Information about Paul - Canberra tutor

Personal Description:

I am an enthusiastic and highly engaged lecturer/teacher in International Relations, English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and English as a Second Language (ESL) programs in Canberra-based educational institutions.

In my studies for a Master of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and Foreign Languages Teaching, I gained solid academic record with High Distinction averages (7.0 GPA) and two Dean’s Academic Excellence Awards. My foreign language skills include Thai, Mandarin Chinese, Indonesian and Tok Pisin, and this has inspired my strong personal interest in language acquisition theory and motivation from a psycholinguistic perspective.

Tuition Experience:

I am a teacher at ANU College, where I lecture in International Relations, and teach English for Academic Purposes. I also teach at Navitas in the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) where I run programs in English for Special Purposes, including Workplace Communications and Customer Service. I am experienced in supporting English language acquisition for International Students, new migrants and refugees. This includes on-line tutoring and home tutoring. I have also taught Mandarin Chinese and Thai at the Australian Defence Force (ADF) School of languages.

My teaching experience includes managing international programs for regional engagement in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), which includes delivering training on a variety of topics aimed at enhancing regional capabilities throughout the Asia Pacific region and the Middle East. My successes in delivering this type of training is based on my strengths in cross-cultural communication, empathy for students, rapport building, tact for negotiation, sensitivity to cultural issues, foreign language skills, and interpersonal ability to relate well with students from diverse cultural groups.

Tutoring Approach:

My teaching philosophy is to promote autonomous learning capabilities by using ‘high-challenge high-support’ teaching methods. I believe in researching and applying all available methods creatively in an eclectic but principled approach in order to meet students’ needs and achieve learning objectives in line with any institutional requirements. I also assist students who experience first language (L1) conceptual difficulties when acculturating to more linear structured academic writing styles expected for argumentative essays in Australian tertiary institutions.