From PortugalLiving in Kingston, Canada (22:34 UTC+00:00)
About Me
italki teacher since Dec 31, 2021
I am originally from Portugal but have lived in different places across Europe, mainly Paris and London. London has been my home for over ten years but I do envision living in Asia in the future.
I trained as an actor when I was in my early twenties and went on to write plays that were later produced on London stages. A few years ago I took up drawing with the aim to learn what is one of my biggest passions, anime.
Having lived in different cultures has given me an amazing insight into, not only what it takes to learn a new language, but also what it takes to assimilate to a new culture.
Me as a Teacher
I come from an arts background having studied theatre in both Paris and London. Throughout my life I have spent most of my time constantly operating in different languages. When the pandemic began I decided to put my knowledge of foreign languages to use and trained as a language teacher by undertaking both the TEFL certificate and the more complex CELTA diploma. I believe languages are the first gateway into a new culture and I’m extremely passionate about, not only speaking them, but teaching them too.
My lessons & teaching style
The most important thing for me is trying to understand the student’s motivation for learning a new language and then tailor my lessons to that same motivation. I often use current topics to spark debate which I complement with videos and audio clips. I also enjoy helping students with more specifics needs such as doing mock job interviews or assisting in the writing of emails. Learning a language is also a study of culture and as such, I like to use history as a topic on which to build my lessons on. Finally, I make my lessons fun and engaging and a safe place for students to make mistakes and learn.
Duarte helped me to prepare for my fellowship interview and did a fantastic job! I highly recommend Duarte. Thank you!
Jan 17, 2022
Milena Gama
1 English lesson
My class was amazing! The teacher has excellent content. I loved it!
Jan 11, 2022
nick Bel
5 English lessons
Great lesson! learned some new business words and has great discussions with the teacher. Thank you!
Jan 11, 2022
nick Bel
5 English lessons
It was a very insightful lesson. I learned a lot! Duarte gave me topics to speak about and it was just the kind of practice I needed. highly recommended! Thank you.