September 25, 2014

Mary Chang, Academic Director

American English and Culture Program
Arizona State University
1021 South Palm Walk, Engineering Annex 101
Tempe, AZ 85281
Dear Mary Chang:
I was so excited to hear about the instructor openings within the growing American
English and Culture Program at Arizona State University from Vincent Lauter when he
visited my Practicum Capstone course at the Monterey Institute of International Studies
(MIIS). I understand that some of the program growth is due to new initiatives with Latin
America. I believe my recent experience teaching EFL in Colombia along with the
knowledge and skills I have gained at MIIS would make me an excellent addition to your
faculty.
I am currently in my final semester as a Peace Corps Masters International student,
returning to the program after serving for two years in Colombia. In these past two years
I have added extensive teaching and teacher-training experience to my previous work
with adult ESL programs in Monterey and Washington, DC. While working with the
Colombian Ministry of Education and Cartagena Secretary of Education in traditional
classroom settings, I also created an opportunity for distance learning among English
language professionals throughout the country with an English Teaching Methodology
Webinar Series. In my coursework at MIIS this semester, I am researching how English
can be successfully taught in a virtual setting, exploring existing resources, and
developing a curriculum for a webinar series modeled on my previous project. In addition
to teaching English in a public school, as well as online, I have also organized and
facilitated extracurricular activities for language learners to develop and practice skills,
such as community English for Tourism classes and conversation clubs.
Please find my resume attached with my three professional references. I am moving to
Arizona after I complete my MATESOL in December and I believe I would really enjoy
teaching in the AECP. I am confident that my qualifications would be of value to the
program and I look forward to the opportunity to discuss this further with you in the very
near future.

Sincerely,
Kaitlin Decker