A Life in English grows out of the lived experiences of Dr. Andy Szeto, navigating the U.S. school system as a newcomer, first as a child who struggled to be understood and later as an educator responsible for helping others find belonging, creating a personal and reflective narrative that blend memory and insight into a moving reader experience. 

"I still remember the first English words I spoke on American soil. On a Christmas flight from Hong Kong, I quietly whispered 'Merry Christmas' to a flight attendant. She was distinctly different from anyone I had ever encountered before - blonde-haired, white, warm in demeanor, and effortlessly confident in a language and culture that still felt distant to me. She smiled back kindly, and for a brief moment, I felt that language could bridge the distance between worlds. That small exchange captures the heart of this book: how moments of silence, misunderstanding, courage, and connection shaped me as an English learner, and how those moments can still inform the way we teach and lead today." -Andy Szeto

Andy tells these stories first through what he remembers as a child, then considering what worked for him, what did not, and what might have made those experiences different. He writes not as an outside expert, but through first-hand experience as an opportunity for reflection for all of us who join him on this journey.

 

Andy is is a New York City–based educational leader, professor, and author whose writing explores the intersections of language, identity, belonging, and educational leadership through both professional and personal lenses. He previously authored Leading Before the Title: Growing Leadership Across Multiple Tracks, sharing his framework for leadership development across different roles, experiences, and pathways long before formal leadership titles are attained.