Visited 3 days ago
5a6de7
Professional TeacherTeaches
English
Native
Speaks
Spanish
German
Other
Teaches
English
Native
Speaks
Spanish
German
Other
About Me
Me as a Teacher
My lessons & teaching style
Resume & Certificates
From United KingdomLiving in Envigado, Colombia (20:33 UTC-05:00)
About Me
italki teacher since Mar 19, 2021InterestsMedical & Healthcare
My mission in life is the same one I believe we all have: to love, serve, share experiences, educate, inspire and be catalysts for positive transformation in the lives of others whilst being humble & avoiding the mortal sin of pride - believing that we are in any way better than others & forgetting that everything we have in life is a gift that we have been blessed with from above. As freely as we have received, freely we should give. Do you, like me, procure to be a good person, in spite of your failures, life's moral battles & dilemmas? Are you humble, open-minded, & thirsty to grow? Then let us set off on what I yearn to be a transformational journey of sharing & learning together! ;)Me as a Teacher
I consider myself a student first and a teacher second, because life is a journey of perennial learning from the moment we are born until the moment we breathe our last. To stop learning would be to "grow old" in the truest sense of the words. I believe that you are as much of a teacher as I am, because from your unique set of life-experiences & encounters, I have as much to learn from you as you do from me. That said, I am blessed to have had a wealth of experience in life and a 15 year trajectory as a career-professional in education teaching kids from secondary school to adults. Please refer to my "Resumé" section for more detail on my educational and professional background. My lessons & teaching style
Whatever the lesson-type, my teaching objective remains the same: maximising your investment & time. I have reached what is termed "proficiency" in Spanish exclusively through self-study therefore I can empathise with what you are going through as a language-learner, and have the know-how to get you to the top of the English Language mountain-peak. Ideally, we will only be using classes to cover things you are unable to do on your own such as the speaking & listening interaction with a professional & native speaker of English. In terms of style, my aim is to fill you full of confidence, positive energy, and eternal optimism. Together, if we are BOTH devoted to your cause, we WILL do it! ;)Certificates
CELTA - Cambridge English Assessmet - 2005Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
Certificate verified
Education
2000 - 2004
Bachelor’s - Computing and Information Systems
Work Experience
2006 - 2006
English TeacherThis was my first teaching job after completing my CELTA. It was a steep learning curve, but at the end of it all I have nothing, but sweet memories of learning the ropes with some very wise & knowledgeable teachers, & meeting a super group of students from all across the globe. After class, we would be involved in the "social programme" & take them all across London. I left this post after receiving a job offer to teach in Colombia, which was my dream destination, and would become my new home!
2006 - 2007
English TeacherThis was the language institute where I cut my teeth as a teacher of English as a Second Language in the salsa capital of the world, Cali, Colombia! Cali is one of the three big cities of Colombia after Bogotá the capital and Medellín. It has a population of around 3 million people. The weather is tropical, hot, and humid! Most of the students were adults, but on a Saturday we would regularly be required to take charge of school-aged children. Levels right from beginner all the way to advanced.
2007 - 2015
English Language and Literature TeacherOne of the reasons I came to Colombia is that I had read it was possible to teach at private bilingual schools for minors with just a bachelor's and a teaching certificate for adults. This idea appealed to me more than spending another year at uni in order to get a PGCE! The stars lined up for me, and I was offered this job as almost a complete rookie with school-aged children! Here I learnt that I was passionate about teaching in all its forms including Literature and Writing in English.
2016 - 2017
Middle School English Writing TeacherThis was an interim position that I took after taking a sabbatical year off work as a contracted teacher to pursue personal interests such as writing, which was my first passion in terms of language. At school from a young age, my teachers had regularly commented that they felt I had a gift for the written word! It was different when I spoke. I would often stutter and be unable to get the right words out due to nerves and a perfectionist nature! Another job offer would take me to pastures new!
2017 - 2020
English Language and Literature TeacherWelcome to the City of Eternal Spring, Medellín, the second most populous city in Colombia with approximately 4 million inhabitants if you include the entire metropolitan area which is actually called "el Valle de Aburrá". My mother is from the Fiji Islands, I was born in Hong Kong where I lived for the first 11 years of my life. Also spent 9 years in the Middle East. I've experienced some good weather around the world, but nothing comes close to Medellín: never too hot or cold - thank God! ;)
2010 - 2017
Cambridge/IELTS Oral Examiner and InvigilatorThis experience gives me inside knowledge of how to get through standardised English tests such as IELTS, and Cambridge Main Suite. However, once one understands how one standardised English test works, one understands them all, at least to some degree, because much of the knowledge, know-how, and exam technique, is cross-applicable from one standardised English test to another.
5.0
Rating
116
Students
499
Lessons
100%
Attendance rate
100%
Response rate
English Lessons
Trial Lesson
62 lessons completed
USD 8.00+
Gift of the Gab! 🗣️ (Skype only please!)
A1 - C2Conversation379 lessons completed
USD 10.00+
Package with 5% off
Writing Master Class! 🎓 (Skype only please!)
A1 - C2Language Essentials17 lessons completed
USD 20.00+
Package with 5% off
Availability
Based on your timezone (UTC+00:00)
170 Reviews
ac4033
20 English lessons
Jay always gives me the best lessons. He can notice all my confusions and mistakes, and guides me patiently. Instead of giving a straight answer, he always help me to think. It does a lot of benefits in the process of language learning. I am on top of the world to have he as a teacher and a friend!😇😇😇😇😇😇
May 26, 2021
416958
9 English lessons
Thank you Jay for your passion. I’m very happy to have found a big-hearted person like you. It seems that you have a mission: spreading love and good vibes. Take care, see you next time!
May 24, 2021
fbf7f6
22 English lessons
I told him, I improved a lot my English in this past two years, but the journey is still long.
I'm happy and grateful to have found a good teacher like Jay.
May 23, 2021
4d804a
14 English lessons
A very informative lesson. Thank you for the interesting conversation about health. Sometimes I forget that you are from another country and speak another language.
Have a good day! ))
May 26, 2021
95a3f3
11 English lessons
Last Friday, I had another excellent class with J.C.!! It's always pleasant to end my week having a good conversation with him! It's much more than an English class. I feel very comfortable talking with J.C., and I always learn a lot because he is very patient, explains very well, and does his best to his students! Furthermore, I have been broadening my vocabulary since when I took my first class with him! Thank you, J.C!! See you next week!
May 24, 2021
7fad27
6 English lessons
Thank you Jay for your excellent lesson. I enjoyed your class very well. Time flew by very fast and I felt amazing with you.
I have to say you are on the right place. You are teacher who supports your students remarkably. Many thanks to you.
May 23, 2021
Trial Lesson
USD 8.00
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