Faculty & Staff - Agape English Language Institute for Internationals, USA

Julia Hansen

Julia Hansen has had a life that was always interwoven with people from other cultures. As a small child in Indiana where she grew up, her country playmates were migrant children from the Texas border and Mexico. Various people from other nationalities seemed to be constant visitors in the home--Emily from Germany; Betty from Taiwan; preachers and missionaries from everywhere. As a young mother of 3 children, she served as a missionary with her husband in the South American country of Uruguay where she began to speak Spanish on an everyday basis. When they returned to America after one complete term, there were many opportunities to use the Spanish language in a small bilingual church in Denver. Then she taught Spanish in two Christian schools for 10 years. In July 2004 she returned from South Korea where she taught English as a second language to over 70 Korean students ages kindergarten to 45 for 3 years. She has been able to visit many countries: Canada, Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Chili, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Paraguay, Spain, Austria, Germany, Israel, China, Japan, and South Korea. This has added to her knowledge of different cultures. "I love teaching English to people from many different lands. I especially enjoy seeing them blend in the classroom and hearing their laughter as they begin to appreciate each other's personality." The classroom at Agape is conducive to warm friendly communication. It is informal but intense as the students are motivated to get as much as possible from their time there. "I'll do everything possible to help each student learn English in the most enjoyable fashion. I don't lecture much, but the students are constantly talking and using the language."