English (as an Additional Language) Teacher and Spanish Tutor
A year ago I moved from Madrid (Spain) to Newbold Verdon (United Kingdom). I was in Madrid for a long time, so coming back has been quite a change! Now, I work as a Part Time ESOL Lecturer at Leicester College as well as continuing to teach English language learners online. At the same time, I offer Spanish tuition to students who need to improve their knowledge and skills for exam preparation, work, or just for fun!
I am a Delta-qualified English language teacher from England and I have been teaching English for 15 years. To obtain the Cambridge Delta, I had to pass a rigorous TESOL Diploma (Level 7) course. During the three modules, I learnt a lot (from fields such as Second Language Acquisition and Psycholinguistics) about how we learn languages , how I can help my learners, and how to reflect on my role as a teacher.
I am also the co-host of The English Waffle, a podcast for advanced English language learners who want to listen to real conversations. We publish an episode every two weeks and provide support through transcripts and comprehension quizzes on our website: https://englishwaffle.co.uk/
ABOUT ME
Teaching Experience
I have been a professional language teacher since 2005. While teaching in Spain for nearly 15 years, I developed a clear understanding of the challenges facing students learning a second language and, importantly, how to improve their skills.
I have worked with many students of different ages, nationalities, abilities, and learning preferences, both face to face and online.
I’m currently teaching 16-18 year olds at Leicester College in the UK and have online students from Spain, Russia and Germany.
How I started teaching languages
I discovered my love of languages as an adult. I enjoyed French at school but didn’t quite see the point of it. I started Spanish at the age of 15 and later became fluent after travelling around South America and living in Spain for 15 years.
I started teaching English in Spain and gradually improved my Spanish. Observing the differences between the two languages and learning about how we use them means I am ideally equipped to explain how they work but, more importantly, how they are used in practice.
I am still amazed at how we speak and are understood in different languages and this is what drives me to help others learn.
Learning Approach
Learn by doing. Learning here means using the language to communicate in a meaningful way.
In lessons, my students receive help and guidance on all areas, and plenty of opportunities to speak and express their ideas.
Outside lessons, I help my students by suggesting activities for reading, listening, writing, studying grammar, recording and retrieving vocabulary.
Teaching style
For me, teaching should be holistic and learner-centred. More than other subjects, languages are about human interaction and connection.
You learn when you’re feeling motivated and relaxed. You learn to communicate when you want to say something and someone responds. Just filling your head with facts about the language won’t help you develop your fluency.
Creating an engaging, safe and inspiring environment for my learners to try, fail, and then try again is how I help them become confident language users.
Owain Wilson 