Teaching experience: 18+ Jahre/ CELTA zertifiziert, PhD in Vergleichender Literaturwissenschaft. Bonuspunkte: ruhige und kreative Persönlichkeit

Mehr über Simona erfahren

• Wie kommt es, dass Du diese Sprache fließend sprichst? Hängt dies mit Deiner Herkunft zusammen oder hat einst ein/e Lehrer/in die Leidenschaft dafür in Dir geweckt?

  To answer the first question I have to tell you that I have always been interested in languages. As a result, I opted for Philological studies during my University, with a major in Language and Literature. So English is academically linked to my life as well as personally. I am bilingual and I speak English in my day to day life. I spend my summers in the UK working for an international school there and live the rest of the year in Berlin.

• Nenne uns eine Persönlichkeit, egal ob lebend, historisch oder fiktiv, die für Dich diese Kultur am besten repräsentiert!

  If I were to think of a personality who bests represent the English culture, that would be Peter O' Toole. He might be part of the old generation, but I think that he was the expression of elegance and refinement in a quiet, non-intrusive way.

• Gibt es in der Sprache, die Du unterrichtest, ein Wort, einen Ausdruck, eine Tradition oder eine typische Verhaltensweise, die Dich ganz besonders beeindruckt oder amüsiert?

  That would be "to keep a stiff-upper-lip". It means that you should abstain from revealing your emotions to the ones around you when it is not called and to try to overcome obstacles with dignity.

• Warum ist es Deiner Meinung nach so wichtig, diese Sprache zu beherrschen (sei es in Bezug auf Schule / Studium, Beruf oder aus persönlichen Gründen)?

  Knowing a new language opens so many doors of opportunities. So then, why not maximize your chances in a global society?

• Worin liegt die besondere Schwierigkeit, wenn es darum geht, diese Sprache zu lernen bzw. warum lohnt es sich ganz besonders?

  My students always told me that grammar is particularly difficult. Luckily I love it, so that makes up perfect matches in our common attempt to conquer it. Also, although this is general to learning languages, the fear of failure might prevent people from trying to speak in public. I constantly reassure my students saying that there's no mistake, but lessons to learn from.

• Gibt es im Zusammenhang mit dieser Sprache eine Anekdote aus Deinem Berufsleben oder Deiner Schulzeit, von der Du uns erzählen möchtest?

  I used to stick on my door when I worked in a school a drawing with an English person who is drowning and asking for help: "Excuse me, Sir, would you terribly mind giving me a helping hand?" he says instead of simply "help". It is amusing on so many levels!

• Hilf uns, Dich ein wenig besser kennenzulernen, und erzähle uns ein wenig mehr über Deine bisherigen Reisen und/oder Auslandsaufenthalte (in Bezug auf die unterrichtete Sprache oder generell).

  While in University I studied for a while in Italy, Bologna with an Erasmus scholarship for my Ph.D research. I also spent some time in Hungary, Ireland and I am constantly travelling back and forth to the UK.

• Kurz und knapp: Was macht aus Dir einen Superprof? (zusätzlich zum erfolgreichen Beherrschen mehrerer Sprachen …)

  What makes me a SuperProf? The thousands of kids, teenagers and adults I have previously taught in my 15 years career. The fact that I am still in touch with many of them and that I inspired a few to pursue a similar career, but more than anything the time and passion I put in every lesson. I prepare for each lesson as if it were the only or the most important lesson of my life.