A window to the world: Language teacher sees 'amazing things'

Lisa Naylor views her job as a window to the world.

An instructor with UC San Diego Extension’s English Language Institute (ELI) for nearly 20 years, Naylor still feels a surge of intellectual pride about her role.

 
Instructor Profile
Lisa Naylor,
English Language Institute

“It’s such a great thing to be in a classroom with people from different countries and everybody’s learning and getting along,” she said. “It gives me hope for the world, it really does. Amazing things happen in our classrooms.”

Proficient in Spanish, French, and Japanese, Naylor first fulfilled her adventurous spirit in her 20s, when she would treat herself to at least one out-of-country adventure a year.

“I’ve always been fascinated with how people from different cultures communicate with each other, and how our languages are formed,” she said. “Even now, I find that the longer I teach, the more I enjoy it.”

A self-described Francophile, Naylor spent her junior year of college in the south of France, part of her French literature studies at Cal State Fullerton. She later earned a master’s in applied linguistics at San Diego State.

“Teaching English is a great career for me,” said Naylor, who specializes in curriculum design and medical English. “I’ve always loved different languages, so you could say that teaching English came very naturally to me.”

Interacting daily with her close-knit colleagues also enriches her life.

“Extension has given me a second home,” she said. “I work with truly amazing colleagues -- smart, dynamic, cool people with open minds.  It’s wonderful to work in such an international environment.”