Information About Paola - Aberdeen teacher -

(32 reviews)

Personal Description:

Hi everyone!

My name is Paola and I am a trilingual language teacher.

I am a native Italian speaker from Rome with a PhD in English language and literature (with French and Italian).

I am a British National fluent in English and French.

Teaching has always been my passion, and through this profession, I have had the opportunity to explore amazing places and meet incredible people from around the world.
Through the years, I acquired academic and working knowledge of the English language having worked in the oil and gas industry for 10 years. Alongside this, I also worked in the private education sector as a language school co-ordinator, tutor and teacher for several UK organisations such as the University of Aberdeen.

I studied English as a main subject with French and Italian at La Sapienza university in Rome, where I subsequently obtained my PhD in English as a main subject.

After graduation I spent a long time working in France before relocating to Scotland where I have been teaching Italian, English and French for the past 12 years.

I have students of various age and nationality. I frequently travel to France and Italy in order to keep up-to-date with the language.

I am a registered tutor and have a Disclosure Scotland certificate.

Teaching Experience:

My experience includes teaching for private language schools and the language centre at the University of Aberdeen.
I teach one-to-one, one-to-two and small groups.

Online classes.

In addition, I am also experienced in distance learning using Skype.

I offer flexible hours whenever possible so you can arrange the classes according to your availability.

I listen to your learning requirements and prepare the classes and cheat sheets according to your learning needs and goals.

You can study at your own pace and ask questions at any point.

With my online classes you'll learn quickly while having fun with lots of speaking activities, quizzes and games carefully selected for your level at every class.

Teaching Approach:

I like creating high quality classes that are fun and useful in real life (for example at work, when travelling, meeting people, etc).

I have no problem explaining the same grammar points several times, as I believe repetition is essential when it comes to language learning.
I think that a good tutor should guide their students towards their goal with confidence and be able to explain clearly and in a friendly manner.

As a language tutor I like creating tailor made activities and cheat sheets for my students in order to enhance and consolidate their skills in specific areas of grammar, listening or speaking practice. I also like making videos for my students about tricky verbs and idioms.

I also believe that it is essential for a tutor to inspire the learners in achieving their goals and beyond.

My teaching approach.

I believe in motivating and inspiring the students with a teaching approach that encompasses all aspects of the language in order to build their confidence.

Cultural awareness.

Languages convey the culture of a country, this is why I also include some tips and facts about cultural awareness.

My approach to teaching also includes reading and comprehension exercises, specific phonetic drills, role play, listening and writing.

Exams.

If students need to prepare for exams I offer help with their assignments and homework.

My teaching method for more advanced learners is a blend of text based learning and digital resources (videos, podcasts) with more focus on speaking and conversation, reading exercises in the foreign language i.e. with the help of articles about different topics in which the student is interested (for example travel, culture, music, sport, etc.).
I love reading Italian novels with my students and discussing single chapters during the lesson.

For the students who like reading novels we can do this as part of a language course.

The conversation exercises can be on specific topics that the students want to cover.
Often my students wish to cover specific areas of grammar and writing exercises; to aid in this I can provide tailor made exercises and study material for my students to do during the class and to review before the class.

Written work.

I can correct short written exercises/homework during the class and/or by email at no extra costs for regular students.

My students have 100% pass rate in their exams with excellent marks.

I can also help schoolchildren and university students or anyone preparing for exams with their homework/coursework.

In order for the learners to pass the exams with flying colours, specific activities and exercises that focus on particular topics are planned together with the student for best results.

Language level assessment.

I can assess the language level during the first class in order to plan a suitable course that suits the student's needs.
I am enthusiastic for using new technologies to add to the learning experience.
I currently teach at home, face to face or via Skype. I am also available to teach during holidays for crash courses at any time of the year.