Since
her first experience, at 15 years old, as a foreign exchange
student to the Netherlands with YFU,
Susan Svensson has been involved in and promoted international
exchange. In addition to her homestay experience in the
Netherlands, she has stayed in homestays in Hungary, Yugoslavia, Mexico
(Guadalajara and Oaxaca), and Austria. Susan also stayed in homestays in Malta
and Brazil when she was in those countries teaching English to business professionals. Susan is passionate about the
value of international exchange and volunteers for local international
exchange programs, including the Oakland-Fukuoka Sister City
Organization (OFSCA) and the International Visitor Leadership Program (formerly
International Diplomacy Council) of the Institute of
International Education.
When she was first asked to create a homestay program for ELS
Language Centers in Oakland, California, she welcomed the opportunity.
Her reputation for finding warm, welcoming hosts in middle and
upper-middle class neighborhoods spread rapidly and soon other
organizations sought her services. Susan has studied Spanish,
French, and Swedish, but she has also learned to say
"welcome" in many languages and personally greets ESI's
international homestay visitors shortly after their arrival.
In addition to managing the homestay program for Educational
Services, Intl., Susan is an instructional designer and workplace communications specialist,
most recently working with The
Mosaic Company and
G2nd Systems She has over 25 years experience
teaching and designing curricula for corporations, educational
institutions, and English language schools. Susan holds
degrees in English, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
(TESOL), and has an Adult Education Teaching Credential and a Career
Technical Education Credential.
Susan has also participated in many workshops at the Intercultural
Communications Institute.
Her work has included teaching and developing customized training
materials for Microsoft, BioRad, Boston Scientific, Chiron, Bank of America,
LBL, Camico, Intel, and many, many more. Read a letter of recommendation.
