My name is Ila Baker. I am an instructor at CELCIS. I have been teaching at CELCIS since 1990. I have a master's degree from Michigan State University in the field of TESOL (teaching English to speakers of other languages). I also have a master's degree from Western Michigan University in the field of speech-language pathology.

I began my career teaching English in Japan in 1982. Through this experience, I found I enjoy learning about new cultures and language and interacting with people from various cultures.

My approach to teaching English is to help the students make sense of the language. I know that students learn in their own ways and for their own reasons. I like to make the learners as independent as possible by teaching them strategies for learning and showing them resources that can aid their learning even after they are no longer my students. I employ many of these strategies in my study of Dutch languages.

I live with my husband, who is from Netherlands, in a small town near Kalamazoo. I have two daughters who are in elementary school. In my free time I volunteer at their school and read in both my first and second languages.

If you have any questions you would like to ask me about the CELCIS program, please feel free to contact me at my E-mail address: ila.baker@wmich.edu