Roxana, Scotland
EFL teacher was not my first career choice. I’d always had an affinity for languages, but until my early twenties I’d only channelled it in literary translation – the professional path I thought I would be embarking on. It was only after my first experience as a classroom assistant in a high school in Madrid, Spain (and also, to be perfectly honest, after the realisation that there is no money to be made in literary translation) that I started seriously considering a lifelong TEFL journey. Twelve years later, being a teacher is at the core of my identity; I have taught all levels and types of students across the globe, predominantly in the UK, Spain and Japan; and I have just completed my DELTA diploma, specialising in English for academic purposes (EAP). Having spent my last few summers doing pre-sessional courses at various universities in the UK, I realised there is a dire need among international students not only for general English, but also for a foundation of study skills that will help them cope in this new and unfamiliar environment.
Throughout these years of experience, a surprising turning point came when I got my British citizenship, after a decade of calling Scotland my home. I was the same person, just as knowledgeable and experienced as before, but suddenly more doors were opening and opportunities once inaccessible (‘non-natives need not apply’) suddenly became available. This is an attitude that is thankfully starting to change in the industry, but still prevails in many countries and educational settings, needlessly excluding talented and qualified professionals. At least my students see it as a success story when I choose to disclose that I was born elsewhere – if I could learn English well enough to teach it, so can they!
