Steve
Hello!
I'm a native speaker from the east of England with a Level 5 TEFL certificate and a certificate for online 1-1 teaching gained in April 2021, and I'm currently volunteering for a refugee charity, teaching English to recently arrived asylum seekers; but this isn't the beginning of my TEFL journey. From 2017 to 2018 I worked for the British Council in a primary school in Spain, teaching kids up to 11 years old face to face. If being 'high-fived' in the street is a sign of success, I think they liked me! I also worked with older students, up to 18 years old, helping them with exam preparation, grammar or just conversation about whatever they wanted to talk about. I had a long career as a land surveyor, making maps and plans for architects and engineers, but life is too short to stay in one place, and I love language, history and culture, so this is my perfect job.
I retired early from a long career in surveying to do other things. I enjoy reading, especially non-fiction. My head is full of useful (and some useless) information, so I'm rarely stuck for something to talk about. I love travel, languages, history, science, foreign culture and cricket, so if you're shy don't worry, I'm sure we can find many interesting topics to discuss.
About
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To get the best out of language learning you have to go for it; experiment and make mistakes! This platform is your personal space where you can do just that without feeling embarrassed. I create a relaxed, fun environment using activities, role play and games because they're a great way to learn and remember new language. If you're studying for IELTS, we can develop a plan together to concentrate on your needs, so we can work on fluency, pronunciation and vocabulary to improve your conversation skills; or we can study grammar and written text to improve your accuracy. Finally, if you just want to chat and learn about everyday life and culture in the UK culture, that's fine too!