Hello there!
皆さん、こんにちは!
Goeie dag!
About me:
My name is Amber, and I am from South Africa. Something interesting about South Africa is that it has 12 official languages, including sign language. Can you believe it?! Because of this, I have been surrounded by different languages and cultures my entire life.
For the past two years, I worked as an English teacher at senior high schools in Gunma, Japan. My favourite part of my work was coaching students one-on-one for speech contests, university interviews, Eiken exams, and more. I really enjoyed getting to know my students’ unique personalities and needs and tailoring my teaching approach to suit them individually. I also loved coaching the English club at my school. Here we did many creative activities together like storytelling, expressive reading, and interpreting song lyrics. I am especially passionate about doing activities that get my students thinking creatively in English and exploring many different viewpoints. I have a wide range of interests, and I am happy to discuss almost any topic. I love listening to and understanding different perspectives.
In addition, I have been studying Japanese for the past 2 years, so I understand how difficult it is to learn a language that is so different from your native language. Part of what makes it so difficult is the stories we tell ourselves about our abilities and about the language we're learning. I would like to work with you to better understand these stories and to overcome your obstacles to learning just like I am working on overcoming mine.
If you like talking about your thoughts and opinions, thinking deeply and creatively, and considering different points of view, I can help you to go deeper and learn new ways of thinking. I think of myself not so much as a teacher but more as a coach. I want to guide you to achieve your inherent potential and to develop confidence in yourself and your English abilities!
About my lessons:
I would like to have a brief introductory lesson before we begin formal English lessons. During this lesson we will exchange introductions and then we will look at your English learning history, your strengths and weaknesses, your passions, and discuss your vision for your English learning. This will help me to create a tailored learning experience for you.
I offer lessons to students with an intermediate to advanced level of English. I am currently learning Japanese and can provide some support if needed. But part of what makes my English lessons effective is that we will work through challenges together - this includes any communication barriers we may experience. This will help you to retain knowledge and skills and to grow in confidence.
A bit more about me (in case you're interested):
I have a background in the sciences - I worked as a medical technologist in South Africa. The Japanese translation of this profession is 臨床検査技師. My major role was to train new staff on all procedures in the laboratory. This is where I discovered my passion for teaching and what led me to apply to the Japan Exchange Teaching (JET) programme in 2022. From August 2022 to July 2024, I taught as an Assistant Language Teacher at two senior high schools in Gunma. I now live in Saitama prefecture.
I love reading fantasy books like 'Howl's Moving Castle' by Diana Wynne Jones and watching Studio Ghibli movies. My favourite Studio Ghibli movie is 'Spirited Away', or 千と千尋の神隠し in Japanese.
I am also very interested in the field of psychology. I enjoy trying to understand how people think and why they do what they do. I am a very open-minded, sensitive, and curious person.
Finally...
Thank you for taking the time to read my profile and I look forward to seeing you in our first lesson together!
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