I’ve been teaching English at a language school
in Greece for the last 3 years as well as completing a
Masters degree. I decided to come and do a teacher training
course because I wanted to learn some new skills and the
two week Overseas Teachers course in Creative Methodology
was just right.
In Greece we have to pass very tough exams to get a teaching
job in a public sector school. I chose this course in
order to help me prepare for eventually taking this exam.
The course provided a mixture of theory and some very
useful practical exercises. We have learnt about lesson
planning and the importance of being well organised.
I was especially pleased to learn new techniques and
better approaches, for example how to use group work effectively
and how to keep the class lively and active. We also learned
about using a variety of alternative materials and activities
as a medium for teaching English such as projectors, radio,
CDs, games and flash cards. I also made good use of the
library to research materials, develop ideas and make
photocopies.
My teacher Ben really inspired me. I liked him and would
love to attend his class again. My other teacher Soraya
was very thorough and professional in her approach. She
went out of her way to help us including sending extra
information by e-mail. I found the other college staff
to be very helpful and friendly, for example, those in
the library, the café bar and the reception area.
Within the training group I made many friends. It was
so interesting - there were teachers on the course from
countries as diverse as Thailand, Korea, Spain, Russia
and Central Europe.
I’ve been lucky to sample student life in the UK
as I’ve been living in one of the college’s
student residences. You meet so many people and the accommodation
is very clean and comfortable.
Although it’s only been a short visit for me I’ve
seen enough of London to know I want to return to live
for a longer period. I hope to get a teaching job here
eventually. I love relaxing in the beautiful parks –
I even saw a squirrel for the first time ever! I also
like the many museums and galleries, they are huge and
have so many fantastic things to see inside. Best of all
I just enjoy relaxing by the river Thames with a beer,
a nice view of St Paul’s cathedral and watching
people live their everyday lives. It’s a truly fantastic
city and Oxford House College is a great place to study
at.
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