beijing. She is thoroughly enjoying being a mother, along with learning about the Chinese culture.
Rebecca Ray, MA Education Equity and Cultural Diversity
Rebecca has 13 years of experience in the field of bilingual education. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish and TESOL certification from Western Washington University. She completed her special education teaching credential (K-12) at Metropolitan State University of Denver. She holds a Master’s degree in Education Equity and Cultural Diversity from the University of Colorado. She has taught English for a variety of contexts and purposes, including children, adults, business English, and TOEFL classes in Mexico, South Korea, and San Francisco. Rebecca spent the past 7 years teaching bilingual elementary special education at a dual language school in Denver Public Schools.