Meet Pascale: Teacher profile of the month

We go behind the scenes with Pascale, our spirited member of The Language Academy teaching team.

Read her interview below to find out what she likes most about teaching, her biggest teaching challenge and her hidden talent.

Name: Pascale
From: Aubenas, France
Currently teaching: French (10 years)

➱ LIFE AS A LANGUAGE TEACHER

🅠 Who or what inspired you to start teaching?

Ⓐ “It was my friend and cousin. She said, ‘you’re living in a foreign country, why not teach your own language?’. My mum said ‘that suits you so well’; I was always helping my peers in school. I’m really happy when I’m teaching.”

 

🅠 What prompted you to learn English?

Ⓐ “We learned English at school, but I was a very bad student and my levels were low. I couldn’t speak much English, and I started from zero at TAFE, but moving here to Australia was the real opportunity to learn.”

 

🅠 Have you studied anything other than linguistics?

Ⓐ “Yes, I have a diploma of pharmacy and I worked in that industry for 10 years.”

 

🅠 What is do you like most about teaching?

Ⓐ “When people are happy, and they learn something – anything. That makes me so happy. When I make their day. When it ‘clicks’.”

 

🅠 What do you find is the most challenging thing about teaching?

Ⓐ “Sometimes it’s the correct pronunciation. But I have a trick for that [laughing]. English and French have 70% in common, so sometimes students know the words, but it’s the pronunciation that stands in the way.”

 

🅠 What is your teaching motto or philosophy?

Ⓐ “Immerse yourself.”

 

🅠 Describe a successful lesson. Tell us why it would be successful.

Ⓐ “When ‘it clicks’, and I can see the students’ eyes illuminate with excitement. And when they can reuse it for the next time around.”

 

🅠 What is the next language that you want to learn, and why?

Ⓐ “Spanish, because my sister is living in Cadiz, Spain. I would love to be able to speak a little bit when I’m over there. But I would also love to re-learn Italian. We learned it at school as a second language after English.”

 

➱ UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL

🅠 Where have you travelled?

Ⓐ “Dominican Republic, New Caledonia, New Zealand, a little bit of Italy (I used to live on the border), Spain, oh, and Belgium!”

 

🅠 Do you have any hidden talents?

Ⓐ “[Laughing] surfing. It was my dream when I was a teenager. I always thought about it, and when we finally came to the Gold Coast that was what I did.”

 

🅠 What is your favourite food?

Ⓐ “Lemon meringue – but when the lemon is not sweet, but citrusy.”

 

🅠 How would you describe yourself in three words?

Ⓐ “Passionate, social and… resilient.”

 

🅠 If you could be any animal in the world, what animal would you be and why?

Ⓐ “A fish. I love the water!”

 

🅠 Describe your perfect day. What would it look like?

Ⓐ “To take a plane and go see my parents and sister. It’s been 6 years.”

 

➱ LAST BUT NOT LEAST…

🅠 What is one thing you want your students to remember about you?

Ⓐ “My smile [laughing]. My good nature.”

 

If you want to learn French and master your pronunciation or one of the many other languages we offer here at The Language Academy, call us on (07) 5578 6838.

Get in quick – spaces are limited as we ensure small class sizes for the best learning outcomes!