Name: Emilie-May Hubbard
Nationality: British and French
How long have you been teaching?
I’ve been transmitting the love I have for English language and British culture for 19 years now. I started teaching children when I was a young student. Our sessions were mainly based on having fun, discovering genuinely English traditions and cultural features. I then realised how English language was perceived and sadly automatically associated to a scholastic subject.
What are you teaching?
EFL/ESL English in companies
What certifications do you have?
Initially I didn’t want to be a language teacher or trainer but was venturing out on a more artistic venture as I wanted to be an Art Restorer (which I am also today). Therefore I decided to officialise my British nationality when passing my History of Arts degree with the Open University . In the meantime I continued to help children and young adults by giving English sessions and sharing my knowledge, as sharing is key to me and then taught as an independent worker.
How did you get into teaching English? Where are you currently working? country, school, companies, etc.
I gradually switched from teaching kids to helping adults and then had the chance to work for training companies and language schools for working people. As a result I was given the opportunity to become a Key Account Manager and Pedagogical Assistant in a training company in the Paris Region called ‘Business Class’. I do realize fortunate I am to have such a position and to be able to continue training too.
How long have you been working there?
I have been working for Business Class for more than a year now and as the company is successful, we deal with more and more requests which are always made-to-measure.
Where else have you worked?
In other training companies as an independent trainer.
Where do you prefer teaching English?
I prefer sharing cultural and idiomatic aspects of the language in companies.
What do you love about teaching English?
Helping trainees to gain self-confidence and making them realize that they can enjoy speaking English.
What are the advantages to teaching for you?
Learning a language is a real eye-opener for trainees who discover other ways of addressing communication and encountering enriching people. The world is your oyster as we say!
What are the disadvantages to teaching for you?
The training can be too short and frustrating for both learner and trainer. The trainee acquires knowledge and ease but has to stop once the allocated number of hours is over.
Do you like teaching English? Why?
Meeting great people from miscellaneous backgrounds. As a trainer you are constantly learning new things having to adapt the sessions to specific fields or diversified positions.
Do you do another job?
Yes, I’m very lucky to have another job I also love. I am an Art Restorer, I more precisely restore paintings under the independent worker status.
Thanks so much Emilie-May for your insightful interview about teaching English in France.:D Hope this helps someone.
English teachers have such diversity. Emilie looks so young! I can’t believe she’s been teaching for 19 years. It’s awesome that she’s been able to work in what she loves while doing it. If I go back out to teach, I hope to do the same.
Yes Emilie-May is one of my colleagues and she’s great to work with. It’s vey important for teachers to do other things while they teach. It helps you continue to be a better teacher. Good luck with your projects!
Thanks :-)! I’m going to share your post with a couple of groups. By the way, there’s a group, Women of Color Living Abroad, on facebook that you may be interested in joining if you haven’t already.
Haven’t heard of it. I don’t go on FB much, but will check it out.