Читать книгу The English Teachers - RF Duncan-Goodwillie - Страница 35

Setting the scene: We meet on a Saturday after a long morning of teaching TKT for me and teaching intensive classes for her. These classes can last for four hours or more. I’m still recovering from my chest infection but Varvara is very lively, much like her answers, as we sit in a teacher’s room crammed with books but deserted by teachers. It’s quiet and somewhat dark, but this means I can focus clearly on everything she has to say.

VT: I studied in an English school where half of the lessons were in English. That took 11 years. Then I went to Moscow City Teacher Training University where I got a Bachelor’s Degree in Translation and Linguistic studies. I went on to do a Masters in Linguistics and Cross Cultural Communication, and then I got my CELTA in Edinburgh in 2016.

RFDG: That’s a very logical progression though languages, but why did you choose to go into teaching?

VT: I tried alternatives. I was a translator and an interpreter at different events. There was a grand opening of a museum in Moscow and I worked there, but I didn’t enjoy it much. It didn’t really match my personality because in translation you just need to make sure that communication comes through and that’s it. You need to cover your personality as much as possible. That goes strongly against my own behaviour. I’m very emotional and expressive. I think that’s why it wasn’t for me. I can’t sit down and work with paper at home. I want to communicate with people and share my knowledge with them.

RFDG: You still stuck with languages. Was there a purpose behind doing all this work with languages beforehand?

VT: Absolutely, yes. The overall tendency is that most Russians don’t speak English very well. I’d even say the majority don’t speak English at all. So, even if you want to teach languages it’s wise to learn it first. I know from my experience and that of the people around me that translation teaches you more about the language than teaching does. My friends who graduated with teaching degrees knew a lot about how to teach English, but their level was very low which doesn’t make sense to me. I thought it would be reasonable to learn as much as I could first and then move to teaching it.

RFDG: Surely this choice wasn’t at the school level. Was it your parents’ decision to send you to such a school?

VT: Yes. It was my mum’s decision. It was back in the 90s when everything was changing. Not many people thought about English at that time, but my mum thought English would become a very important skill so it was important to invest in it. She put every effort into helping me get into that school. There was an exam I had to sit when I was five. It was my first exam, actually.

RFDG: That must have been quite pressuring.

VT: Yes it was, but I remember being very passionate about learning. I actually wanted to study before I went. It was difficult to pass the exam but I was eager to do it.

RFDG: Do you think your mum was right?

VT: I absolutely think so, because English has opened so many doors for me. That’s why I teach it, I want more people to have these opportunities.

RFDG: Why Moscow?

VT: Well, I’m still thinking of teaching in China. I would love to teach in Europe, but due to visa regulations the chances are very low, unfortunately. I’d be very happy to go but I just don’t see a way to do this so far. Every single job I come across says, “We are looking for candidates with European citizenship and we are not offering any work visas.” At the same time, I’m pretty happy with working in Moscow. There are so many places where you can work as a teacher or a trainer and I don’t know of any other cities which can offer that much which are within my reach.

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