Asghar Ali

August 26, 2024

To Whom it May Concern

Dear Sir / Madam:

I am writing to express my strong interest in the English Language Instructor position at your organization. After reviewing the job description, I was excited and believe that I am a suitable candidate for the position. I am a Canadian from Vancouver, BC, based in Japan at the present but will be relocating and available for work starting this September (2024). 

I have taught English as a second and as a foreign language (ESL/EFL) for more than a decade in Japan. Before that, I taught English to foreign students in Vancouver, Canada. Over the years, I have been actively involved in curriculum development, lesson planning, English proficiency testing, essay and speech writing for oratorical contests, editing and proofing, and team teaching alongside my Japanese counterparts at a college, many junior high schools and elementary schools. I have a well-rounded skill set suitable in both class / small group or individual one-on-one teaching settings. I have experience of both settings since I have taught not only at schools of different sizes and a college but also at English conversation schools here in Japan, commonly known as “Eikaiwa” or English conversation schools. These small schools are mostly for private English lessons for people with diverse needs, mostly work and business related. 

Throughout my teaching career, I have had the privilege of working with diverse student populations. I have taught students of all ages, from different socio-cultural backgrounds and with different linguistic skills or abilities. The two most important things I have learned are patience and resourcefulness. Learning a new language is not easy. It is very time-consuming and requires a lot of patience and perseverance especially by the teacher. I realized it first hand because of my own struggle with the Japanese language. Teaching and learning a second language requires a lot of motivation which means, among other things, that an instructor needs to be creative, innovative and resourceful. This is another thing I have learned over the years.

As you can see from my attached resume, I have a diverse educational background and hold many degrees, licenses and certificates, mostly related to pedagogy and social and environmental issues. Not only in practice, but I also have a strong background in pedagogical theory. I have published academic papers, articles and book reviews in scholarly peer-reviewed journals. Although not mentioned in my profile, I speak four languages, including Japanese. I am also on LinkedIn.

I look forward to hearing from you to discuss how I can contribute with all my skills and how my experience can be of value to your organization.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Asghar Ali

I have taught English as a second and as a foreign language (ESL/EFL) for more than a decade in Japan. Before that, I taught English to foreign students in Vancouver, Canada. Over the years, I have been actively involved in curriculum development, lesson planning, English proficiency testing, essay and speech writing for oratorical contests, editing and proofing, and team teaching alongside my Japanese counterparts at a college, many junior high schools and elementary schools. I have a well-rounded skill set suitable in both class / small group or individual one-on-one teaching settings. I have experience of both settings since I have taught not only at schools of different sizes and a college but also at English conversation schools here in Japan, commonly known as “Eikaiwa” or English conversation schools. These small schools are mostly for private English lessons for people with diverse needs, mostly work and business related. 

Two university degrees at the master's level, from Australia and the UK.

TESOL diploma from Canada.

EIKEN English proficiency examiner at the higher levels, from Grade 3 through Grade Pre-1. EIKEN is the Japanese equivalent of TOEFL and IELTS.

Publications on pedagogical theory and practice.

Publications on socio-environmental issues.

Member of English teaching associations.