Kitty
Visited 15 days ago
Kitty
Professional Teacher
Teaches
Dutch
Native
English
Speaks
German
Spanish
French
Italian
Portuguese
Chinese (Mandarin)
Swiss German
Certified Teacher | Textbook & Test Developer | MA in Linguistics, MSc in EdTech |10+ yrs experience
Teaches
Dutch
Native
English
Speaks
German
Spanish
French
Italian
Portuguese
Chinese (Mandarin)
Swiss German
Certified Teacher | Textbook & Test Developer | MA in Linguistics, MSc in EdTech |10+ yrs experience
From NetherlandsLiving in Other, Switzerland (08:58 UTC+02:00)
About Me
italki teacher since Feb 10, 2021Interest topicFoodTravelReading
I come from a tiny town in the Dutch countryside, but have always been intrigued by foreign languages and cultures. I left the Netherlands 5 years ago when I started working remotely for Dutch publishers.
My academic background is in English (BA), Applied Linguistics - TEFL (MA), Educational Technology (MSc) and Education and Sustainability. I have worked in education for more than 9 years, yet I cannot get enough of languages! I have passed official English (C2), German (C1), and Spanish (C1) exams and am currently working on my French. Other hobbies of mine are cooking, hiking, photography, reading, running, and weightlifting.Me as a Teacher
My heart is not just in teaching, but in all aspects of education. Over the last 9 years I have worked as a (private) language teacher, test writer, textbook author and editor, and e-learning developer. I have taught beginners to advanced learners, teenagers and adults. As a teacher, I enjoy combining the knowledge and skills I have acquired to create individual learning plans and engaging content for students.
I teach general language skills (speaking, reading, listening, writing, grammar, pronunciation), test preparation, and business and academic language skills. In addition, I can proofread your writing.My lessons & teaching style
My lessons are very student driven; the content of our lessons will depend on what you wish to achieve. I tailor my lessons and homework to your goals and interests to make your language learning experience not only a success, but more importantly, enjoyable and motivating.
I see language use as a tool, not a goal in itself. I will use media and materials about your topics of interest to practice a specific language topic. During the lesson, I will write down vocab and grammar notes and tips for you to review after class. For homework assignments, I like to use podcasts, videos, articles, and recipes that we can discuss in class.
Classes on: Italki, Skype, Hangouts, or to be discussed.My teaching material
- PDF file
- Text Documents
- Audio files
- Image files
- Video files
- Articles and news
- Test templates and examples
- Graphs and charts
- Homework Assignments
Certificates
TOEFL iBT (C2 level of English) - ETS - 2018I completed the Internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL iBT) from Educational Testing Service (ETS) as part of a university entry exam. I scored 115 out of 120 points, which corresponds to a C2 level of English on the CEFR scale.
Reading 30/30 points
Listening 27/30 points
Speaking 29/30 points
Writing 29/30 points
Certificate uploaded
Goethe C1 (88/100) - Goethe Institut - 2021I completed the Goethe C1 exam from Goethe Institut. I scored 88 out of 100 points, obtaining the Grade 'good'.
Reading 19/25 points
Listening 24/25 points
Writing 22/25 points
Speaking 23/25 points
Certificate uploaded
Education
2018 - 2019
Master's - M.Sc. in Digital Humanities (Educational Technology)Degree obtained with Great Distinction (Magna Cum Laude).
Relevant coursework: Topics in Educational Technology
2013 - 2014
Master's - Applied Linguistics - TEFLRelevant coursework: Theory of Second Language Development, Teaching Methodology, and Computer-Assisted Language Learning
Thesis topic: Motivational Profiles in Dutch ESL Learners.
2018 - 2020
Master's - Education and Sustainability
2010 - 2013
Bachelor’s - English Language and CultureThesis topic: English pronunication for Dutch ESL learners.
Minors: Multilingualism, Italian Proficiency (B1)
Work Experience
2019 - 2020
Freelance English E-Learning Developer (remote)Hogeschooltaal develops e-learning modules for university students. My tasks included:
researching English writing practices for employment, education and the workplace; developing and editing task-based e-learning modules for English writing skills (CEFR B2-C1); and
collaborating virtually via Zoom and Google G Suite.
2016 - 2019
Freelance ESL Textbook Author and EditorI am the co-author of five of ESL e-textbooks for secondary English education. As an author and editor my tasks included: writing and editing task-based blended language, culture and critical thinking lessons; developing tests and assessment frameworks; and
collaborating virtually via SharePoint and Adobe Digital Editions.
