Comments on teaching

See also “LAA English Teacher Connects to Students through Language and Culture,” Latin American Association, winter 2014.

Laura Bird, English Instructor, Coordinator of ESL, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL

[John is] quick to volunteer, quicker to comply with a request, caring and compassionate to clients and to the larger world, a true gentleman, and an excellent teacher with a positive attitude.

Lana Gavrilov, Director of Adult Education, Latin American Association, Atlanta, GA

Students consistently returned to John’s classes, which were interesting, dynamic, and fun and conducted according to a communicative approach. He included video and audio components in his lessons and facilitated intercambio exchanges, which are unique opportunities for English and Spanish students to practice conversation in a multicultural setting.

Stephanie Richter, Assistant Director, Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL

John demonstrated a strong commitment to effective teaching through [his] own professional development. John regularly attended programs offered by the Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center while serving as a Graduate Assistant at Northern Illinois University, and was recognized with the Graduate Teaching Certificate in Fall 2017.

Kismet Saglam, Instructor, International TEFL Academy, Chicago, IL

[John] demonstrated an excellent command of the key concepts and concerns facing TEFL instructors, and showed that he has a firm understanding of the methods and approaches that are most conducive to working with students in an EFL study program.

John Wilson, Ed.D., Associate Vice President, International Programs, University of North Georgia, Dahlonega, GA

Because of Mr. Turnbull’s commitment to his field, he is able to expand his classroom beyond four walls. Everything he has experienced through his education, his travels, and his uncommon life becomes part of his curriculum. His ability to teach is undeniable, but his ability to open the minds of students to the existence and appreciation of other cultures is remarkable. Through his persistence, patience, and cultural expertise, he is able to create a welcoming, warm environment where language learners can take risks and feel encouraged to speak the English language.

Student & parent comments

Intensive English Program student, University of Texas at San Antonio, October 2019

Mr. John teaches kindly English. Especially in class he’ve never contradicted what he said. And through this semester I could learn a lot of things. Then, I could learn how to learn English by myself. He has humor. He motivated me to study English.

Intensive English Program student, University of Texas at San Antonio, October 2019

John Turnbull is a excellent teacher for English. He has methodology, he understands the process to learn a second language. UTSA win with the incorporation of J.T.

Intensive English Program student, University of Texas at San Antonio, October 2019

He is a great teacher he loves what he is doing and cares about his students. He always starts the class with an interesting conversation to start the class in a good note.

ENGL 203 student, Northern Illinois University, May 2019

John Turnbull forced me to step out of my comfort zone in order to explore what it means to be more than just [a] good writer. … For the first time since coming to NIU, I felt like I was learning as a writer. … I was finally receiving actual, in-depth reviews of my writing.

ENGL 203 student, Northern Illinois University, May 2019

I have learned many skills that were taught by my amazing teacher and, as a result, I believe that I can be more objective, descriptive and attentive in all my future essays.

ENGL 203 student, Northern Illinois University, May 2019

My teacher … helped me to grow as a writer in many ways such as the basic tools for writing, how to research and prep for research assignments and how to execute a proper research paper.

ENGL 203 student, Northern Illinois University, May 2019

This class has helped in dusting off the cobwebs of my mind and allowed me to access metaphorical muscles I wasn’t sure would even be there.

Joon, Lisle, IL, January 2016

John is very patient, experienced and prepared. … [W]hat I really like is that he sent me a detailed summary of “what we covered” after each lesson.

Michelle, Bristol, IL, December 2015

I learned more in one hour with John than four weeks in my senior thesis class. Built my confidence for me to continue.

Tim, Naperville, IL, July 2015

You are Timmy’s favorite teacher. We are very pleased with the significant improvement in Timmy’s English writing.

Melanie, Atlanta, GA, May 2015

I can’t thank John enough with teaching our son and getting him caught up with writing and vocabulary. I highly recommend him for any child who needs help in English, writing, and or vocabulary.

Tom, Norcross, GA, May 2014

He went past my expectations and helped me to improve my writing skills. … He did word association and helped me understand how to organize my thoughts on paper. Overall, he was a joy to work with and I’d be glad to recommend him to anyone that is looking for help with their writing skills.

Comments on writing

Jim Donnelly, Co-Host at Hemmings Motor News Radio, Burlington, VT

If more daily newspapers had had the good fortune to employ reporters with John’s heart, intellect and conscience, they might still be in business today. His towering ability as a writer is almost secondary to his values.

Lawrence Cann, Founder & CEO, Street Soccer USA, New York, NY

The Global Game site and book provide a unique source for insight, info, and truth about the cultural, intellectual, and social reality that exists around the spectacle of the world’s game. The creator, John Turnbull, is a diligent, clear-minded, and fair journalist and researcher of the game. His passion and humor exist just beneath a surface of perfect professionalism. John has developed the website over time into an entertaining, smart, and digestible resource on world football and culture. The book he put together with his colleagues, The Global Game, is remarkable for the notoriety of many of its authors and the breadth and diversity in its selections, which appropriately mimic the notoriety, breadth, and diversity of the global game whose literature it successfully surveys. For anyone that cares about what football/soccer means to society, and for anyone seeking to explore the depth of their own passion for the game of soccer, The Global Game is a useful guide and a must read.

Caitlin Moyles, in Soccer Politics, Duke University, Durham, NC

Edited by John Turnbull, a journalist and graduate of the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University, the [Global Game] blog “privileges non-American stories” in its amalgamation of original articles, interviews, short stories, and media showcasing soccer around the world. The non-profit blog does not draw from corporate support, nor does it replicate mainstream coverage; it treats soccer as more than spectacle, an important topic in news, history, politics, and literature. The Global Game is an outlet for readers who are interested in soccer’s coalescence with art, history, literature, grassroots organizations, the lives of women, and different cultures around the world.