Highly qualified educators are one of the key drivers behind the incredible success stories at IMMERSE. Whether leading communication-focused drop-in classes, skillfully guiding conversation practice sessions, or working one-one-one with learners, our language trainers bring a wealth of experience, expertise, and passion to every interaction with IMMERSE’s learners.
IMMERSE English trainer Dr. Sheila Mullooly has an Ed.D in Postsecondary Educational Leadership & Policy, a Master’s in TESOL Studies (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), and a B.A. in Biology as well as a Master’s in Fine Art, which she completed in Switzerland. A native speaker of English, she has 30 years of international TESOL teaching, administration, and specialist experience. She has taught in multiple countries, including Australia, the U.S., Ecuador, and Switzerland, and has taught at IMMERSE for the past year.
Dr. Mullooly sat down with us for a chat about her work at IMMERSE.
Tell us a little bit about your teaching background.
My focus is English as an international language for academic, professional, or personal purposes. My passion is helping others increase their intercultural competence and communicate more effectively across cultures around the world. In addition, I’m interested in the role new technologies play in the future of language learning and teaching.
Where have you taught English?
Australia, Burma, Ecuador, Scotland, South Korea, South Sudan, Sudan, Switzerland, the United States, Thailand, and Vietnam - and in VR.
How is teaching in IMMERSE different?
I take a sense of pride in knowing that we are some of the most experienced iVR educators in the world. It is rewarding to create effective and engaging iVR learning environments for such talented and motivated adult ESOL learners.
At IMMERSE, I can personalize experiential language learning to their personal, academic, or professional goals.
It is especially rewarding to develop fantastic learner-teacher relationships and hear directly from learners about their lived experiences.
Recently, an IMMERSE learner from Puerto Rico told me he passed his bio-chem class with an A and met all the prerequisites to apply to veterinary school in the U.S. He just submitted his application today! When we first met a number of months ago, he told me about the role his English speaking and listening skills will play in gaining him admission to a U.S. university.
During the one-on-one lessons we’ve had, he requested a mock vet school interview, which I provided for him in our professional networking center. While in the health clinic, we reviewed vocabulary, also useful for vets. He shared his experience volunteering in his father’s vet praxis. We adjusted the role plays for his purposes. For some time now, we’ve been covering structures and functions that will be useful in this type of interview. This learner has worked up some talking points and practiced them. Throughout all of this, it’s been a joy to witness his mindset shifts and growing determination to tackle this career pivot from engineering to veterinary medicine in his mid 30s.
Compared to your past experiences giving language training, are you seeing people learning better in Immerse?
Experiential language learning is the most beneficial. In order for language learning to be truly experiential, it needs to be engaging, interactive, and relevant to adult learners. After all, language learning is not just about memorizing vocabulary and grammar rules. It’s about having the confidence level needed to take risks and put language skills to use in real life.
Learners in IMMERSE regularly report less language learning anxiety, more fun authentically connecting with real people, and quicker gains using our application.
I’ve lost track of the number of members who have told me they got a new job because of their enhanced English skills.
Most of our learners are busy professionals and community members who lead full lives. IMMERSE provides them a convenient way to prioritize their language learning goals and make actual progress.
IMMERSE teachers, who are all highly qualified, native speakers who are enthusiastic, experienced, supportive, and fun, work tirelessly to create and hold safe spaces for learners. Our learners do feel very welcome and comfortable; they tell me, and new learners who have just joined Immerse, all the time.
How have you seen IMMERSE making a difference in people’s language learning journey?
Our learners thrive in our inclusive, transnational iVR experiential learning and teaching environments. They show up to not only learn English but also teach others about their cultures and worldviews. These global connections often lead to new perspectives and dreams.
Recently, some IMMERSE learners who have become good friends in VR met up with each other in real life. As I mentioned, others have shared exciting plans to pivot to a new career, gain admission to an academic program, or immigrate to a new country with their new-found English skills.
Share a favorite moment working with learners in IMMERSE.
During every lesson, I am curious to learn more about our learners, what motivates them to work so hard, and their specific dreams and ambitions.
Recently, an Ecuadorian learner living in Canada decided to switch jobs. She had been working at an Italian restaurant. During lessons in the meeting room and networking center, she gained phrases and pronunciation practice that came in handy during her job interview. We brainstormed some questions and answers she might use before her job interview, and she got the job. Now, she works nights at a bar close to her home.
During one-on-one lessons and small group lessons, I regularly set her up to shine, putting her professional English skills to use in iVR
—and sometimes blowing off some work-related steam in funny role plays (e.g. a bartender who decides to quit after too many difficult customers).
I work with another IMMERSE learner who is a professional bus driver in Utah. He likes to participate in lessons that directly relate to the job skill he needs. He is really interested in talking about public transportation, telling time, explaining schedules, and giving directions in a city. Last week, he particularly loved the responding to emergencies lesson and shared a lot of real world experiences and examples. This week he used phrases and structures from an advanced lesson on past hypotheticals to describe scenarios he’s dealt with in the past and alternative actions he might or could have taken. I could go on and on about our learners.
