Berta

My name is Dr Berta Removed and I am an experienced and qualified English as a Foreign Language and Spanish as a Foreign Language Teacher and Linguist. I originally come from Barcelona (Spain), but I currently live in the UK where I have been a resident for the past 14 years. I am a fully trilingual speaker (Catalan/Spanish/English). I hold a BA in English Language, Literature and Linguistics (University of Barcelona) and an MA and PhD in English Linguistics (with a specialisation in English accents and dialects and language variation) from the University of Essex (UK).

As for my teaching qualifications, I hold Qualified Teacher Status in the UK and I hold a PGCE in Teaching English as a Foreign Language from the University of Barcelona. Moreover, I have taken a course for teachers of Spanish as a Foreign Language at the University of Salamanca and a course for teachers of Catalan as a Foreign Language at the University of Barcelona.

Tutoring Experience

I have 10 years experience working as an English and Spanish language teacher and university Linguistics lecturer in several UK (including Russell Group) and Spanish universities. I have also 4 years experience teaching Academic English to postgraduate students in a UK university.

Besides teaching, I also have extensive experience in designing teaching syllabi and creating teaching materials. I have good knowledge of EFL and SFL teaching materials, both written and online, and I have previously worked with OUP and CUP EFL textbooks and Aula Internacional (Editorial Difusión) Spanish textbooks. I can also prepare students for EFL and SFL official language exams.

Tutoring Approach

I am a language teacher with an excellent academic background and a great language and linguistics knowledge. I have a true passion for education, and I enjoy very much both teaching and learning languages myself. I am a very flexible and adaptable language teacher to different educational settings and to different types of students. I am committed to ensure that every student achieves his/her full academic potential, in an effective learning environment. Therefore, lessons are tailored to every students’ needs and targets.

As for my teaching methodology, I combine the Communicative Approach with a sound knowledge of grammar, as it is essential for mastering any language. It is also important to have a balance of the four main language skills: speaking, listening, reading and writing. In my lessons, I combine teaching materials from textbooks, online materials and also my own designed activities. As well, I particularly enjoy adding the cultural element into the language classroom, with a special interest in traditions, festivities and food. Learning a language is a great way of getting to know other cultures and appreciating the beautiful diversity that the world offers!