Lindsay

Experience

•13+ Spanish

•13+ French

•GCSE Spanish (all exam boards)

•GCSE French (all exam boards)

•GCSE German (all exam boards)

• A-Level Spanish (AQA, CIE, Edexcel, OCR, WJEC)

• A-Level German (AQA, CIE, Edexcel, OCR, WJEC)

I hold a Cambridge CELTA teaching qualification which I gained with Merit at International House in Barcelona in 2012. Upon qualification I embarked on a teaching career both abroad and in the UK from 2012 until 2016. During this time I worked for prestigious academies such as Regent English Language Training and International House. I also gained experience working in the Spanish state education system and at a private school in Northern Spain. Building relationships with my pupils and supporting them through exams was a truly rewarding experience: the majority of my pupils undertook exams from the Cambridge suite such as the First Certificate and Advanced level exam with consistently high pass rates. I also provided intensive training for students undertaking the IELTS exam to gain entry to English-speaking universities such as Cambridge in both group and one-to-one settings.

Between my teaching contracts abroad I worked for four summers (2013 - 2016) at the Edinburgh branch of Regent Language Training where I worked with mixed nationality and mixed age groups, often with students from up to ten diverse countries represented in each class. At Regent I worked collaboratively with my learners to identify their learning goals and objectives and supported them on their journey to success, whatever this looked like. For some students this was passing a Cambridge exam, whilst for others it was to learn Business English for professional development and others simply wanted to learn for their own enjoyment. Whatever their motivation, I consistently endeavoured to go beyond their expectations in this fast-paced and demanding learning environment to ensure my students were truly satisfied with their learning experience in Edinburgh.

My core motivation lies in working with people and as such I inject a great deal of enthusiasm and energy into my work. I myself have benefitted from quality tutoring both at school and university level and know for a fact I would not be where I am now without this support. I would love to return to working in frontline education to complement my current work in the Third Sector around children’s rights to accompany learners on a journey to academic fulfilment and success.

Throughout my teaching career I have actively invested in my own professional development. I have been fortunate to attend inspirational events such as the International House Teaching Conference and to lead my own teacher training events on subjects such as the use of creativity in the classroom.

Biography

With a long-standing love of languages and cultures, I have dedicated much of my academic and professional life to both learning and teaching them. At GCSE level I opted to study Spanish, French and German and eventually went on to graduate with a First Class Honours in French and Spanish from the University of Glasgow. Thanks to my path in languages, I have spent five wonderful years living and working abroad, predominantly in Spain and with briefer periods in France and Southern Italy. I have been lucky to live in various fascinating parts of Spain, including the Basque Country, Andalucia, Catalonia and Asturias. These experiences ignited my passion for truly embedding myself within other cultures and forging strong connections with the people who live there: indeed, I remain in contact with a number of Spanish and Italian friends I made during my time abroad and I love participating in language exchanges to maintain fluency and stay engaged in foreign cultures.

I currently speak five languages in addition to English and take great pride in being a polyglot! Such is my love of languages that I worked as a voluntary English teacher in Peru and Tanzania prior to qualifying as a teacher during my Undergraduate degree. This passion for language learning is one I am incredibly eager to share with children, especially given the fact many young people do not opt to study languages beyond GCSE level: when I can make the learning experience a more positive one for a young person I embrace this wholeheartedly.

My other passion lies in working with children and young people to support them and help them realise their potential. In addition to my teaching experience detailed below, I have several years' experience working in the charity sector, specifically in the field of education and youth work. In recent years I have worked for the Child Poverty Action Group to address the attainment gap and barriers to educational opportunity. I have also worked for a national violence prevention programme, delivering workshops to pupils and leading teacher training to ensure school is a safe place for learning for all.

Personal Approach

I pride myself on being very approachable and understanding when it comes to supporting those I work with. I like to think of myself as a real people person! I know that young people can often find language learning a daunting process which can feel overwhelming and demotivating at times: as a lifelong language learner I can attest to that feeling! However, I firmly believe that with the appropriate support at the right time students can find languages much more manageable and rewarding to learn. This is my goal: to empower students and facilitate a more positive learning experience for them. I would simply love to see more young people continuing with their language studies beyond GCSE level and to see them benefit from the amazing opportunities being multilingual can bring: from living abroad to being able to connect with people from all over the world here in the UK!

Most recently I took up Italian and studied intensively to gain an Upper-Intermediate Certificate in the language at the Dante Alighieri Society in Sicily; as such I am very familiar with occupying the role of both teacher and student. This means I am keenly aware of my learners' needs and can relate closely to their experiences and concerns.

What I do when I am not tutoring

I currently work as Training and Engagement Coordinator for a national charity on a part-time basis where my focus is around gender equality in STEM subjects at University and in STEM industry. I also volunteer on the Board of a charity based in the north of Scotland where I support the strategic operation of the organisation as part of the team of trustees.

When it comes to my free time, my true love is hill-walking and exploring the Scottish Highlands. As far as I'm concerned, the more remote and rugged the landscape, the better! I'm working my way through the Scottish Munros - mountains over three thousand feet - however I still have over two hundred to go until I complete them!

Testimonials

''Lindsay was an inspirational teacher who always went the extra step with her teaching. I loved learning with her and was so pleased with my progress after several months of classes with her.'' (Former English student, upper-intermediate level)

''Lindsay's lessons are engaging and she makes sure learning is fun. I think I've really improved since we began working together and look forward to our lessons together. She's helped me to understand the IELTS exam better.'' (Current English student, intermediate level)