Teaching

From Laos…..

I got my first taste of teaching English during my trip travelling round the world a number of years ago. I was in Vang Vieng in Laos, South East Asia, during the rainy season. I saw a notice in a bar asking for volunteers to teach English in a school in a nearby village. I decided to go along and ended up staying for a month, renting a motorbike to make the commute every day. There were two classes. The first was for young children upto about eight years old. We played a lot of games to help with the learning process. They were taught the basics like how to tell the time, say their name, parts of the body and counting. We also sang songs and there was quite often some dancing involved. The ‘Hokey Cokey’ was a particular favourite!

The other class was made up of older children from twelve to sixteen. Most of them worked in the rice paddy fields and they were eager to learn English to improve their future prospects. Classes were much more advanced and included grammar, reading and writing, and conversation. I delivered classes in a fun and energetic way and made sure every child was included in the learning process. Both classes were highly enjoyable. The children were really enthusiastic to learn and thrilled that a native from Britain was teaching them English!

To Argentina…..

A few years later I decided to go to Buenos Aires in Argentina to teach English. I was able to kill two birds with one stone; live in a city I fell in love with whilst travelling, and fulfill my ambition of teaching English again. After completing a month-long TEFL course in the city, I soon found a job working for a language school. I taught English for business purposes and had many clients all over the city. Some classes were individual and were largely conversational. I would correct mistakes, go through a grammar point, or make suggestions on how their choice of phrase could be improved. Clients included bank managers, finance directors, lawyers and secretaries. They all used English in their working life so it was fundamental that their communication levels were adequate enough. Some were taking English exams so I also helped them to prepare.

I also taught group classes with numbers ranging from four to ten students. For the larger classes I was responsible for planning classes and helping to devise material used for group exercises. Classes generally involved grammar, vocabulary, reading and writing, and business communication. Again, some were taking exams so I was tasked with helping to prepare them. Clients included call centre workers, IT workers and members of a consulting and outsourcing firm. English was used in their working life so my classes were aimed at increasing their ability to communicate in a business context. Teaching English in Argentina was a lot of fun and I look back with very fond memories.

Hire me

I’m very passionate about teaching and have numerous years of experience. My classes are never boring and will help you get the results you need. Whether you are studying for an exam and need that extra bit of guidance to gain a higher mark, or if you feel that your work prospects will improve if your level of English improves, I can help you reach your target in a fun and motivated way. I teach all levels from beginner to advanced and provide classes for individuals or groups. If you are interested send me an email to discuss further.