Meet the Director & Instructors
 Director,
Sam Song, PhD
Dr. Song has worked in the area of
international education development for two decades. He holds a
BA in American and British Language and Literature from Anqing
Teachers College (China), an MA in TESOL from Fresno Pacific
University and a PhD in Educational Leadership from the
University of Minnesota. He has a decade of experience leading
English Language Institutes in China. In addition to his
leadership at Salisbury University, Dr. Song serves as president
(CEO) of the not-for-profit International Council for Education
Development (ICED), an organization whose mission is “to promote
international cooperation and advancement in the areas of
education, business, government, and social betterment.”
Dr. Song continues to serve as a visiting professor at
Anqing Teachers College (China) where he lectures. His academic
interests include TESOL, teacher education and strategic
leadership. Dr. Song’s professional passion is for international
cooperation of education, public affairs, and business
management with a high purpose of character development. Dr
Song’s research interest focuses on leadership development in
educational administration and curriculum development.
Instructor, Susan Cooledge, PhD
Dr. Susan Cooledge holds a
PhD in Second Language Acquisition and Teaching from the
University of Arizona. Since 2000, she has taught French
and ESL courses at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
At Salisbury University, she has co-instructed a study abroad
program, supervised undergraduate and graduate student interns
in French and Spanish, and serves as a faculty member for
TARGET, a TESOL graduate program. Her research interests
include L2 reading, writing & vocabulary, intercultural
competence, study abroad, and assessment.
Instructor, Sean Cooper
Mr. Sean Cooper graduated with an MA in TESOL from The
University of Texas at Arlington in 2011. Prior to that, he
spent four years in Japan teaching EFL at the elementary, junior
high, and senior high levels. During that time, he pioneered an
innovative English curriculum for elementary school students,
the first of its kind in the region. Since returning to the
United States, he has participated in a variety of ESL-oriented
events, including long-term volunteer teaching to preliterate
non-native speakers. Now at Salisbury University, he coordinates
the Speaking curriculum of our English Language Institute. He is
also involved in increasing international ties between our
university and Japan, including teaching the first-ever Japanese
language class at Salisbury University. Sean’s research
interests include pedagogical phonology for East Asian L2
English speakers, intercultural competence for international
students, and community-based language revitalization.
Instructor, Sandy
Johnston
Ms. Sandy Johnston earned her M.A. in Composition and Rhetoric from Salisbury University, with additional graduate credits in TESOL, and a B.A. Communication/Journalism from Shippensburg University. She has taught technical writing and composition at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore for the past 10 years. She also has taught writing workshops for international students to improve their writing skills.
Student Advisor, Jessica Emhoff
Ms. Jessica Emhoff
attended Saint Francis University and Salisbury University to
obtain a dual degree in English/Secondary Education. She has
worked closely with the Eastern Shore's international, adult
population of learners since 2004, serving as an instructor of
English as a Second language for the local Board of Education,
as well as Wor -Wic Community College. She has taught Beginning,
Intermediate, and Advanced Level courses to non-native speakers
as well as a Civics and Citizenship course for those who are
interested in becoming citizens and an online MSDE accelerated
diploma course for those furthering their educational goals. A
member of the Bienvenidos group, Jess has formed strong
connections with the international members of our community as
well as advocate groups for the immigrant population such as
Catholic Charities and CASA.
Instructor,
Kelly Tawes
Kelly Tawes, from Salisbury, MD,
graduated from McDaniel College (founded as Western Maryland
College in 1867) in 2005 with a dual major in Spanish and
Communication. During her time in college she studied
abroad in Santiago, Dominican Republic where she
attended Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra. As
part of her experience living in the Dominican Republic she
taught English as a foreign language to Dominican children.
After graduating she completed an internship with Presidential
Classroom in Washington, D.C. and then accepted a position
at Wor-Wic Community College in Salisbury teaching Spanish.
She earned her TEFL Certificate in 2006 and in the 2007-08
school year she taught Spanish at Mardela Middle and High
School. In the summer immediately following she began
employment with the Adult Learning Center through the Wicomico
County Board of Education teaching an Advanced ESOL class.
Currently, she is completing a Master’s in TESOL at Salisbury
University.
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