About Lisa

Lisa Pontoppidan

 

Professional Qualifications

• Excellent communicator with students of all backgrounds 

• Skilled at developing and implementing creative and effective curricula

• Enthusiastic, versatile, and patient educator, committed to the success of all students

• Skilled at integrating video and computer technology into the classroom

 

Career Highlights

• Presented workshops at national and state professional conferences (ESL) and BU’s Center of Excellence in Teaching. Topics include: Commercials in Business English Class, LGBT in ESL, and the uses of video, projects, and music.  

• Co-produced a professional conference at School for International training. 

• Created and taught courses in Video Production for ESL students.

• Developed materials and assessment criteria for Project Based Learning.

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ESL Teaching Experience

 

CENTER FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND ORIENTATION PROGRAMS            

BOSTON UNIVERSITY, BOSTON, MA

Fall 2023, 2007 – 2019, Senior Lecturer

• Taught interactive, student-centered courses in English Language and Culture;

English for Academic Purposes; Video Production; Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening, Grammar, and Vocabulary. 

• Prepared lesson plans geared toward different learning styles. 

• Enhanced students’ progress in the four skills, grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation.

• Assessed students’ progress in the above according to the objectives of each course.

• Attended professional development activities, developed presentations, and shared original materials with colleagues. 

 

MUSIC AND ENGLISH INTENSIVE PROGRAM

BOSTON CONSERVATORY AT BERKLEE

2016 – 2019, ESL Teacher

• Taught for two summers and falls in the program, focusing on American Culture and the American Classroom, Poetry, as well as the four skills, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation.

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BROOKLINE ADULT AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION PROGRAM              

BROOKLINE, MA

         2003 – 2007, ESL Teacher

• Taught lively and interactive classes to adult immigrants of all ages.  

• Adapted textbooks and designed successful lessons and materials using integrated skills and student-centered approaches. 

• Designed courses in Listening and Using English in the Community. 

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Other Experience

 

FILM PRODUCER, DIRECTOR                                                                                                     

BOSTON, MA

2018 – 2023, 1985 – 1995, Independent Documentary Filmmaker 

Co-produced, directed, and edited documentaries and shorts about unique individuals, businesses, and families in the Boston area. 

 

WGBH TV, CHANNEL 2 (PBS)                                                                                      

BOSTON, MA 

1983 – 1991, Videotape Editor, Producer

Edited news and documentaries for educational television. Topics included: recent immigrants; the Black community on Martha’s Vineyard; and private violence. Edited nightly news program “The Ten O’clock News,” and produced special interest stories.

 

Education

 

SCHOOL FOR INTERNATIONAL TRAINING                                                 

BRATTLEBORO, VT

Master of Arts in Teaching English as a Second Language (2007)

Applied Linguistics, Intercultural Communication, Curriculum Design, 

Theories of Language Acquisition, Assessment, Reflective Teaching.  

Thesis: Using Songs in the ESL Classroom: a rationale, guide, and songbook.

 

NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC                                                          

BOSTON, MA

            Certificate of Contemporary Improvisation (1997)

Voice, Music Theory, Ear Training, Composition, Improvisation, Performance, Indian Classical Music

 

EMERSON COLLEGE                                                                                                       

BOSTON, MA

Bachelor of Arts in Television Production (1982)