Photo courtesy of @beboulderphotography
About Focus on Language
Focus on Language is a language education consulting firm dedicated to increasing the quality of education through language. With over 15 years of experience in education as a language instructor, researcher, and operations director, I leverage my expertise to improve the experiences and skills of learners, educators, and families.
For educators and institutions this looks like program evaluation, curriculum design, professional development workshops and training, and strategic planning to increase student engagement and retention, develop and improve language teaching effectiveness, and ultimately elevate student outcomes and reach. Language is a part of everything we do - from every interaction to the ways we write and implement policy, design student services, design and analyze surveys, and write and deliver communications. I offer my expertise at every stage of institutional development, evolution, and impact.
For learners and families, this looks like tailored study plans to learn foreign languages and personalized program matching to language learning opportunities all over the world. It also looks like bespoke at-home language learning plans that enable parents and learners to progress in their language learning endeavors beyond the classroom through manageable activities and effective resources.
Read more about offerings here.
Who you’ll focus with:
My name is Marinka Swift - I’m a nerdy and passionate linguist and language education consultant with over 15 years of experience. As a trained researcher and language educator, I’m dedicated to making language learning experiences better for students, families, teachers, and academic institutions. I’ve also devoted my work and research to improving higher education. As a result, I have acquired a super unique skillset to support the development and improvement of educational opportunities and outcomes.
As a social scientist and devoted applied educator, I derive purpose from deploying my research training to help academic institutions identify areas of growth and make relevant changes. I believe in the power of academia to influence and foster belonging and transformative opportunity.
I design programming that is grounded in best practices and that strategically integrates the values, goals, and learner objectives of a department while also enjoyable, effective, and accessible for both learners and educators.
As a language teacher, I’ve taught Italian, Spanish, English and linguistics at the high school level, university level, as well as to migrants, adult learners, and in private settings. I’ve designed language curricula across language levels, goals, and needs and I’ve taught second language teaching courses to prospective teachers.
Ph.D. Linguistics, University of California, Davis
M.A. Linguistics, University of California, Davis
M.A. Pedagogy and Linguistics, Middlebury College Italian School
Languages: English, Italian, Spanish
Specializations: Second Language Acquisition, Applied Linguistics, Language Teaching, Language Education Technology, Curriculum Design, Program Evaluation and Assessment, Student Success
For Learners & Families
-
For the learners and families wanting to bring more language learning into the home but don't know where to start or how to keep the learning going - this service is for you.
For parents who want to support their child's language learning at home, especially when the child is learning a language that is not spoken at home, a Bespoke At-Home Language Learning Plan is exactly what you need to help your child stay motivated, feel supported, and keep the learning progressing beyond the classroom!
I set you and your family up with the right activities, resources, tools, and materials to bring more language learning into your daily life. I'm not talking about tutoring or lesson plans. I'm talking about actually bringing language into your home in the form of engaging learning spaces for your learner, language specific and bilingual materials to create visual and accessible language opportunities throughout your home, and fun yet manageable activities and ideas that even the most busy parents can support. Read more about this unique service here. -
I help you find the best language program for your or your child's goals. Whether seeking a summer opportunity between academic terms, professional language training, or bespoke language learning experiences domestically or abroad, I’ll find the best program for you/your learner and help you through the entire application process.
From language program research and selection to supporting you through the entire application process, I’m with you every step of the process.
For Educators
-
Interactive sessions on effective language teaching strategies, curricula design, technology integration, social justice in the language classroom, and more.
-
I develop and enhance language curricula for individual faculty or language departments. I also work with your department and your budget to integrate technology effectively into course syllabi and lesson plans that are engaging and easy to adapt.
-
How well is your department meeting the interests, needs, and goals of your students? Has course enrollment declined or increased? Do you know what factors are influencing student engagement with your course offerings? What can your department do to achieve more success and retention, for students, faculty and staff? Find out what's working and where your department can grow with a detailed Program Evaluation.
Why choose Focus on Language?
With a robust academic background and extensive hands-on experience, I bring a unique blend of theoretical knowledge, practical expertise, and global learning experience to my clients.
Expertise: Professional expertise and understanding of language learning and teaching, with over 15 years of language teaching, curriculum design, and language research.
Experience: Proven track record of improving language learning outcomes for learners and educators.
Customization: Tailored strategies to meet your specific goals and needs.
Commitment: Dedicated to using research to make learning and teaching language better for everyone involved.
Get in touch
Ready to transform your experiences with language learning? Contact me today to learn how you can get more out of language experiences.