| Name | Benjamin S. |
|---|---|
| City | Inverness, United Kingdom |
| Teaching | Humanities, Writing, Literature, Philosophy, Essay Writing, Study Skills |
| Speaking | English |
| Originally From | United Kingdom |
| Working With | Adults, Groups |
| Levels I Teach | Intermediate, Advanced |
| Lessons Take Place | Online |
| Hourly Rate | £18 |
I am a native English speaker with 15 years of teaching experience at a wide range of levels.
• PhD. - The Centre for Modern Thought. University of Aberdeen | Oct’ 2007 - July 2012. •Thesis: No Joke – Theorising Laughter from Baudelaire to Koestler.
• M. Litt. (Commendation) - Comparative Literature & Thought. University of Aberdeen | Oct’ 2006 – Oct’ 2007. •Dissertation: The Secret of the Name - Kierkegaard’s Pseudonymous Authorship.
• Postgraduate Diploma - Information & Library Studies. The Robert Gordon University | Sept’ 2002 – June 2003. •Disciplined and structured collection, manipulation and processing of information.
• M. Litt. - Reseach Institute for Irish & Scottish Studies. University of Aberdeen | Sept’ 2000 – Nov’ 2001. •Dissertation: The Dark Night of the Soul - Authorial Irony in James Joyce’s ‘Portrait’.
• MA (Hons). – 2:1 – English. University of Aberdeen | Sept’ 1996 - July 2000. •Dissertation: Seamus Heaney’s Conception of Poetry.
Since achieving qualified status, I initially undertook a contract teaching second language learners during their university access programme in Dammam, KSA. I then spent periods of employment teaching on the ‘UIMP’ Immersion Course in Galicia, Valencia, and Cartagena, Spain. Here I was charged with mentoring rotating groups of students through intense weekly residential courses in English language study and practice. Student groups ranged in ability across the spectrum of the CEFR scale from A1 to C2 (beginner to fluent). Evaluation, placement and certification therefore constituted a critical part of my responsibilities in this context.
For the previous two years I have been engaged by the Beijing Normal University at Zhuhai, China, delivering undergraduate courses in both English language instruction and cultural studies. Here I have gained experience in IELTS tutoring with both groups and individuals. I have also gained six months experience of online remote teaching due to the Covid-19 pandemic. A significant component of my responsibilities during this contract was dedicated to course and curriculum development including both teaching and examination materials.
I seek to meet each individual student on their own terms and at their own level and to engage them with a view to providing the most organic and natural development possible. I believe strongly that the confidence and courage to experiment and the freedom to make and learn from mistakes is a vital component of the learning process.
Weekday mornings between 7:00 and 12:00 GMT.
Online via Skype or Zoom.
