Head, TESOL Department (Nyack Campus) |
Prof. Pease began teaching at Nyack in 1995 |
Degrees Earned: |
M.Ed English Westfield State College
B.A English Gordon College |
Publications: |
Director, Summer TESOL Institute
Presentations: ACSI Teachers Conferences, Christian Educators of TESOL, Teacher training for lay people who would like to teach English overseas or as a local church ministry. |
Ministries: |
Retreat speaker |
Personal Questions |
Tell us about your spiritual journey. |
I was raised in a pastor's home and yet, at the age of four I knew that I needed to ask Jesus to come into my heart. At eleven, I dedicated my life to the Lord for missionary service.
In 1963, my husband, our two children, and I left the U.S. for missionary service in Japan. We served as missionaries to Japan for 24 years and have served in three pastorates here in the States. In looking back at a lifetime of ministry I recognize that the best time for a person to dedicate his or her life to the Lord is at an early age. |
Tell us about your family |
| My husband is Assistant Vice President and Academic Dean of the Alliance Theological Seminary. Our two grown children are active in ministry as laypersons in their churches. Our son Rick is an executive in a Japanese Corporation and located in Columbus, Indiana. Our daughter Sharry has her own business. She teaches English to Japanese business people in the Boston area. We have five grandchildren. |
Any outside interests or hobbies? |
| I enjoy reading and travel. |
How were you led to Nyack and/or why are you here? |
| I was a student at Nyack College. When my husband was asked to become the head of the Missiology and Religion Department of the college, I filled out an application. I started as an English as a second language teacher. After Nyack started offering a degree in TESOL, I became head of the department and principal instructor. |
What does your faith mean in your classroom or discipline? |
| Because many of my students are ministry-bound, it is not difficult to bring matters of faith into the classroom. There are many places in scripture where language is emphasized. Second, I encourage students to reach out to other people groups. For several years, teams of English teachers (English Teachers for Christ) have gone to churches and even a clothing factory to teach English to immigrants. In the summer, I have sent or taken teams to teach English overseas. The China Experience will be in its sixth year. This is one part of a partnership with a university in Southeast China. |
What does your faith mean in relationships (particularly with students)? |
| When students struggle academically, financially, or in their social lives, prayer is still the answer. I listen, give advice based on a long life, and pray with them. |
What are your favorite courses to teach? |
| I enjoy teaching Second Language Acquisition. Students are required to do a case study by interviewing a second language person. The questions are based on second language acquisition theory. I also enjoy teaching TESOL methods classes. My students go all over the globe to put into practice what they learn in those classes. |
What is/are your favorite book(s)? |
| I enjoy reading devotional books such as Chambers "My Utmost for His Highest." Old hymnbooks are another favorite. In my field there are several Christian authors and I have a delightful book titled "The Gift of the Stranger: Faith, Hospitality, and Foreign Language Learning" by Smith and Carvill. |
Thanks for Coming Home to Nyack!
A big thank you to those who took the time and effort to attend Homecoming 2008—truly a weekend that will long be remembered. And congratulations to the classes of ‘53, ‘58, ‘63, ‘68, ‘73, ‘78, ‘83, ‘88, ‘93, ‘98... 
