Information About James - Bristol teacher

Personal Description:

I am a lecturer in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University, where I also gained a BA (first class) and an MA (w/distinction) in poetry and fiction. Before returning to the U.K. in 2014, I spent three years living and working in Catania, Sicily, as an English Language teacher. I currently work for OISE Bristol, teaching English as a second language to students of various ages and levels (with a particular focus on exam English, composition strategies, topic analysis, and pronunciation) and am working toward a PhD in Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Teaching Experience:

Since 2014, I have lectured in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University, specialising in poetry, prose poetry, and short fiction.

In 2009 I qualified as a teacher of English as a Foreign Language (TESOL Trinity College London) and have since taught English both in the U.K. and abroad to learners of all ages and levels, teaching general English, business English, and exam preparation for English examinations such as Cambridge KET/PET/FCE, IELTS, and TOEFL.

Between 2012 and 2014 I was the Director of Studies at a private language school in Catania, Sicily, responsible for organising teaching schedules, level testing, observing teachers, monitoring students' progress, and teaching. In addition to this, I tutored two advanced teenage students in A-level English Literature.

I have taught for numerous a British Council Accredited schools in the U.K, teaching Learners of various ages, levels, nationalities and backgrounds, and between 2014-2018 worked with refugees and asylum seekers as an English-language teacher.

Teaching Approach:

All teaching is student centred, so my approach depends on the needs and preferences of of the individual student. Speaking generally, I prefer the communicative approach to teaching as opposed to the book-centred one. I'm interested in my students, in what they think. Personalising learning, finding ways to make the subject relevant to the individual student is often the best way to engage and enthuse them, and in turn to achieve greater learning outcomes. But ultimately there is no one-size-fits-all approach to teaching.