Irene
Language Trainers: Hello, thanks for agreeing to this short interview! Please can you tell us a little about you and your work history?
Irene: Hi, my name is Irene and I teach Spanish. I do not think I chose a career in teaching, but that it chose me. I remember playing as a teacher as a child, instead of cradling a doll.
Language Trainers: [Laughs] That does sound like a calling, if ever I’ve heard one. So, what route did you follow to realizing your dream?
Irene: When I finished secondary school, I studied to be a teacher and a translator at university. I have studied English, French and German, and I have been teaching German at a public school in my city since 1989.
Language Trainers: That’s wonderful that you are still at the same school after so many years! What made you want to also teach with Language Trainers?
Irene: I was introduced to Language Trainers by another teacher. It is great to work for Language Trainers; the company is reliable, serious, responsible and very professional.
Language Trainers: Well, thank you for saying so! Is there a particular favourite thing about working with us?
Irene: The company has an awesome team that is very attentive to anything we teachers could need and everyone is very helpful, too. Also, I love being able to teach people all over the world. To know different cultures is an awesome experience that only Language Trainers can give me.
Language Trainers: And what inspires you in your lessons? What keeps the job fresh and exciting for you?
Irene: I feel proud of my students when I hear them build correct sentences and speak fluently.
Language Trainers: Oh, yes, that must be a wonderful moment! And how do you get your students to that point?
Irene: Well, I am a bit obsessive and I stubborn about helping my students to achieve their goals.
Language Trainers: Persistence and determination are certainly key, that is true! If you were to convince a potential student to enrol in a course with Language Trainers, what would you say?
Irene: Well, students learn the foreign language from native professional teachers. That is a premium service. It is very possible that one cannot find a native teacher in their city, but Language Trainers will, for sure. This is true even for languages that are not so common, for example, Azeri. And then there is the flexibility. Students can learn from home, from the office, even while they are travelling. Schedules are flexible, students learn at their own rhythm and classes are tailored to their needs. Every course is designed according to the student’s requirements.
Language Trainers: Thanks so much, Irene. Lastly, will you tell us a fun fact about the Spanish language? Something you like to teach your students?
Irene: The accent mark is very important in Spanish, because the same word with and without the accent mark mean different things. For example, El bebe means he drinks, but El bebé means the baby. So, we can make sentences like, El bebé bebe su leche—The baby drinks his milk. It is always funny to find words like this and make funny sentences to practice Spanish.
