Open English

Meet Erik Howes, Open English teacher!

Ermelinda Maglione - June 13th, 2012

One of the tools for learning English with Open English are our Live Sessions given by native teachers, which live all around the world. The learning process with native teachers guarantees accent reduction and better pronunciation. Besides, it’s a great advantage in your effort to improve your conversation skills and understand what you listen to.

From this month on we want you to get to know our teachers better. In this opportunity we spoke with Erik Howes from Honduras:

What do like the most about teaching English?
The combination of learning languages and teaching English has allowed me to live and work comfortably in various countries including Brazil, Japan (I taught English here for four years), Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras.  It has expanded my understanding of people and appreciation for cultures and customs all over the world.

How do you feel about teaching English online at Open English?

As my friends in Boston might say, teaching with Open English is wicked cool!  We have a group of dedicated and professional students who are committed to learning English.  At OE I get to stay at home, I never have to grade homework and the lessons are already prepared.  WooHoo!  I am also continually brushing up on my Portuguese and Spanish skills.

What is it like for you to have students from such different backgrounds and nationalities?

I love talking with people from all over the world who are here learning English.  I often Google images and search Wikipedia for information about the towns where our students live.  Did you know Bogota is located at 8,612 feet above sea level and has 8 million residents?  I didn’t before OE.  I also enjoy the random cultural tidbits, like learning about how students love “arepas” or how much they dislike “morcilla” (a blackish blood pudding).

Besides our Live Sessions, what’s your favorite Open English tool?

For me my favorite tool is the online lessons.  From interactive games, to entertaining videos that play like a sitcom, these lessons are wonderful. Isn’t OE’s program about a thousand percent better than learning from a textbook?

Do you have any story from your teaching experience that you’d like to share with us?

One of my favorite stories is of a student who is from a small beach community in Brazil.  If there was an AA program for OE this student would have to join, because he is hooked.   He often stalks Open English rooms hoping to find a private session for what he calls a “V.I.P” lesson. From what I gather he sometimes attends beginning, intermediate, and advanced lesson-all in one day.

What song/movie/book do you recommend for practicing English?

It really depends on the topic.  For example if the topic were “How To Avoid Getting Wet In The Rain” I might recommend “Umbrella” by Rihanna.  If the topic were “How To Avoid Unpleasant Encounters With Law Enforcement” I might recommend a film from “The Fast and The Furious” franchise.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I enjoy getting out in nature.  This includes outings to nearby Lake Yojoa, as well as walks on the beach, trips to waterfalls, hiking, etc.  I love Ok Go, and watch them plenty on You Tube.

Have you had lessons with Erik? Which teacher would you like us to interview? Tell us!