Martin B

I am originally from the UK (England).  About 7 years ago I took time out from my successful management career to pursue my interests and lifelong dreams of travel and teaching. Although I had done both to some degree in the past I now wanted to teach and train full time whilst exploring new countries.

I have thousands of hours face to face and online classroom teaching experience. In terms of online teaching alone, I have accrued almost 8000 hours of English (ESL) training alone (stretching back almost 17 years). As well as TEFL, I am able to teach IELTS, Cambridge Advanced, Cambridge First, Cambridge Key, CLIL and TEYL. I also have a Cambridge grammar qualification. I intend to add to this later this year with the Cambridge Preliminary qualification. In addition, I studied Theology at Oxford University.

Due to my background (almost twenty years in management mainly in the financial service industry), I have also taught economics, financial and business studies (as well as history and programming).

I have taught a wide array of students from young learners aged 4-5 at Level 1 (no exposure to English) all the way through to successful company directors with a solid grasp and understanding of English. Although I have taught all ages I specialise in professional adults (specifically business and financial English, although I also teach general and conversational English).

I find teaching, tutoring and training a rewarding and fulfilling career. Watching someone?s journey from a beginner to an advanced level and interacting with them is opportunity that few other jobs allow. I use a wide array of teaching techniques from TPR for juniors all the way through to instructional and task based for teenage or adult learners (and everything in between). The important thing is to make my lessons and activities relevant, engaging and interactive.

As a result of my language tutor experience, I have had to proof read, grammar check and comment on a wide array of documentation. Everything from CV?s and cover letters, through to websites, proposals and presentations. Even the occasional school homework assignment!

In addition, I have extensive experience of lesson planning, transcribing, creating tutorials and videos and providing support and development for other teachers. In my wider corporate experience, I also have several years? experience training and tutoring team members on a wide array of subjects from health and safety through to computer programming.

Finally, I am fully background checked in the UK (DBS) and South Africa (police clearance) as well as holding a level 2 safeguarding children and adults certification and a general safeguarding for teachers and leaders certificate.