Friendly, patient and approachable TESOL teacher. I am CELTA and DBS qualified. My lessons will be fun and interactive with an emphasis on you and what you want to learn. My experience is with interme

Learn more about James

• Do you speak this language fluently because of your origins or because a teacher inspired you to learn?

  I am a native English speaker by birth.

• Can you name a living, historical or fictional character that you think is the emblematic representative of the language's culture?

  It might be a cliche, and critical assessment of him has changed in recent years, but I would say Winston Churchill. He very much epitomised the famous British stiff upper lip where you kept calm and carried on. Unlike his predecessors, he was brave enough to stand up to Hitler and it was this defiance that stopped the Nazi war machine in its track.
  
  Whereas the rest of mainland Europe simply collapsed, we stayed firm and resolute. There is nothing more British than that.

• Is there a typical word, phrase, tradition or behavior in the language that you particularly like?

  I like the adaptability of English. Due to its status as a global English, many non-native have found ways to merge or combine it with their native languages. I don't just mean creole, but things Frenglish, Italenglish or Spenglish, and even a rise of Globlish which has taken the most complicated aspects of English and reduced them all to their simplest forms.

• Why does speaking this language matter to you?

  English is a global language. Granted, not everybody does speak it, but it is still vitally important in communication and building relationships.

• What is the main difficulty in learning this language and what can help the process of learning?

  Due to the origin of English, it is a very difficult language to learn. In some ways, it's a mish-mash of different languages. Although it is rooted in Germanic languages, we borrow a lot of vocabulary from French, and even some from Hindi/bengali stretching back to colonialism.
  
  Because of this, there is a seemingly non-ending list of rules and exceptions to learn.
  
  Furthermore, the use of accents and dialects also makes things difficult. There is no one "english" accent. I speak in "received pronounciation," but you also get Geordie, Scouser, Brummie and Cockney, among many others. Hearing these different accents can cause many problems to learners. A problem that can be solved through full-immersion and long-term exposure.

• Provide a valuable anecdote related to your language learning or your days at school.

  In 2017, as an adult, I started learning French within the language learning school International House London. This ignited my passion for language learning. International House really changed my outlook (I promise I'm not sponsored by them) on learning languages. Their lessons were fun, immersive, interactive and with an emphasis on the natural way of speaking - completely different to how I was taught languages in school.

• How has travel or a specific trip helped you to increase your skill and knowledge of the language?

  Living in the cultural melting-pot of London has really helped to increase my knowledge of English, as it has brought me into contact with so many other cultures and non-native speakers. My ex-girlfriend was Portuguese. Most of my colleagues at my old workplace were Indian. When they spoke, I was able to listen to their mistakes and offer corrections. I didn't realise it at the time, but this was good training for my future teaching career.

• What makes you a Superprof in language?

  I will always put my students first. Tell me what you want to learn and I will accommodate. I am currently mentoring one student from the intermediate to upper levels.
  
  Before we started, she told me she wanted to improve her speaking and listening, so I tailored my lessons around that. Over a month later, we've done role-plays, debates and listening practice, all using authentic material, and subjects relevant to her life.