What is your favourite part about teaching a language?

My favourite part is when students are given authentic opportunities to engage with the language. An example of this was earlier this year when students attended the CLTAWA High School excursion which was held in Northbridge. Students spent the day interacting with local businesses in Mandarin – ordering bubble tea, and food, as well as spend time reading the variety of signs on the street. 

What advice would you give to your younger self? 

Slow down and take some time to enjoy yourself. I remember wanting to be involved in every project and trip, which meant that I burnt out very quickly. Nowadays I am more selective in deciding which events to run based on which have the most impact on teaching and learning. 

Why did you become a language teacher?

I always loved learning French at school – both high school and primary, and remember telling my mother that I wanted to study French at university. My mother was horrified and told me that learning French would never get me anywhere in life – how wrong she was! I compromised and decided to study French and Education. 

After becoming a teacher, I learnt Chinese and more recently, Indonesian.