Working Experience:
3 years
Languages:
English, Russian, Spanish
Governer / Tutor
id: 10023
Michael K.
Current location:
Oxford, UK
My name is Michael and I am interested in a position as a governor or English tutor. I was born and grew up in Oxford, in the United Kingdom. Languages have defined my academic career, studying English, Spanish and French until A-level at a prestigious private school – Magdalen College School. I then studied Russian and Spanish at Durham University, graduating from my Bachelor’s in Modern Languages and Cultures (with year abroad) with first class honours and a distinction in Russian speaking.
The third year of my degree was spent abroad, studying at Tomsk State University in Russia and working as a journalist in Santiago, Chile. While in Tomsk, I regularly planned and delivered English lessons to university students. On both placements I attended language schools, one in St Petersburg and another in Santiago. I am comfortable living abroad and speak Russian and Spanish with near fluency.
Having experienced such a wide range of teaching methods throughout my studies, I have developed my own language-learning philosophy. I believe that immersion in the target language, coupled with cultural engagement in areas of interest across media such as literature, music, TV and podcasts, are the best way to motivate language-learners while consolidating the core skills such as grammar.
Since graduating this summer, I have completed a 120-hour TEFL course, a valuable experience for developing my teaching methodology. I have a 14-year-old brother, whom I help with his homework in a wide range of subjects, from English to the sciences. I also play football, tennis, and chess with him. Besides teaching my brother how to play chess, I also volunteered at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, where I organised and taught a chess club for children aged 7-11.
More recently, I assisted at a summer camp, taking part in and helping to organise sports and activities for the children. In my spare time I like to keep active, having played rugby, hockey and cricket for school teams in addition to my primary sports: football and tennis.