Information About Lisa - Haringey teacher

Personal Description:

My early childhood and initial education, aged 3 to 11 years, was spent in Spain: Madrid, Torremolinos, Jerez de la Frontera, and Barcelona. I was brought up in a bilingual environment and subsequently studied Spanish, French and German at Secondary school in Herefordshire.
Later, in my early twenties, I lived and worked in Paris for just over 5 years: teaching business people and the unemployed in T.E.F.L schools and taking on ad-hoc translation and interpreting work when the opportunity arose. Then, as a mature student, I studied Modern Languages, Politics and Economics at university and went on to gain a Distinction for my M.A. in Applied Translation Studies in 2007.

Teaching Experience:

• I have been working as a private tutor since 2008
• Member of the Chartered Institute of Linguists, with an enhanced DBS certificate
• I have lived, studied and worked in Spain and France and am conversant with the countries’ cultures and traditions
• London-born, I hold an M.A. Distinction in Applied Translation Studies
• I am comfortable teaching children, teenagers and adults of all abilities

My specialist subjects are Spanish, French, T.E.F.L. and ESL (English as a second language). I am also happy supporting students with their G.C.S.E. English, though more from a language and comprehension perspective than a literature/theory one.

I have also worked with 'A' Level French students - on the language side of the exam - and my last student obtained an A* in August 2021.

Teaching Approach:

Back in the seventies, some of the language teaching I received was indifferent and often uninspiring. Hence, I resolved that my approach to language teaching should be quite the opposite and set about providing a positive alternative. Using traditional or less orthodox methods, depending on the student in question, my approach can be gentle and understanding if required, slightly humorous or a little firmer if necessary.

My tuition - including reading and listening comprehension, written work, oral and grammar - meets with coursework requirements for the main exam boards and is tailored to the individual students or their learning difficulties. I aim to complement their teachers and support the students using a combination of curriculum designated text books and documentation, on-line language learning resources, as well as my own books and materials. I am very thorough in my preparation and always have a class plan. Occasionally the latter has to be changed, if other concerns arise for the student, and so a flexible approach is useful.

I like being around children and young people. I have not forgotten what it feels like to be a teenager and find treating teenagers as equals elicits a positive response and encourages them to take more responsibility for their own learning. Though having studied as a mature student myself, I also appreciate the rewards and the challenges of studying later in life.