Berlin Tutor Interview

Sheka シェカ Tutor Interview

Q. Hi Berlin! Would you like to give us a short introduction about yourself?: A. Hello! Well, I grew up in the Philippines. I started learning English when I was 4 years old. My parents were my first teachers. I took up Statistics at the University of the Philippines. I started teaching English online as a part-time job when I was still an undergraduate student. In my free time, I enjoy thread crafts such as crocheting, latch hooking and cross stitching. I also like dancing. I enjoy dancing as a hobby and a form of exercise as well.
Q. According to your profile, you live in Japan! How is your life going in Japan? Did you visit any popular place?: A. I moved to Japan last October. I really felt terribly cold when I arrived at Narita airport. The climate is completely different from that of the Philippines but I think I have already adjusted myself to the temperature. I am having so much fun here. Japan is really an amazing country. Besides the advanced technology, I also like the clean surroundings and the politeness of people. I went to Tokyo Disney Sea recently and it was a blast. I felt like I didn’t want to go back home! One day isn’t enough to explore the whole amusement park.
Q. Can you tell us about a tourist spot in the Philippines that you would like to recommend?: A. I was born and raised in Manila but I value the 4 years I spent in Iloilo studying in the University. Iloilo is a province in the Visayan islands, which is an hour away from Manila by plane. It has beautiful beaches and rich cultural heritages. There are a lot of must-see historic places in Iloilo like the Miag-ao Church, which is a UNESCO world heritage site.
Q. I heard your previous job was an analyst. Could you tell us about being an analyst?: A. As an analyst, I “make stories” out of data. From a set of collected data given to me, I use statistical software to examine them and then I write a report about the findings and present it to the stakeholders or the clients. I initially worked for Maersk, a logistics company, where I made import and export data analysis reports for the stakeholders. Afterwards, I was offered a researcher position by Nielsen, a renowned market research agency, but this time analyzing television ratings data for TV networks and advertising companies.
Q. You have a lot of popular lessons such as “Reading Comprehension” and “Free Talk～英語で気軽に話そうよ～”. Please tell us the characteristic of your lessons.: A. I think Reading Comprehension is popular because it is a full package. With this lesson, the students can learn new vocabularies, improve their pronunciation, understand and summarize an article, express their own idea about a certain topic and gain confidence in speaking. Well, I always make sure that my students feel comfortable in my classes. I try to create a friendly positive atmosphere during the lesson time so that students will find it enjoyable to speak English. No pressure at all!
I carefully listen to students and give them time to express themselves. As much as possible I try to type all the corrected sentences so that the student can review them after the class.
Q. Please give a message to Cafetalk students!: A. I believe that learning is a continuous process. You can only say you learned something when you can already share the acquired knowledge to someone confidently and accurately. After sharing the knowledge, you will discover that there is still something missing in what you know and that you have to learn more. It might be frustrating because there’s no end to learning but that’s what it is all about! Learning can be your lifetime friend! ^_^