Information About Lavinia - Bridport teacher

Personal Description:

I have over 14 years` experience of teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) to adults both in group, 1:1 and online settings. I have worked both abroad and in the UK so am used to teaching a range of nationalities. In addition, I enjoy travelling and speak a number of languages. I have both the CELTA and DELTA professional qualifications and recently obtained a distinction for a Masters Degree on teaching and learning theories relating to EFL. In addition to teaching, I am keen to remain up-to-date in my field and therefore regularly attend conferences. In 2016 and 2017 I gave talks at the IATEFL conference.

I specialize in teaching adults (18+) but also have experience teaching younger learners (8-17).

General English =
fluency and accuracy (speaking/writing)
comprehension (listening/reading)
vocabulary expansion
grammatical range/accuracy
everyday/social/conversational English

Exam preparation =
I have an excellent track record in helping students to maximise their exam performance in the following exams:
IELTS (Academic & General)
CAE (Advanced)
FCE (First)
BEC Higher (Advanced)
BEC Vantage (Upper Intermediate)

Academic English =
vocabulary expansion
features of academic writing
paragraph/essay structure
listening/note-taking skills
reading/identifying & summarising main points of a text
paraphrasing and referencing
proofreading essays
presentation preparation

Business & Professional English =
topic-related language
functional language for meeting/greeting, making arrangements, giving opinions diplomatically, agreeing/disagreeing, participating in meetings, negotiating, giving presentations
business writing (emails, reports, describing trends)
presentation preparation

If there is anything else related to English which you need help with, please do not hesitate to contact me and I`ll do my best to help.

Teaching Experience:

I have been working at a prestigious and well-established school in London for the last 8 years but have now relocated to Dorset (South West England). I currently teach students online from a range of countries, including South Korea, Brazil, China, Russia, France, Spain, Sri Lanka, Ukraine, Finland and Turkey. I am experienced in teaching both groups and 1:1 lessons online, using Skype, Webex, Zoom and Adobe Connect. In addition to online tuition, I am also a host tutor (where students come to stay with me and learn English at my home) and offer a proof-reading & editing service, mainly for university students.

I have ample experience in teaching general, business & professional, and academic English as well as providing intensive exam preparation (IELTS, CAE, FCE, BEC Higher & BEC Vantage) for which I achieve consistently high results. While in London, I also taught specialist courses for Swedish politicians, journalists, people working in the hospitality industry, and bankers.

Teaching Approach:

I am a highly competent and dynamic individual, always cheerful and positive. I am passionate about teaching English and this enthusiasm is reflected in my lessons. All lessons are geared towards an individual`s specific needs and, where possible, are presented in an authentic context. In this way, lessons should be engaging, meaningful and therefore memorable. I am dedicated to maximising my students` potential.