Читать книгу The English Teachers - RF Duncan-Goodwillie - Страница 20

Setting the scene: There’s an old church in the Chekovskaya area surrounded by high walls and sitting just off a leafy boulevard nearby. The school Günter and I sit in is in the shadow of that large complex, much in the same way I sit in the shadow of Günter. While imposing in figure, he speaks in a gentle way I associate with people from Brazil. It seems a part of his calm manner more generally.

GCB: I’m from the south of Brazil. I grew up in a small town in the countryside. When I started university and did Languages and Literature, I had my first experience of going abroad. Since then I’ve been looking for more opportunities.

RFDG: Why did you choose teaching?

GCB: I didn’t choose it. It chose me. I started university, not because I was into languages and linguistics, but because I liked literature. When you’re young you’re full of dreams and just want to read novels and talk about them with your friends. But you can’t make a living out of it unless you have the talent to become a writer yourself.

He raises an eyebrow and nods slightly in my direction, paying a quiet but good-humoured compliment.

But that wasn’t the case for me. Suddenly I saw myself going into language teaching. And that’s how it started.

RFDG: Why did you decide to work in Moscow?

GCB: Lots of reasons. I’d been teaching in Brazil for a long time and for the last few years had been trying work abroad. After I took my TESOL* and CELTA courses I saw an opportunity and started applying. The problem is you have very few opportunities if you’re a Brazilian citizen.

The first jobs I applied for and had a positive response I couldn’t take. Some were in Europe and you have to have a European citizenship, so it was not possible. All the others were in Asia or the Middle East and most of them you have to be a citizen of specific English-speaking countries. I applied for a job in Siberia and had an interview, but the interviewer and myself realised it wasn’t going to happen because Siberia is so far from Brazil and the ticket would be too expensive. But it opened a window. I realised it was possible to come to Russia to teach, so I started applying for jobs. I applied here, had an interview and was offered a job. And here I am.

*Note: TESOL generally describes any non-CELTA certificate in teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.

RFDG: If you could choose where to work, where would you go?

GCB: The Middle East.

RFDG: Why?

GCB: Well, I like different things and think it would be really different. It’s a completely different society and way of thinking. I’m not sure if I would survive in such a dry place, but I think I would be able to overcome it. I’ve also been told the wages are higher (smiles). And if not the Middle East, then here as I’m in love with Moscow. I would also love to teach in Western Europe. So, if I could pick it would be one of these.

RFDG: Why did you pick this school in particular?

GCB: Frankly speaking, I applied via a platform and you just select a country and there are a bunch of schools. Accidentally, I bumped into BKC-IH. I’d taken a few training courses in IH London and these were two of the best course I’ve taken in my life. I mean really useful, really nice. The tutor was just fantastic and I left very impressed with the school. When I received an email inviting me for an interview I thought I wouldn’t get a job there as I thought I wasn’t up to the task.

I was interviewed by an ADOS.* who was very nice. I was a bit nervous because the first attempt at the interview I missed due to the time zone. But they found another time and another ADOS. It went quite smoothly and I was told I’d get an answer in a week. I was happy with that. Just getting an interview meant I had some kind of worth.

A week later I was offered a job and I thought, “Should I leave Brazil? Should I go that far and leave my house, family and job here?” I still have a family there. But I was taking a shower and thought, “It’s International House. I want to go.” And I got out of the shower and the decision was taken like that.

*Note: ADOS is an abbreviation of Assistant Director of Studies. They are usually English teachers with some management and administrative responsibility, and supervise the work of teacher. A Director of Studies (DOS) does this in smaller schools or oversees schools at a strategic level.

RFDG: What was so impressive about the training sessions with IH?

GCB: Generally, you don’t remember names of courses, but I remember these two. One was “Current Trends” and it was really about that subject. We really discussed things I’ve recently seen in my academic life and new things. It was not a joke. I checked later on and they were right. The other one was called “Practical Teaching” and again it was that. Practical techniques all the time. No discussion on theory but hands on all the time.

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