RF Duncan-Goodwillie - The English Teachers

So, yes, they really want us to teach them how to behave “properly” with a person from another country. Etiquette. This it odd because we are supposed to prepare future diplomats and if you’re a diplomat and you don’t know how to shake hands properly, or speak politely with someone, this cancels the whole point of this education. I don’t think it contradicts the policy of the Russian government because we have the policy and we have other actions which don’t correspond.

The problem I have is that the government wants to control EVERYTHING.

RFDG: Would you say this push for having these things in the curriculum is actually less about promoting the values and actually about controlling things?

ID: Exactly.

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NB: I would say it’s a company that’s passionate about teaching, about motivating and getting the results.

RFDG: So, it’s like a private language school? Is that the best way to describe it?

NB: I would say “language centre”.

RFDG: What’s the difference between a language school and a language centre?

NB: For me, a language centre includes more opportunities. School is when you come and get the language, but in a centre you have different options. You learn the language and you can take exams and develop further. It’s for students and for teachers, that’s why it’s not just a language school. I see it as an organisation that works for different groups of people. School is more for students.

RFDG: Why did you choose this specific language centre?

NB: I was looking for a job and I got an invitation.

RFDG: Why do you continue to work there?

NB: Because there are many options for me. Firstly, because I finally got the opportunity to work with the language properly. My previous experience in teaching was based a lot on subjects that are connected to English, but are not purely language teaching. For example, I taught IT in Linguistics. That was about how we use IT to teach and learn English.

There was also one on British Literature and English, so we discussed different authors and their books but it was not purely language. Or, Country Studies where we discussed different aspects of countries like their system of government. We did it in English but it wasn’t about explaining the vocabulary. Here I finally came to the language itself. That is what my diploma says: that I am a teacher of English.

Secondly, because there is a great variety of contexts, from little kids to adults, and different levels of languages, which is also good for teachers so they aren’t stuck only at the school level. We can also work in companies and discuss absolutely different topics.

RFDG: Are there other good things about where you work?

NB: Basically, it comes from the students who are from different backgrounds with different aims and different motivations. We tailor the classes to fit their interests, to fit their needs and this is also interesting. What I like about English teaching here in general is that we don’t talk about grammar or vocabulary.

If I talk to a person who works in accounting we discuss talking about accounting, but the next day the same person can tell a story about travelling and we start talking about travelling and architecture. This variety is what appeals to me. We speak about absolutely different topics, from business to culture and personal things.

RFDG: What about the bad sides of where you work?

NB: Intensive weeks and late classes.

RFDG: What is an intensive week for you?

NB: For example, I have a day where there are four groups in a row. Three children’s groups and one adult group and there are only 10-minute breaks in between. That is intensive.

RFDG: How do you cope with that?

NB: I start planning in advance and make sure I have the materials ready at the beginning of the week. So, for example, I don’t have to think about copies and the breaks are not spent preparing for the next class but are spent relaxing.

RFDG: How much time do you spend preparing for each class?

NB: It depends on the groups, the course or topics. I can sometimes use materials I’ve used with other groups. If it is Intermediate and we are studying future tenses I already have some games. I have to modify them for different ages. If it’s a new topic or we start something new or have new vocabulary, then it will take me more time.

RFDG: If you could think of ways to make your workplace better, what would be your top three?

NB: Speaking about the room, the availability of a screen could be nice but it is not a must. It’s good to have it there but we can live without it. Another important thing is to have desks. It helps to discipline students. If we speak about a conversational group then chairs like these…

She gestures to the desk chairs arranged around the room.

NB:…they’re fine. But for school children it is not appropriate because they feel too relaxed. For school ages it would be better to have desks.

As for other things, I am pretty happy with what the school is doing for us, like the whiteboards, the markers, the magnets, everything is there. It’s all organised.

As for the centre, I’d say that everything is done so the teacher is comfortable. You can copy books in every school and all the materials are provided.

RFDG: If you could make suggestions for improvement what would they be?

NB:It’s really hard to say on the spot because I don’t feel the need for anything else.

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RFDG: Why do you work where you do?

AD: At first it was just due to the position. Here I’m an ADOS. I’ve always wanted to be a manager. I like this, I like responsibility. I like the pressure, stress, making decisions and being in charge and helping people. I used to do the same job in another language school but I quit due to the working environment.

It contradicted my ideas about the world. So, I quit, did my DELTA and after that I was thinking of teaching. But it was not enough. Then I saw the job here being advertised and I thought, “Why not?” I can’t say the school was super attractive but the position was.

RFDG: So, teaching and wanting to be a manager overlapped?

AD: Yeah. To be honest, when I moved to Moscow I applied here to be a teacher but the rate was low and they disregarded my years of previous experience. But then the ADOS position came up and I went for it. I like it because I have plenty of opportunities for professional development. I do what I like and I love it.

RFDG: Is that just in your capacity as a manager or would you be as creative as a teacher?

AD: As I said, after DELTA I was only a teacher and I had a lot of students and hours to teach, but it was not enough. In general, I feel I have more opportunities here. I have only 12 teaching hours and some private students. It’s enough for me since I like being a manager and teacher trainer more. Creating and designing new courses, talking to teachers, helping them, guiding them. I like that.

RFDG: More than teaching?

AD: Yes.

RFDG: What’s good about where you work?

AD: I can teach a variety of classes and I meet so many different people on a daily basis. I like the changes. And it’s an opportunity to get experience and teach in different environments.