Michael Tighe

U.S. English Services founder, Michael A. Tighe was born in Trenton, NJ, USA in 1961. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Hartford with his Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts in 1984. He left New York City to study languages at the University of Cologne, Germany and has remained in Europe ever since.



Michael gained a wealth of experience teaching and acquired a "behind the scenes" look at language school business models by working with a number of schools in the Business English area. In 1986, he synthesized the best elements encountered in his experience as a Business English trainer to create U.S. English Services.



For over 20 years, he has offered the insight gained through comprehensive experience in the Business English training market to a variety of corporate clients, language institutions and Business English publishers. The company now works in conjunction a network of dependable specialists to help clients with a variety of innovative solutions related to intercultural communication, corporate English and effective Blended Learning design and implementation as well as intercultural teamwork in virtuality.



In 2001, Michael took part in one of the most successful and largest Hybrid Learning training programs in Germany. His involvement in this award-winning, teacher-trainer program convinced him of the incomparable benefits Blended Learning offers and ignited his avid interest in virtual teamwork. He has since incorporated Hybrid Learning and virtual teamwork as a central elements in programs designed for all of his clients in international business, education, teacher training and beyond.



The hands-on expertise he has gained through executing several full-scale, multi-level, Hybrid Learning programs has made him mentor to both select individuals, as well as to fellow trainers and teacher trainers. He is active in imparting his knowledge to other educators who wish to acquire the skills needed to effectively employ state-of-the art technologies in learning communities and intercultural virtual teams today.



His in-depth knowledge in the Blended Learning area and his constant development of appropriate teaching methods for deployment in Hybrid Learning scenarios enable him to contribute to international certification criteria for live online language training programs and international programs for best practice in Blended Learning and virtual teamwork. His activities in the Business English/Hybrid Learning fields have given him the opportunity to travel widely. He has reaped a wealth of intercultural experience which directly benefits his Hybrid Learning strategies for communicative competency and leadership training programs.



Michael has acquired extensive experience working hands-on with many different types of virtual teams since 2001. He has had the chance to develop training programs to increase efficiency of international virtual teams by concentrating on raising awareness of cross-cultural issues and trust-building in virtuality within a corporate context. The exciting programs he has been involved with worldwide have yielded a wealth of knowledge concerning virtual intercultural communicative effectiveness in a new and fascinating environment.