Grammar Captive
About
Hi! My name is Roddy. I will be your host at Grammar Captive. I am happy that you have allowed me to introduce myself.
I started teaching English as a foreign exchange teacher in Kaiserslautern, Germany many years ago. Since then I have taught in Japan, Hong Kong, Korea, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, and the United States of America. I speak English (native), German, Japanese, and French at various levels of fluency and know bits and pieces -- some small and some large -- of Arabic, Cantonese, and Spanish. Recently I translated a book on the Hidden Christians of Japan from German into English that is already in line to be published.
The more ancient versions of German and French are cognates of the English language. I have also recently completed the first volume of Mount Cambitas - The Story of Real Money and am currently revising the second volume.
Having learned so many languages and taught English to so many people in so many cultures and educational contexts I have special insight into the English language and language learning in general that few English teachers can boast. This knowledge extends far beyond the grammar of the English language and includes phonology, composition, speech and letter writing, communication, social register, and so much more.
In addition to my many years of classroom training at some of the finest universities in Asia including Saitama (National) University in Japan, the Chinese University of Hong Kong in the -- you guessed it, Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong --, and King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudia Arabia, I have spent the past year tutoring one-on-one and in small groups on a variety of topics including English, Japanese, German, economics, statistics, financial accounting, and, of course, the role of money in voluntary, free markets. My students included teens from the age of 14, young adults, and some so very much older and younger.
I also maintain a blog at aveverum.substack.com where I post a weekly column about a variety of topics on what it means to be an American. These articles are targeted toward American citizens, but they cover topics that nearly anyone who is interested in the United States of America would likely be interested.
In the end, I am passionate about students who want to learn and take pleasure in watching them grow.
I look forward to meeting with you soon.
Roddy