Pete Sciulli
About
Hi, I’m Pete — a TEFL certified online ESL teacher with 25+ years of real-world business experience and a love for short stories, comedy, and making English fun again.
I specialize in helping adult learners (ages 18+) speak English with confidence, clarity, and personality. Whether you're preparing for job interviews, leading meetings, or improving small talk, I offer customized Business English lessons based on real industry situations—from marketing and sales to HR and tech.
But here’s the twist: I also believe English learning should be engaging, creative, and even entertaining. That’s why I bring humor, sound effects, games, classic short stories, music, and interactive storytelling into my lessons. Students say my classes are the most fun they've ever had learning English—and they actually remember what they learn!
🔹 Lesson options include:
🎭 English Through Classic Short Stories (like O. Henry, Poe, or Le Guin)
📈 Business English for meetings, emails, presentations, or job interviews
🎙️ Edutainment English: Fun speaking lessons with music, humor, movies & culture
🗣️ Conversation & Fluency: Speak naturally and confidently in any setting
My goal is to help you learn, laugh, and speak like yourself—in English.
Also had iTutor and Preply on profile; removed those since they're competing companies. - LK 6/19
Teaching Style
My teaching style blends deep, meaningful learning with creativity and humor. I work almost exclusively with adults (ages 18+) who want to improve their English not just for tests or textbooks—but for real conversations, job success, and cultural connection.
In my literature-based classes, I focus on comprehension, interpretation, and discussion. Students receive curated resources (audiobooks, author bios, reviews, reactions) to explore the story before class. Then we meet to discuss what it means, how it connects to our lives, and how to express complex ideas in clear, fluent English.
In Business English and conversational lessons, I bring my 20+ years of experience in various industries to simulate real situations—meetings, interviews, presentations—with a personal, relaxed approach.
And yes—my classes are also fun. I use sound effects, humor, games, and cultural references to make learning memorable and human. Whether we’re reading Poe or practicing negotiation phrases, the goal is always the same: to build confidence, fluency, and joy in speaking English.
Curriculum
My teaching method is based on three pillars: comprehension, interpretation, and confident communication. I work with adult learners who want to go beyond surface-level English and dive into rich, meaningful conversation.
Each lesson is built around a short classic story, typically 10–20 minutes long in audiobook form. Before class, students receive a curated reading/listening pack, which includes:
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A link to the story (audio + text)
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Author background
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Literary analysis or review articles
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Discussion prompts or questions
During class, we focus on understanding the story’s meaning, discussing themes, characters, and emotions, and exploring how to express ideas clearly in English. Vocabulary and grammar points are introduced as needed, based on the story and student needs.
I also use humor, music, and real conversation strategies to help students speak naturally, listen deeply, and grow their confidence. My method is especially helpful for intermediate to advanced (B1–C1) learners who love stories, culture, and thoughtful discussion.
📚 Recommended Student Texts
My literature lessons feature a wide selection of classic short stories and modern gems, carefully chosen for their length, clarity, and discussion potential. These include:
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The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant
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The Lady or the Tiger? by Frank R. Stockton
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The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
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The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas by Ursula K. Le Guin
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There Will Come Soft Rains and The Pedestrian by Ray Bradbury
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Harrison Bergeron and EPICAC by Kurt Vonnegut
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A White Heron by Sarah Orne Jewett
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The Lady of Shalott by Alfred Lord Tennyson (poetic text)
All stories are under 20 minutes in audio length and come with ready-to-use materials.
Credentials & Affiliations
I have been teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) for over six years, working primarily with adult learners from around the world. I hold a 120-hour TEFL certification accredited by the IARC (completed in 2020), and I earned my MBA in Business from Case Western Reserve University in 2010.
Before becoming a full-time teacher, I spent over 20 years in the business world, working across a wide range of industries and roles. This real-world experience allows me to teach Business English with authenticity, insight, and relevance.
My teaching background includes roles with EF/English First, The Princeton Review, and private students. I also specialize in teaching English through classic short stories and have been offering literature-based ESL lessons for over two years.
