Information About Chrystyna - Barnet teacher

Personal Description:

Each time I have tutored a student, aiding their progression has been a very rewarding experience. As a joint honours Hispanics studies and History graduate, I have a passion for sharing my love and knowledge of languages. I studied post-A level Spanish at University along with beginners Portuguese.
My year abroad was so special because I really experienced national and local cultures of Spain and Portugal and made friends with other international students who shared my love for languages.
In addition to my teaching experience, I took part in Tandem exchange projects in my second and final year of University, with the University of Aveiro and the University of Valladolid.

Teaching Experience:

August 2023-Present:
• Since August I have volunteered to have weekly sessions with a Ukrainian individual to improve their level of English, through the charity organisation ENGin. I have gone through specific topics, grammar and now have informal chats with my partner.

September-December 2023:
• Leading after school Spanish clubs in primary schools as a Language Guide. I have learnt behavioural management skills and how to adapt lesson plans and teaching style to the learners needs.

November-July 2020/21 and January-March 2023:
• Tutored A-level Spanish students at Nottingham schools for their upcoming exams, improving their pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary. I tutored students who were studying AQA A level Spanish and am familiar with this exam board having studied for it myself before University.

February-March 2023:
• Volunteered with the British Red Cross as part of the Nottingham Advantage Award to prepare students, who were refugees and asylum seekers, for their upcoming IELTS exam. I taught online on Microsoft teams with two other volunteers for six weeks. We prepared students for listening, reading, writing and speaking exercises as well as teaching grammar and running through mock tests.

June 2018:
• Voluntarily tutored GCSE students for upcoming exams whilst studying for A-levels and helping teachers in Spanish and History lessons At East Barnet School.

Teaching Approach:

I believe that overthinking grammar can be an obstacle in language learning and can be confusing. My approach is to teach grammar in a more gradual and natural way. For instance, when the student notices patterns in the language, or is keen to understand a grammar rule I will explain it.
I believe speaking a language is the best way to learn it, as it is the way we learn our native language. Therefore, spoken language will always be the main focus in lessons, unless the student would like to work on another aspect. I am flexible and will structure lessons in accordance with what students would like to cover.