Cathleen Skinner

Background

About Cathleen Skinner

Seeing inside the world of other people, especially other cultures, has always fascinated me. Connecting with them and living life in other languages and cultures first motivated me to become multi-lingual. Being able to read a novel in French, watch a movie in German, or listen to music in Spanish, and communicate about ideas with native speakers, as well as gain insight into events through a native’s perspective is empowering. It has also motivated me to work with English-language learners. Being able to communicate with people from other cultures has given me the opportunity to build friendships with others and to learn about myself as well as them. These relationships have helped me develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of a variety of diverse cultures, for which I am grateful. Having this curiosity and desire to explore and experience the way others see the world further motivated me to become a teacher - to train others in connecting with the world. This has lead me to study and teach linguistics, Second Language Acquisition and Global Leadership, as well as World Languages and ESL. Advocating for World Languages, English as a Second Language and global competency in leadership, helping others develop skills in these areas, and training those who have these skills to effectively share them is something I am passionate about. “Monolingualism is the new illiteracy.”