Experience in EFL

 

January 2015 - present 

Freelance CELTA and DELTA trainer and trainer trainer.

 

July 2003 – 2015

International House Newcastle

Head of Teacher Training 2011 - present

Head of Consultancy Services (from Jan 07 - 2011)

Teacher and Teacher Trainer (from Sept 04, Senior Teacher Trainer)

 

CELTA trainer and teacher trainer trainer

IHCTL trainer and teacher trainer trainer

DELTA trainer and teacher trainer trainer

Trainer on courses for Overseas Teachers

Teacher

International House Visitor

Author of online training materials.

Cross cultural trainer

Head of Department – Teacher Training

 

Teacher training and other experience while working for IH Newcastle:

 

While at IH Newcastle I have taken part in  CELTA courses in Newcastle, and off site at IH Kiev Ukraine and IH Dubai as well as four week IHCTL courses at IH Vilnius, Lithuania, IH Dublin IH Vancouver, IH Saudi Arabia and IH Minsk.  On all of these courses there was a trainer in training whom I trained up. I have also run a ‘blended learning’ IHCTL course in Ih Belgrade.

I have also run/participated in seven courses for overseas teachers in Newcastle and a special intensive course for teachers of English, French, German and Russian in Armenia. This was followed up by a second course which involved observing teachers teaching in secondary schools and giving them feedback as well as giving demonstration lessons.

I was also the main tutor on two extensive IHCTL courses run for serving teachers in International House Pamplona, Spain. During the twenty weeks of these two courses I gave initial training to twenty-four language teachers. This group included two teachers of German and English and a teacher of French. I also ran a programme of in-service training consisting of workshops and seminars for language teachers who were not on the courses both in English and French.

In 2009 I was co-tutor in an IHCTL run in Ih Xi’an, China for teachers of Chinese.

In the autumn of 2006 I participated in the training on a DELTA course for the first time and became a DELTA trainer. I subsequently ran DELTA courses in  2007, 2008, 2009, 2010,2011.2012,2013,2014 I also trained up 4 DELTA trainers on these course. 

Most recently I co-ran a DELTA course in Perth Australia where I helped train up 2 new DELTA trainers.    

I have undergone a course to become a trainer in cross-cultural communication while employed by Ih Newcastle and have delivered seminars for business people who intended to work abroad

 

Other experience:

I was involved in writing materials for the new IHCTL online course and in helping to run the pilot course.

As an International House visitor I have carried out visits to IH Moscow, IH San Sebastian, IH Ulaanbaatar, IH Pamplona, IH Belgrade, the five schools which make up IH Saudi Arabia and IH Torquay, Bath and Salisbury.

Five years ago I was involved in a project teaching English to seventy employees of the ministry of Tourism in Tripoli, Libya. I paid several visits to Libya during which I helped to set up the project and taught on it for a while and recently in my role as Director of Studies of this project I observed lessons, ran an intensive programme of seminars, give demonstration lessons and also ran PDIs for our staff in Tripoli.

I have taught general, business and examination and English for academic purposes at levels between elementary and CPE.

I have also participated in the programme of in service training of the teachers in IH Newcastle, both delivering seminars and observing teachers.

I have also been responsible for the coordination of the Modern Languages course here in Newcastle where we are currently teaching French and Spanish.

 

 

Conferences attended:

International House Barcelona Conference on Teaching English. 2006.

IATEFL Belgrade 2007. Paper on ‘Factors Affecting Learning’ delivered.

Ih World D.o.S. conferences. 2006, 2007. Presented session on ‘Learn Direct’.  

International House Modern Languages Conference 2009 Presented two sessions one on 'materials light teaching' and one on giving feedback to teachers.

 

2001 – June 2003                    International House Minsk, Belarus                                       

Academic Principal

Supervised all educational aspects of running a large E.L. school with 2,300 students and over 30 teaching staff on eight different sites. This included recruitment and teacher development including providing a programme of seminars and observed lessons.

