Teacher Case Studies

What language do you teach, and why did you choose teaching as your career?

Icelandic - I started out teaching after the Icelandic association reached out to me looking for a private teacher, and a little later Language Trainers approached me for the same. I love my native tongue, and I really like teaching.

Where did you study, and how long have you been teaching, and what age group do you usually teach?

I studied in Iceland, Norway and USA. I have been teaching for 3.5 years and my students have varied from 5 years old to 55 years old.

What do you look for in a student?

I really am not looking for anything but their wish to study, what the student wants/needs to learn and for the student to have fun while learning. The method of teaching each student has become highly shaped by the needs and interest of the student with all the people that I have taught. Some focus more on conversations, other students wanted to focus on reading Icelandic sagas, and with my youngest students I have taught by using arts and crafts. I have also taught via Skype when needed.

What should students expect in you as a teacher?

To have fun while learning a lot!

What’s your favorite part about teaching?

To learn from my students just as much as I can teach them, and to meet all the wonderful people I have met so far.

What languages do you teach and why did you choose teaching as your career?

I teach French, German, and Farsi, as well as European History to private students of all levels. Teaching was not a career choice, but rather a second occupation for which I have a passion.

Where did you study, how long have you been teaching, and what age group do you usually teach?

I have taught for the past twenty-five years, with students ranging between 18 and 45 years old. I studied at the London School of Economics & Political Science, obtaining my Master’s degree in International Development. After, I studied at the Sorbonne University in Paris for a post-graduate diploma in ‘Langue et Civilization Francaises’; the Goethe Institue and Akademie fuer Fremsprachen in Berlin to obtain ‘Das Grosse Diplom in Deutsch als Fremdsprache’; and finally at the Universite Libre de Bruxelles for a full post-graduate degree in Spanish Language and Literature. All were degrees in language.

What do you look for in a student?

I look primarily for interest, enthusiasm, and the recognition that learning a new language is a manner of getting closer to people whose culture is unknown to us, in order to broaden our horizon in life.

What should students expect in you as a teacher?

Students should expect interest in teaching, an ability to motivate them to learn and to help them appreciate the value of learning as a whole –and an appreciation for learning languages in particular.

Describe your favorite aspect of working for Language Trainers:

I have enjoyed the discipline and understanding experienced in all aspects of working with Language Trainers, including inquiries via telephone or email, request for relevant information and the like. Their team is extremely helpful. I certainly look forward to further assignments in the future!

What language do you teach, and why did you choose teaching as your career?

I teach English and Russian. I have always been passionate about languages and there is nothing more rewarding than to see the progress that students make with every lesson.

Where did you study and how long have you been teaching?

I am bilingual (Russian and English). I studied at University of Sheffield, University of Bath, State University of St. Petersburg and University of Havana. I’ve been teaching for 5 years and I usually teach all age groups at all levels. Apart from teaching, I am also a qualified interpreter and translator with Russian and English.

What do you look for in a student?

Enthusiasm, perseverance, motivation, determination and, most of all, desire to learn a new language.

What should students expect in you as a teacher?

Respect, understanding, and motivation. Learning a new language is hard work but with a bit of encouragement and motivation from the teacher, you can achieve your goals. Don’t be scared to make mistakes as you will learn from them and, chances are, you won’t make the same mistake twice.

Describe your favourite aspect of teaching for Language Trainers:

As a teacher, you get to meet so many different people from all over the world. It’s all about developing a good rapport with students, winning their trust and helping them to believe in themselves and their abilities. What can I say, I absolutely love my job!

What language do you teach, and why did you choose teaching as your career?

Teaching is something that has always come naturally to me; to my mother’s surprise, I taught my younger brother to read when I was 10 years old. Professionally, I also work as a translator and interpreter and when I was at university I used to help my peers with their Spanish grammar and always received excellent feedback so teaching felt like the right thing to do.

Where did you study, and how long have you been teaching, and what age group do you usually teach?

I studied my BA and MA at the University of Salford. I have been teaching for 4 years and the age of my students has ranged from 14 to 60.

What do you look for in a student?

I look for someone who is committed, someone who is eager to learn. Given that the student is motivated, together we can achieve great things!

What should students expect in you as a teacher?

