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Karen Shelver
Professional TeacherProfessional Teacher![]()
Teaches
English
Native
Speaks
Other
AMERICAN ACCENT Adults/BizEng/Teens/ExamPrep/kids 6+
Teaches
English
Native
Speaks
Other
AMERICAN ACCENT Adults/BizEng/Teens/ExamPrep/kids 6+
About Me
Me as a Teacher
My lessons & teaching style
Resume & Certificates
From United StatesLiving in Surat Thani, Thailand (17:48 UTC+07:00)
About Me
italki teacher since Feb 1, 2022InterestsFoodReadingHistoryFilms & TV SeriesArt
My name is Teacher Karen. I am from the State of California, in the USA, currently residing in Thailand. My classes are fun and engaging for all, from young kids up to adults practicing fluency. My accent is neutral and very easy to understand.
I'm a TEFL/TESOL qualified Pro Teacher. I hold a Degree in Creative Writing and a TEFL Certificate *120 hours* with lots of experience. I've been teaching ESL/EFL for about 15 years. I have guided students planning to take IGCSE, IELTS, TOEFL and others. I enjoy helping people improve their business fluency. Adults, teens and kids can work on their speaking, listening and comprehension for school, work, future job opportunities, or any other reason.Me as a Teacher
In June 2024, a young student wrote about his IELTS score: "Hi teacher, I got 7.5 overall and 7.5 for speaking". He was happy. I'm very proud of this student's achievement, and all the others like it that I have enjoyed being a part of. Others have written similar results; most felt they could only have received the score they got due to my help and guidance.
I try to make learning fun and engaging by using proven methods and techniques. We will have conversations on a variety of topics no matter the students' skills or confidence level. I provide a variety of useful resources, such as full curricula, to help guide students on their exciting learning journey.My lessons & teaching style
I encourage students to choose topics they wish to discuss and I'll correct pronunciation and grammar as needed using proven techniques for remembering what they learn. Students are rewarded for self-correcting (HOORAY!) errors while I provide patient guidance, kindness and support. I find a touch of humor goes a long way. :-). No matter if it's the first lesson or ongoing packages, students will gain MUCH CONFIDENCE in their ability to hold all sorts of conversations with other English speakers without worrying about making mistakes. We will have you talking confidently today!!My teaching material
- PDF file
- Text Documents
- Presentation slides/PPT
- Audio files
- Video files
- Articles and news
- Quizzes
- Test templates and examples
Certificates
TEFL - Island TEFL, Koh Samui, Thailand - 2011I completed 120 hours class and 8 hours teaching practice in my TEFL course. I completed the course and received a certificate to teach English as a Second Language.
Certificate verified
Teaching experience
2011 - 2021
Teacher of English as a second languageI tought English as a second language in the Thai government school system for about 11 years. I have experience teaching kindergarten through grade 13 (high school senior). I have also taught individual and group classes of children, teens and adults. I have taught business English to adults one on one and in a group environment. I have had positive feedback from the institutions as well as individuals.
Education
1988 - 1991
Bachelor’s - Creative Writing
Work Experience
2011 - 2021
ESL TeacherI taught ESL in several schools in Thailand from Kindergarten to year 13 for nearly 11 years. I have taught beginners and assisted in exam preparation courses for IELTS and Cambridge IGCSE. I have also taught Business English to adults privately from time to time. I have retained materials for all levels and all student needs and will provide structured lessons for all specific learning needs.
2012 - 2020
TeacherI taught small group classes of business professionals from several industries, such as hospital staff and mining industry workers, how to improve their communication skills as a part-time tutor. I also taught children one on one and small group classes whose ages ranged from 5 years to 14 years old, all levels and all aspects of English: reading, writing, listening, speaking, grammar and conversational English. Business groups received certificates of completion at the end of each course.
5.0
Rating
282
Students
1,616
Lessons
99%
Attendance rate
100%
Response rate
English Lessons
Trial Lesson
134 lessons completed
USD 12.00+
Introducing myself: Sowing the seeds for a continuing English learning journey. Beginner level (A1-A2)
A1 - A2Language Essentials233 lessons completed
USD 12.00+
Package with 10% off
Lower/Upper Intermediate Conversation / comprehension (B1 / B2)
B1 - B2Language Essentials588 lessons completed
USD 12.00+
Package with 10% off
Intermediate/Advanced level/speaking/listening test preparation (B1 - C1)
B2 - C1Language Essentials530 lessons completed
USD 12.00+
Package with 11% off
Professional / Business Conversation - Upper Intermediate/Advanced (B1 - C2)
B1 - C1Language Essentials106 lessons completed
USD 12.00+
Package with 11% off
Intermediate/Advanced Conversation for small groups - Teens 16+ and adults ONLY
B1 - C1Language Essentials0 lessons completed
USD 15.00+
Package with 11% off
NEW LESSONS FOR 6 - 12 y/o KIDS! Develop the 4 skills: read,write,listen,speak + add vocab
A1 - B2Language Essentials25 lessons completed
USD 16.00+
Package with 10% off
Availability
Based on your timezone (UTC+00:00)
79 Reviews
Gabriela
16 English lessons
Teacher’s pick
I really enjoy the classes with Karen! They are always very engaging and easy to follow, which makes it much easier to practice fluency.
Jan 1, 2025
yanhongcatherine
20 English lessons
Teacher’s pick
Karen is very good teacher! She is always well prepared before our lesson starts . I like her way of teaching and the topics we talked about during the lessons. she is very patient and understanding. Thanks, Karen!
Sep 16, 2024
Olga N
2 English lessons
It was an interesting conversation again, thank you:)
Aug 31, 2025
Tanya
53 English lessons
Teacher’s pick
Fascinating and funny, as always! Teacher Karen’s lessons are such a pleasure to attend. Thank you!
Dec 15, 2024
Szegi Lajos
1 English lesson
I really enjoyed the conversation with Karen. She is very motivating and could give me a plan how to reach my goals.
Sep 18, 2025
Olga N
2 English lessons
Karen is a positive and friendly person. We had a wonderful conversation.
Aug 30, 2025
Trial Lesson
USD 12.00
Your final payment will be made in USD