Louis Hirsch English Arts Services

Louis Hirsch English Arts Services

5.0Exceptional(6 reviews)
Offers online services
Offers online services

About

I had a 35 year career as a technical writer, working for companies like the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena (now part of NASA), and a number of computer software and hardware companies creating user manuals, online training courses. and help systems.

I turned to tutoring as a second career when I retired. I immediately saw how much I enjoyed working with kids, teenagers, college and university students as a tutor. It has been a rich and rewarding second career for me.

I began tutoring when I was living in Mexico, preparing students there for the TOEFL exam, a difficult English exam that tests reading, writing, speaking and listening comprehension. I moved back to the USA in 2012 and have been tutoring here in a variety of ways. I have worked as:

*An ESL tutor, working with clients from China, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, India, Vietnam, France, Lithuania, Russia, South Sudan, Mexico, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Colombia, Bolivia, Brazil and the USA.

I tutor English K-12, and do work for the Solano Library system as a literacy tutor for adults. I also have worked as a walk-in tutor, helping K-12 students at one of Vallejo's two public libraries.

I have taken and passed the California Board of Education's CBEST exam to qualify me to be a substitute teacher in California and have a certificate from the PRIDE reading program which enables me to work with dyslectic and slow readers using the Orton-Gillingham methodology.

I received my BA in Political Science from the University of California and spent my senior year at the Unversity of Lyons in France where I received a Mention Bien for my studies there. I did some graduate work at Berkeley but did not complete my studies for a Masters degree in Sociology.

I approach tutoring as a friend of the student rather than as a teacher, giving them an opportunity to open up and share their concerns about their education. I believe that education should be an enjoyable experience and that I am there to help them with the English language skill areas in which they need to improve.

I believe there is a key difference between a tutor and a teacher. A good tutor tailors the learning experience to the client. Meetiing common core requirements is important but establishing a love of learning and being challenged in a personal way is very important, too.

Watching students gain confidence in their reading and writing skills is very rewarding. If they are very young, I like to watch their eyes light up as they "get it". If they are middle or senior high students or college students, seeing them start to enjoy the challenge of critical reading and essay writing is a huge reward for me. Maybe the most special sense of satisfaction comes when I work with the Solano Library Literacy program and see an adult who never learned to read or write walk the road to literacy.


Highlights

Hired 3 times
1 employee
14 years in business
Serves Vallejo , CA
Offers online services

Photos and videos


  • Reviews

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    NH

    Noah H.

    Very good
    Louis is very good. My 11-year-old son needs help with focusing. Louis does reading and writing and is very helpful. He brings materials and handouts to work on during the lesson and homework. Highly recommend.
    ... Show more
    December 16, 2020

    PG

    Prescy G.

    Helpful Tutor
    Louis taught me symbols for marking mistakes in writing. Louis goes in depth when proofreading essays and explains why it is a mistake. Louis helped me proofread my essay to where my sentences made sense.
    ... Show more
    December 16, 2020

    SM

    Sreeni M.

    Knolwedgeable Tutor
    Lots of experience. Was able to hone in on the issues to be worked at quite quickly (e.g. trilling of R, occasional mashup of words, vocabulary etc.) and offer quick solutions (e.g. vowl instead of vow-elle).
    ... Show more
    December 16, 2020

    SH

    Sally H.

    Very helpful and knowledgeable
    My son has been tutored by Louis for the past year in essay structure and content and has been receiving high grades ever since. Louis has built my sons confidence in his writing skills and he seeks only fine tuning for essays now. I would highly recommend Louis if your child needs help in writing papers. Thank you Louis for all that you continue to do!
    ... Show more
    December 16, 2020

    WF

    Wei F.

    Knowlegdeable and patient tutor
    Louis is very kind and patient tutor . He did several tests of my son for the first class, and he speaks very clearly and slowly. From the test ,he had set up the lessons for him. His lesson is planed very clearly, time passed very fast.
    ... Show more
    December 16, 2020

    AF

    Amber F.

    Great tutor!
    My 7 year old has been working with Louis for a couple months and has made great progress with his reading! Louis is an awesome, patient tutor who easily adapts to his students’ learning style. We’re very satisfied and happy we found him.
    ... Show more
    December 16, 2020

    Frequently asked questions

    I always start by introducing myself. If the student is more than 5, I ask the student to introduce him or herself to me. This is done in a free pre-lesson where I discuss options with the parent(s). If requested, I do a sample lesson: partial lesson for free, full lesson at my rate. As needed, I will test the student to determine strengths, visit with the classroom or a special needs to discuss working together

    I have trained as a PRIDE reading program freelance tutor and have eight years experience tutoring.

    Rates vary between $38 and $65, depending on the requirements of the situation, number of hours and days per week, and whether I drive to the client, work over the internet or the client comes to my home.

    I started tutoring in Mexico when I was an expat living there. I began tutoring French when I lived in San Miguel de Allende in the high mountains in the middle of Mexico. I then moved to Guadalajara where I found the need for tutoring was in English, preparing students to take the TOEFL exam so they could attend universities in the United States. I have focused on tutoring in English since my return to the U.S. in 2012.

    I have worked with clients K-12; ESL child, adolescent and adult clients; American K-12, college, university and literacy clients; critical reading and essay writing clients; and clients taking AP English classes.

    I recently received a phone call from a TOEFL client who was a member of the Guadalajara Symphony Orchestra who wanted to get a Master's degree at an American school of music. He came to me after failing all four parts of the exam. We worked intensely for two months and he passed all four parts easily the next time he took the exam. He attended the Philadelphia School of Music and is now a member of the Philadelphia Philharmonic Orchestra.

    If you are looking for English or foreign language training, try to get a native speaker. For an English teacher, you want someone who is sensitive to your likes and dislikes so the program can be tailored to make the course interesting for you. The great advantage of one-on-one or small group tutoring is the ability to tailor the education to the student.

    IF they have been evaluated or had one or more tests where their grades were not satisfactory, they should request a private meeting with the teacher to discuss the situation from the teacher's point of view and from their own. They should come prepared to listen to the teacher's recommendations and attempt to implement them. 


    Services offered

    Esl