I’m a very reliable person who will commit 100% to their teaching and will adapt each lesson to meet their needs and expectations. I try at all times to bridge the pre-conceived gap that exists between teacher and student. To me, we are two people working together towards a common goal, which is for them to grow in confidence, without feeling pressured whilst learning.

What is your favourite part of teaching?

Language Trainers’ staff has been very supportive from the start. My favourite aspect of teaching is to see the students’ reaction when they realise that they are able to hold a conversation in Spanish. That’s the best part of this job!

What language do you teach, and why did you choose teaching as your career?

I teach three languages: English, Spanish and Portuguese, but I speak six (Italian, French and German). I was brought up as a polyglot; we spoke several languages at home and I studied at international schools at home and abroad. I always felt that it was a privilege to be able to speak many languages and wanted to share my knowledge. Teaching came naturally to me, as people were always asking me to correct their homework or to explain grammar or pronunciation. <br/><br/>When I started teaching, I was on an exchange programme in Brazil where I was improving my Portuguese. My students were university lecturers and I was teaching them English. At first, I was terrified as I was going to teach such well-known individuals but that fear soon disappeared as I was confident in my knowledge and simply loved the experience. Teaching is incredibly rewarding and it gives me great pride to say that many of my students now live abroad and some even teach languages themselves.

Where did you study, how long have you been teaching, and what age group do you usually teach?

I have studied at several schools abroad, as well as at Malvern Girls College and Cheltenham Ladies in the UK. For the past fourteen years, I have had the privilege of teaching adults and children of all ages and abilities in Spain, Brazil, Panama and the UK.

What do you look for in a student?

Students that succeed in language training have great determination, focus, and are able to fit learning into their schedule. A great student is one that can relax and see the chance to learn a language as one of the most rewarding opportunities they will have.

What should students expect in you as a teacher?

My manner is jovial and I have a good relationship with my students, and make sure that they are able to relax and enjoy their journey into becoming proficient in a language. I always adapt the classes to students’ needs. If they have to make a presentation in the target language, for example, I will work along with them to ensure they succeed. Likewise, students will be able to do well in exams and day-to-day encounters abroad.

Describe your favourite Language Trainers teaching experience:

I have taught hundreds of students and always feel it is a privilege to accompany them during their learning progress. Even after many years, students have maintained contact and some have become great friends. There are many success stories amongst these people but the one I remember vividly is when a student wanted to get a job as an engineer in a well-known multinational company. She had the appropriate experience for the job itself but her language skills were not at their best. She came to Language Trainers, and began daily classes during a span of three months.Not only did she get the job that she wanted, but she was promoted soon after and her career is now growing. I feel proud to have helped achieve her objective.

What language do you teach, and why did you choose teaching as your career?

I teach mainly English for business. When I decided I’d like to live in Spain and learn Spanish, I decided to do a Celta. Instead of just staying for a year though, I ended up working for language schools over seven years. When it was time to come home to London, the first port of call work-wise was in teaching English.

Where did you study, and how long have you been teaching, and what age group do you usually teach?

I got my degree from Queen’s University Belfast. I had such a great time there. Being thoroughly English, and moving to a different place culturally helped prepare me for when I headed for Northern Spain later. I did my Celta at city of Bristol, and the Delta at International House London.

What do you look for in a student?

Since one-to-one teaching is inevitably an interpersonal exchange, I always appreciate a sense of humour. I think it’s crucial that learners are willing to take risks and not worry too much about mistakes –it’s the communication that counts. I also appreciate learners who are patient enough to get the most out of the teacher. It helps if each student is able to initially guide their teacher to provide what they want.

What should students expect in you as a teacher?

Professionalism for me means being able to wear a number of different hats and change roles as necessary, according to students needs. The basics include having clear aims, and a minimum level of organization and planning. Beyond that, students should expect their teacher to highlight not just meaning, but structure and pronunciation as well.

Describe your favourite aspect of teaching with Language Trainers:

I like teaching because you meet so many interesting people. I’ve taught quite a few bankers with Language Trainers, and they’ve always been a pleasure to teach. Among my favourite moments in teaching was when my student who was a trader came in, looking tired and worn. We began our lesson, then asked if he was okay. He confided, “You know Lehman Brothers? By Monday they’ll be bankrupt.” Talk about first hand breaking news!