Conducted two International House Certificate courses for 6 new teachers each.

Supervised and taught the methodology component in a 30 hour ‘language improvement and introduction to contemporary methodology’ course for 81 Belarusian state school teachers.

Designed and taught a course in ‘Advanced Business English’.

1995 - 2001                             International House Minsk, Belarus

Director of Studies

Supervised all educational aspects of running a large E.L. school including recruitment and teacher development including providing a programme of seminars and observed lessons.

Taught Cambridge examination classes: FCE, CAE, CPE.

 

Teacher Training:

2002 Conducted an IHC course for 6 new teachers to be employed by our new office in Brest.

2002/3 Conducted two IHC courses for 6 new teachers each to be employed by International House Minsk.

2001 Jointly conducted an International House Certificate course for 12 new teachers with Ms Jennifer Pearson.

2001 Jointly conducted a course for local teachers of English with Ms Deborah Peckham on teaching pronunciation and other aspects of contemporary methodology.

2000 Observed an International House Certificate course for 6 new teachers conducted by Ms Jennifer Pearson as part of my training to be an accredited I.H.C. trainer.

Summers 1999 and 2000 organised and conducted the methodological component in two courses each for 40 Belarusian state school teachers. One group was of teachers living in rural areas and one of non-specialist teachers.

Summer 1998 Jointly conducted a one week course for Turkish teachers of English conducted by International House Torquay.

Autumn 1998 Conducted a series of seminars for tertiary level teachers organized by the British Council in Minsk.

Conferences (Speaker)

1996 – 1998 – 2000 – 2002 International conference for teachers of English organized by BELNATE (Belarusian National Association of Teachers of English).

2000 – 2002 Conference of American Literature and Studies organized by Minsk State Linguistic University.

Conferences attended;

Annually:

The International House Directors of Studies’ conferences in London

Teaching:

All levels taught from elementary to Upper Intermediate and Advanced. I have also taught FCE, CAE and CPE groups plus Business English.

Articles Published:

‘Mistakes, Errors and Fossils.’ Belarusian State Journal for Foreign Language Teachers.

‘Stages of a Lesson’ Belarusian State Journal for Foreign Language Teachers.

 

Achievements:

During the time I have been working at Ih Minsk, student numbers have risen from 300 to 2,300.

I have helped to oversee the opening of six new departments around the city of Minsk.

I have helped to oversee the opening of two new departments in the cities of Brest and Grodno.

I have been trained up and have become an accredited International House Certificate teacher trainer.

I have introduced the Cambridge Examination suite to Belarus with student numbers steadily rising and a pass rate of over 90 percent.

I have trained as a Cambridge oral examiner and examiner trainer.

1994 - 1995                             International House Torquay                Torquay, Devon U.K.

General English Teacher

Taught summer vacation courses and business one-to-one clients.

 

1993–1994                              Instituto Internacional de Idiomas (ex Ih Cádiz)

Senior Teacher

Organised seminars and lesson observations

Prepared new teaching materials.

Taught various levels including PET, FCE, CAE, CPE.

 

1991 – 1993                       International House Cadiz, Spain

Teacher of  English

Taught general English to all levels including children and also taught examination classes.

 

1990 – 1991 (and each summer until 1995)    International House Torquay

Teacher of English

Taught general English and vacation courses to mixed nationality classes.

Taught business clients giving one-to-one lessons.

 

1995 International House Krakow, Poland

R.S.A./Camb. Diploma in T.E.F.L.A. (Pass both parts)

 

1990                                   Torquay Technical College

R.S.A. Camb. Cert T.E.F.L. (Grade ‘B’)

 

1982                                 University College of Swansea

B.A, hons degree in Welsh

 

In the period immediately after leaving school and for several years after graduating I was involved with animal husbandry. I have managed a public aquarium, a quarantine station for exotic animals and a large pet superstore. 

English: Native

Welsh: Near native

French: Advanced

Spanish: Advanced

Russian: Intermediate