“Fish or fishes?” is the first question that Tana, my private English teacher asked me as soon as we sat down for our first class together. As a very curious 11 year old, the sparked intrigue within me and I was desperate to know the answer, almost to the point of being annoying.
It was from that moment, I was captivated by the English language which later would evolve into a great passion for languages overall.
“The plural of fish is fish”- She replied. “However, under certain circumstances, you can use fishes as the plural form of fish. For instance, fishes usually refers to multiple species of fish, especially in scientific contexts”. Bang. Hook, line and sinker. Instantly, I was captivated and immersed in the class. Looking back, it was a great way to start the lesson!
Reminiscing about this memory 13 years later, I realised how skillful she was when teaching children and the seismic impact of a simple, yet powerful question.
We can all agree that learning a foreign language should have different approaches, depending on the life stage we’re at and the type of person we are. In the same way, It’s certainly the teacher’s duty and responsibility to find the perfect approach for each student in question. As a partner at Oxinity, I feel so happy to be able to collaborate with more than a thousand teachers, each with their own unique approach and yet, under the same system that ensures a tailored experience to everyone wishing to learn a second language.
In my experience as a student, I believe that there can be as many approaches as there are teachers! Thinking of all my previous teachers, they were all truly individuals in how they conveyed their knowledge. Yet, they also had a trait in common- the patience powered by a genuine passion to make you understand their native language.
I wanted to debut in my first blog with this small reflection on teaching approaches and methods as I start my adventure as a full-time language teacher at this fantastic network of passionate teachers that is Oxinity. I think of all the remarkable language teachers I’ve had along the way and can only be grateful to them. They surely did a good job as they inspired me to continually fuel this desire to learn and hopefully, become a brilliant teacher to my students as they once were to me. For this reason, at Oxinity, I not only look forward to helping students improve their second-language but also to find them the best-fitted teacher to ensure they truly enjoy whilst learning!