2016 - 2017
Freelance Author and Editor (remote)Diataal provides remedial English reading materials and tests. My tasks included:
writing, editing and proofreading texts and worksheets for publication (CEFR A1-B1); analyzing and adjusting the readability of English texts to different language levels; and planning and managing the workflow of the editorial team.
2015 - 2015
Volunteer English Teacher / Teaching AssistantLos Patojos is a primary school for disadvantaged children. I worked as a volunteer teaching assistant and English teacher at Los Patojos for six weeks. I gained valuable experience teaching at primary school level, particularly concerning creative methods and strategies to teach English to young learners.
2014 - 2014
English Teacher (bilingual education)Rijnlands Lyceum Sassenheim is an upper secondary school. I worked in the bilingual department of the school. My tasks included: planning and preparing English classes, teaching English to pre-university secondary students in the English-taught programme (11-17 years old), developing (CLIL) language teaching materials.
2016 - 2017
Corporate Trainer and Translator (English - Dutch)Eagle develops and delivers skills training for sales professionals. As a Trainer I was responsible for the delivery of hands-on skills training to sales representatives in Belgium. Additionally, I was responsible for the translating of training materials (English – Dutch).
2015 - 2016
English Teacher (IB education)Maartenscollege is a secondary school for international (IB) education. As an English teacher, I was responsible for developing lesson plans, presentations, teaching materials, and assessments;
teaching English to Middle Years Programme students (11-17 years old); and contributing to interdisciplinary IB curriculum development.
2012 - 2016
Private Language Teacher (English, Dutch, French)A strong interest and passion for languages moved me to start teaching private language classes during my bachelor's studies. I taught English, French and Dutch classes to both secondary students and adults and developed teaching materials to meet my students' needs.
2016 - 2024
OwnerIn 2016 I founded my own company, Kitty de Vries Language Education. My main services are language teaching (English and Dutch) and educational content development.
2022 - 2024
Dutch and English Test SpecialistI develop language tests for Bureau ICE's student tracking systems.
5.0
Rating
32
Students
290
Lessons
100%
Attendance
100%
Response
Dutch Lessons
Dutch
English
Trial Lesson
22 lessons completed
USD 20.00+
A1-C2: General Dutch for Beginners, Intermediate, or Advanced Learners (speaking / listening / reading / writing / grammar / spelling / pronunciation)
A1 - C1General100 lessons completed
USD 52.50+
Package with 5% off
B1-C2 Dutch for specific purposes (business / academia / education / healthcare)
B1 - C2General50 lessons completed
USD 60.00+
Package with 5% off
A2-C2: Dutch Test Prep (CNaVT / Inburgeringsexamen / Staatsexamen NT2 Programma I of II)
A2 - C2Test Preparation43 lessons completed
USD 75.00
Package with 5% off
Availability
Based on your timezone (UTC+00:00)
33 Reviews
All
Dutch
English
Maria Popescu
31 Dutch lessons
Teacher’s pick
I have just had another great time learning Nederlands with Kitty! The lessons are very helpful and friendly, but structured so you are learning new things every time. Kitty is very patient and explains things thoroughly so anyone can understand the grammar and the particularities of the language, which is challenging to do. She is encouraging and motivating by creating an exciting learning environment for me to study, but also enjoy it!
Aug 31, 2021
Lena Neweling
12 Dutch lessons
Teacher’s pick
Thank you very much for our lessons!
I would always recommend learning Netherlands/languages with Kitty: she was always perfectly prepared and worked personell strategies out, fitting to your personal goals and study type. She invested even more work in the lessons (beyond the paid hours) and created always a very motivating atmosphere!
She is a very experienced language teacher and preparing for my CNavT exam with Kitty was the best choice.
Hartelijk bedankt :)
Apr 30, 2021
Jan
25 English lessons
Teacher’s pick
Kitty is an excellent teacher. I specifically want to improve my English
pronunciation and she helps me every step along the way, with lots of helpful
material and homework specifically tailored to my needs. She also has a ton of
knowledge about English, which helps tremendously with understanding the
concepts and rules. I'm very happy to have her as my teacher.
Mar 24, 2021
Ted
2 Dutch lessons
Kitty is an exceptional teacher. She is very organized, intelligent and she makes her lessons fun. She also teaches in a way that results in learning.
Aug 29, 2023
David
1 Dutch lesson
Kitty is a well-distinguished woman, finely educated who provided valuable insights during the lesson. Looking forward to continue with her
Sep 27, 2022
Lena
17 Dutch lessons
Goed als altijd!
Aug 25, 2021
Trial Lesson
USD 20.00
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This teacher isn't accepting lesson requests. You can try to contact the teacher to arrange a lesson.