Over 30 years of experience in cross-cultural communication on six continents.

As an applied linguist, I have worked with professionals in the fields of accounting, architecture, auditing, customer service, engineering, finance, management, marketing, medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, quality assurance, religion, research & development, and sales.

Trained Teacher & Coach

I hold master’s degrees in both Applied Linguistics and Teaching English as a Second Language and a bachelor’s degree in German.

Presenter & Author

I have presented at numerous professional conferences and symposia and co-authored a book on the difficulties of English grammar and pronunciation for Japanese learners.

Currently I am developing a smart phone app for improving English pronunciation for non-native speakers and also writing a communication textbook for business professionals called Politics, Persuasion, and Politeness in the Workplace.

World Traveler

I have lived, worked, and traveled on six continents, including extended stays in Germany, Nigeria, and Brazil. I have studied numerous languages over my life, including German, Spanish, French, Hausa, Swedish, Hmong, Farsi, Japanese, Czech, Portuguese, and Italian. My goal is to begin studying Arabic next.

Practicing what I preach to my students, I try to speak in the local language whenever possible to waiters, taxi drivers, and local citizens; it is always with great enthusiasm—though with varying degrees of accuracy!

Family Man & Marathon Runner

My wife Kim Roberts is a video installation artist and professor of video and new media. We live in West Michigan, just outside of Grand Rapids. Daughter Megan is a physician in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where she lives with her husband and son. Daughter Katy is a hospital chaplain in Long Beach, California, where she lives with her husband, son, and daughter.

I gladly travel great distances to eat exotic foods, speak foreign languages, and learn more about non-U.S. cultures.

In my spare time at home, I enjoy dinner parties, watching movies, volunteer work, pruning my apple trees, looking at dictionaries, and long-distance running. My current goal is to run a marathon for each letter of the alphabet.

How to get in touch:

Call 616.892.3400 or email Alan (at) Headbloom.com

Headbloom Consulting
11275 56th Avenue
Allendale, MI 49401-9154 USA