Amy Small

Amy Small joined the EMS faculty in 2016, but has worked in international education for over 30 years, teaching English for academic purposes as well as professional English. After finishing a B.A. in History, she turned her keen interest in language into an M.A. in Teaching English as a Second Language (UCLA). Always passionate about the Spanish language, she moved to Spain, where she worked at Universidad Europea for over 15 years, teaching English to both undergraduates and faculty. She has also taught international students at UCLA and UCSB Extension and worked in professional translation and interpreting of Spanish/English. Her areas of interest include communicative grammar instruction, materials development for the multilingual classroom, and lifelong learning practices.

What do students have to say?

• “What I like most about this course is that it is mainly about articles, but from the articles, I can learn knowledge about grammar and article structure. And the presentation part is great, that's new for me. What's more, this class is interesting, Amy is a super awesome teacher.”
• “Thank you again for all your support and guidance throughout the past year. From Ling 3A to Ling 12, my English writing skills have improved significantly. Without your instruction, I wouldn’t have made such progress. I’ve always lacked confidence in my writing—in fact, at the beginning of this quarter in Ling 12, I even shared my concerns with you about keeping up with the course. But you consistently encouraged me and provided constructive suggestions, from word choice to overall structure, all of which have tremendously benefited me.”
• "Thank you for your generous help in the office hours! I really learned a lot under your guidance. The course materials are insightful and innovative. Your teaching style is slightly strict (in a good way) but you show genuine care about your students and try to understand us.”