Hello everyone!

My name is Barbara!

I was born in Slovakia, a tiny country in Central Eastern Europe. I started picking up English at the nursery already, at about the age of 3. However, my life has lead me far away from this 'idyllic' place under the mountains. I lived in England for quite a while where I started studying linguistics.

I've been an online teacher since 2013.

I graduated from the University of Essex in the UK with a BA in English Language and Linguistics in 2013. I also have an MA in Linguistics of European Languages (with a specialisation in French). I got this diploma at University of Amsterdam. I've been an online teacher since 2013. Before, I was only teaching adults, but I've recently finished my placement as a Native Language Assistant in Spain. Here, I worked with teenagers in a local college and with 3 to 5-year old children, so I can confidently say now that I've taught all levels and all age groups.

I've lived in different countries (The UK, The Netherlands, Belgium, France and now Spain), so I am used to foreign speakers of English. That's why, I know of language problems they usually have to face. I focus on teaching approaches that help students develop all four skills (speaking, listening, reading and writing) needed to be an expert in the language. The student is naturally in the centre of attention. I think it's extremely important to listen to his/her preferences and purpose for taking the class. I use a lot of authentic material and interactive exercises which help the learner use the language in real life situations. I also do preparation for various certificates (IELTS, TOEFL, CAE etc.), business English, academic English, aviation English and others.