QUALIFIED Enthusiastic English, Spanish and Greek Teacher based in East London!

Find out more about Adamantini

• When did you develop an interest in your chosen field and in private tutoring?

  I grew up in a family surrounded by teachers...so definitely that is where it all started... :) Since I was a student I attended a bilingual school (Greek & English) and I was always intrigued by languages, language learning and teaching.
  
  During my undergraduate and postgraduate studies, I was also introduced to the world of academic research which I absolutely loved. Hence, I took the decision to offer private classes in Greek and English as well as in Critical Thinking and Thesis preparation as I would like to share my knowledge with my students and make them love languages and research as much as I do :)

• Tell us more about the subject you teach, the topics you like to discuss with students (and possibly those you like a little less).

  When it comes to the language classes I teach (English and Greek) I always like to spend some time on communicative skills. The topics I like involve daily topics, in other words, things that happen everyday in our lives. In this way, I believe that it becomes easier for the students to use the target language more. For more advanced levels, I always like to discuss topics that are interesting for my students. If a student loves football, then let`s talk about football..if a student likes music..then the topic will be related to music and so on.
  
  I really enjoy discussing about anyyy topic, as long as my students find it interesting :)

• Did you have any role models; a teacher that inspired you?

  A role model for me was certainly my aunt, as she owns a language school. I always admired her work as a teacher and the impact she had on her students' lives...which is what I am hoping to achieve in the future too

• What do you think are the qualities required to be a good tutor?

  A teacher needs to be able to understand the needs of her students and to be able to easily adjust to those needs and interests. I would say that patience, organizational and communication skills are of utmost importance when it comes to teaching.

• Provide a valuable anecdote related to your subject or your days at school.

  A funny story was many years ago when during our English class at school when one of my French classmates was trying to tell us that she hates cockroaches, but instead said: "I ate them"...It took me 2 or 3 minutes to realise that French people cannot pronounce the H and that she actually meant: I hate them.

• What were the difficulties or challenges you faced or still facing in your subject?

  The most difficult thing when it comes to language learning, is to overcome the anxiety of actually speaking the language, to overcome the fear of making mistakes. Apart from English and Greek I also speak German and Spanish and many times I also fall into the trap of being afraid to use the language especially in front of native speakers. However, I always push myself to speak about any topic in one of those languages even though I might feel that my vocabulary is not the best...and this is what I always try to do with my students too :)
  
  When it comes to research on the other hand, I would say that the most difficult challenge is to actually understand the basic concepts of research. Once, this is achieved, writing up your thesis will be a piece of cake :)

• Do you have a particular passion? Is it teaching in general or an element of the subject or something completely different?

  My passion is travelling...getting to know new cultures and new languages. I lived for 6 years in England, 1 year in Scotland and 1 year in Spain. I love being surrounded by people from different backgrounds as it always makes me feel that I have so much to learn from people who come from different backgrounds. Teaching, which is my other passion, enables me to transfer my passion for languages and cultures to my students :)

• What makes you a Superprof (besides answering this interview questions :-P) ?

  Almost 4 years of English and Greek language teaching experience...I worked in schools, private academies with young students as well as adults. I have experience in teaching groups as well as private classes and various academic levels.
  
  I consider myself a superprof in terms of Thesis preparation and research skills because I hold two Master's degrees and for both master's I was awarded for my research skills. Specifically, I received an award for achieving the highest grade for my Master's thesis. I can definitely pass on my knowledge to anyone who is going through the process of writing up their thesis or a research paper.