Have you had the chance to take Live Sessions in Open English? This tool is the key to speak English fluently because it allows you to speak with native teachers and other students live. You can listen to the word’s pronunciation, learn about grammar and increase your vocabulary.
Keeping with Open English’s teachers interviews we bring you this conversation with Anna-Pia Galaida that lives in Costa Rica and tells us about her experience teaching the language:
What do like the most about teaching English?
Teaching English helps me learn more about my own language. I enjoy researching the origins of words and seeing how words interrelate. Teaching English helps me appreciate how wonderful it is to be able to communicate with other people.
How do you feel about teaching English online at Open English?
Open English is really dedicated to making sure their students and teachers are happy. I appreciate that student feedback is very important to OE and as teachers we are monitored weekly to be sure that we’re giving our best to our students and suggestions are made to us as to how we can improve. This helps me, as a teacher, better myself and strive to make the learning environment for my students an enjoyable and productive one.
What is it like for you to have students from such different backgrounds and nationalities?
It’s a wonderful thing because often in the “outside world” there may be political conflicts between countries but within the classroom those barriers don’t exist.
Besides our Live Sessions, what’s your favorite Open English tool?
I really like the Grammar Guide and the Ask a Teacher forum. I personally learn well knowing the “rules”, so I’m happy these tools are available to those students that have that same need.
Do you have any story from your teaching experience that you’d like to share with us?
I’m continually impressed by the variety of students that enter the live sessions, their varied ages, professions and reasons for learning English. I recently had a 14-year-old young lady who was as professional and conscientious in the classroom as the many doctors, lawyers and engineers always are. Some students are between jobs and are dedicating themselves to learning English in the interim so as to be better qualified for the workplace. Having learned a second language myself I know it requires great humility. One makes mistakes all the time, so I have a lot of respect for anyone trying to learn another language. Hang in there you can do it!
What song/movie/book do you recommend for practicing English?
I think any movie that you can follow along with subtitles is a wonderful help. Getting your ears used to hearing different accents and being able to see the expressed emotions makes movies a great medium.
There’s a magazine available online called Awake, in printed and audio format that covers nature, science, history, health topics and current events. The English used is excellent and the readers are very easy to understand. (I personally read it in Spanish – to improve my Spanish vocabulary!)
What do you like to do in your free time?
I like to hike, read books and go to the beach, but more than anything else, to take road trips with my husband on our motorcycle.
Have you had a Live Session with Anna-Pia? Which teacher would you like us to interview? Tell us!
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This article was published June 13th, 2012.
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