Talita, Brazil
In São Paulo, Brazil, where I am located, learning English as a second language is ceasing to be a boost on a professional’s CV and becoming a basic skill. International companies are taking over and offering the best jobs on the market, and the language works as a lingua franca between different locations. I have been teaching ESL for the last 12 years in this city, and through this time I have worked in independent and regular schools as well as and with private students of all ages. The concern about professional life preoccupies all of them, and comes from learners and parents. In 2021 when I decided to start my own ESL business, I considered all these aspects to define my niche: students between the ages of 20 and 50 who seek to enter the corporate world, or that are already a part of it and want to grow. Teaching adults presents some challenges, but the greatest one is finding time. All my students already work and some go to college, attending postgraduate and MBA courses. Older students that have already completed these steps often have to work overtime and end up missing a lot of classes. The lack of constancy makes the learning process harder, leads to frustration and many students end up stopping and restarting many times. Thinking about this specific context I try to give the student a little flexibility in the schedule for a few weeks, so they can adapt their routines. I suggest taking classes twice a week and, when necessary, once a week. In the latter case I offer a number of untutored activities and a clear learning path the student has to follow before they meet me again. This way they have more time flexibility and still have personalised orientation.
Karolina, Abu Dhabi
My name is Karolina Abbas Issa. I am Colombian and Lebanese. I have taught English as a foreign language since 2018 at the Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. However, my journey with teaching English had started long before that, when I was an undergraduate in 2003.
I have always been passionate about teaching English. My enthusiasm for my work stems from my love of learning the language growing up, reading not just my books but those of my younger siblings as well. I fondly remember all my English language teachers and all that I learnt from them, and I still remember everything now. My ambition is to be a teacher who inspires, motivates and will be remembered by her students.
As a teacher, the biggest challenge I faced was in March 2020, when we had to switch to online teaching. It was uncharted territory for both students and teachers. We all had to adjust to these new circumstances. I was constantly concerned with making my lessons interactive, engaging and enjoyable for the students. I learnt that what might be interesting for me to teach might not be interesting to learn. This was a definite eye-opener.
Though we have been back to face-to-face teaching for almost two years, I have witnessed first hand the importance of making lessons relatable and exciting to students. That is my biggest challenge as a language instructor to date. I am constantly searching for lesson topics that are relatable and of interest to the students. After all, we, as teachers, are preparing the students to face the world and equip them with the language skills needed to succeed in their jobs and lives.
Lastly, Abu Dhabi is a fantastic place to live, learn and teach. Though the Sorbonne is a French university, the student body is quite international and students are from diverse backgrounds. It’s an inviting melting pot that allows a cultural exchange that the students greatly value.
Asma, Dubai
I’m Asma Ismail, an experienced English Language Teaching (ELT) professional in Dubai, UAE, dedicated to helping adults learn English for over 20 years. My approach to teaching is deeply rooted in innovation, empathy and cultural acumen, creating an inclusive space that not only acknowledges but also celebrates the diverse origins of my students. Within this environment, I try to empower adult learners from varying nationalities and backgrounds to confidently engage with the English language, fostering a dynamic intercultural dialogue that enriches the learning experience.
With a CELTA qualification and a Masters in Education in English Language Teaching, I bring a strong educational foundation to my teaching practice. Yet, it’s the multicultural nature of my classes that truly shapes my pedagogy. I understand that cultural differences bring unique perspectives and challenges to language acquisition. Therefore, I make it a priority to incorporate these differences into the curriculum, creating a platform where students not only learn the language but also gain insights into various cultural nuances, enhancing their global communication skills.
One of the cornerstones of my teaching philosophy is the establishment of strong rapport with my students, transcending cultural barriers. I believe that forging connections not only elevates lesson engagement but also maintains learner motivation. This rapport allows me to cater to a wide range of professional backgrounds and linguistic competences present in my class. It’s clear that my students’ stories, ambitions and experiences are diverse, creating a truly inspiring environment that enriches our classroom interactions.
As we navigate the ever-evolving landscape of education, technology has taken centre stage, and students are becoming increasingly tech-savvy. In line with this shift, my next step in this teaching journey is to seamlessly integrate technology into my pedagogical approach. By doing so, I aim to equip my students with the skills they need to thrive in a modern world while ensuring that learning remains engaging and interactive.
The transformative journey I embark upon with each cohort of students is far from static; rather, it’s an ongoing process of evolution. A unique aspect of this journey as a teacher is that I learn from my students as much as they learn from me. This two-way exchange of insights and experiences enriches the learning process. As I look ahead, my commitment to advancing ELT in a rapidly changing world remains steadfast, ensuring that my students are not only prepared for linguistic challenges but are also empowered to excel in a global society where cultural diversity is a valuable asset.
Safa Abdul Razak, India
My name is Safa. I am an educator with close to 15 years of teaching experience. Although I live in India, my students come from various corners of the globe, thanks to my foray into online teaching.
From as far back as I can remember, I have aspired to be a teacher. While my friends frequently shifted their ambitions, my unwavering desire was to teach. As a child who loved books and sought refuge in them after a personal loss, I understood that I communicated the most when I discussed lessons or stories that I had read.
I tutored my younger cousins while we were in school, and moved on to being a part-time tutor while I was in college. It was when I went to university for a Masters in Linguistics that I was introduced to the world of ELT.
As a teaching assistant at university, I worked with adult learners from various parts of the world. Interacting with them, and understanding the way the phonology and syntax of their mother tongues influenced their command over English, spurred me on to focus on teaching rather than the research I had initially set out to do.
Since that wonderful start to my career, there have been many opportunities to learn and teach. I started out on my own with Noveltree Academy, an after-school language centre with a strong emphasis on inclusive learning. In its initial years, the academy offered a wide array of courses spanning various age groups and learning abilities. From Early Childhood programmes that combined storytelling, phonics, skill-based development and cognitive development activities to training for competitive exams such as IELTS and General Records Examinations (GRE) – our offerings catered to a diverse audience. Periodically, we also ran teacher-training programmes and seminars that served as an interactive learning space for new as well as experienced teachers. After the Covid pandemic lockdown we shifted to blended learning, while I focused on visiting schools and colleges across South India to train teachers and conduct student workshops.
In the midst of these endeavours, I was fortunate to secure my first writing contract: three books of the series Tune In, a listening and speaking course for Indian learners. Following this, I co-authored a coursebook and workbook of the series English Alive (Grade 6). The journey continued with collaborations with various publishers, developing teaching materials and even assisting in the development of a learning managemnet system (LMS). I also started writing personalised short stories to engage the Young Learners at the academy.
Developing resources such as storybooks, graphic novels, worksheets, coursebooks and teachers’ resource books has also inspired me to create an online learning platform that caters to students and instructors. Presently, I am in the process of launching a website to encourage synchronous and asynchronous learning using visual media. The website aims to include essays, stories and other pieces of creative writing that students contribute, to encourage learners to explore their creativity, improve their language skills and, most importantly, have a voice.
I am a dreamer, nurturing a vision of a world where young minds are cultivated into independent, critical thinkers who explore their creative potentials. I believe that every individual, when presented with the right opportunities, can realise their potential and contribute to the world around them. As a teacher, I hope to contribute in every way that I can.
