Back in the 1980's I used to work in the City (London) and although I enjoyed the money and status, not to mention all the champagne-drinking, I realised one day that all I was doing was making rich people richer, which on reflection, didn't seem like a very good use of my time and abilities. So I did the CTEFLA (earlier version of CELTA) in 1990, and I have never looked back!  Following this, I completed the DTEFLA (earlier version of the DELTA) in Hong Kong in 1998, and graduated from the University of Manchester with an MEd in ELT in 2005. I am now working on my PhD focusing on the experiences of female English language teachers in Yemen.

Why did you become a TEFL trainer?

In China in the mid 90's, I was in a position where I was required to recruit and train native English speaking teachers primarily for the corporate market, and train Chinese teachers working for private language schools in Communicative Language Teaching. I discovered that being a trainer allowed me to share my passion and enthusiasm for teaching, and kept me on my toes in terms of methodology, applied linguistics and the emerging technology. I loved it and have been involved in teacher training more or less full-time ever since!   

Where have you taught before?

I started teaching in small language schools in the West End (Tottenham Court Road and Leicester Square) before teaching in Turkey, Poland, China, Hong Kong, Yemen and Qatar. As a teacher trainer and guest speaker for Cambridge (CUP/CESOL) and an ESOL examiner I have also worked in Bahrain, Libya, Morocco and Syria.

If you could go and work anywhere in the world, where would it be?

I have always wanted to go and work in South America, as I am fascinated by the Mayan and Aztec civilisations and it is always such fun working with South Americans!  

How did your first UK-TEFL course in London go recently?

My first UK-TEFL course at Kingston University in April was thoroughly enjoyable. The group was diverse in terms of age and life experience but gelled very quickly and I was really impressed by the progress that all the participants made, some of the skills lessons delivered in the teaching practice on Day 2 were brilliant!    

What is your favourite part of being a UK-TEFL trainer so far?

The opportunity to work with such interesting and motivated people, and the challenge of trying to communicate the fundamentals of the process of English language teaching in a concise but effective fashion over a weekend. 

What is your favourite part of the course?

I enjoy anything that has the potential to lead to an 'Aha!' moment. For many of the participants, the foreign language lesson does just that, and there is no better way of helping them understand that the focus in a classroom has to be on the learning, rather than the teaching taking place. 

Do you have a favourite age group to work with? If so, why?

I have worked with all age groups, and people from most walks of life. I couldn't possibly choose a favourite because each group has its own challenges and rewards. That's the joy of teaching - no two classes are the same.

What are your future plans?

Finish my PhD as soon as possible, and then go and teach overseas again.

Any websites you can recommend for job hunters?

I don't think you can go wrong with www.eslcafe.com for jobs and some great resource materials, but check out EF's website www.ef-uk.co.uk as they are currently recruiting teachers for China, Indonesia and Russia - all great destinations!