United Kingdom
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I am an ex-English language teacher (RSA DELTA qualified) who now works supporting business leaders from large UK companies with creative facilitation, storytelling and engagement planning. I spend a lot of time at home in between work sessions, looking after my 12 year old daughter and her friends when they visit, building up my health and wellbeing, volunteering with local community groups and being in my lovely garden.
I really enjoy the times work-away guests come here, and like to keep my language teaching 'live' as we live and work together. How much we focus on this really depends on how motivated you are to learn, but there really is nothing like immersion in a native language environment to gain more confidence speaking and listening and extend your language range. I particularly enjoy helping with pronunciation and functional language development, but I'm pretty good on grammar etc too. We are quite sociable and enjoy spending time with friends, playing games together - we like to have fun.
I live in a lovely village in the middle of Charnwood Forest, close to Loughborough and Leicester. My house and garden are comfortable and colourful - we have a sleep-out in the garden with its own small kitchen (bathroom is in the house so it's a walk through the garden) - generally we eat together but you can have a bit of independence if you like to. There's a spare bike here and a bus route to Loughborough and Leicester. We will include you in as much of our activities as we can and help you make contacts in the local community to meet more people if possible.
I play music (violin and sing a bit) mostly with friends in pub sessions. I enjoy spending time outdoors and growing vegetables and now flowers too! Work hours are flexible - I prefer people who have enough experience to self-motivate and self-manage to an extent, and this usually works really well. I'm happy to show you how to do tasks you've not tackled before. The work is mostly either in the garden or doing DIY/painting and decorating.
Our home is generally a quiet and peaceful place as alongside being with friends I also love stillness and tranquility - if that balance works for you please do get in touch....
Gardening
Building
General Maintenance
I have a lot of experience supporting people in exploring a new language and culture, and will help you find as many creative ways as possible to connect with the local community here if you want to. I can help you improve your English through informal feedback during the day and more focussed study time during 'down time' if you are motivated to do this and happy to ask for help.
I am very happy to use whatever skills people have to offer - I enjoy developing spaces and like to work alongside others when I'm not at work myself. I particularly value people with practical skills, and a positive, friendly approach to life.
Projects include:
planting and growing vegetables, flowers and shrubs
weeding and clearing ground
painting and decorating
woodworking maintenance/building if you have these skills
batch cooking if you have these skills
English, a little bit of French
Accomodation is in a sleepout in the garden... this is on mains power and water, and very comfortable. In colder weather there may be a bedroom in the house available. My house has a large kitchen and living room with a wood stove, and has been decorated recently - it's comfortable and well looked after, a cosy space.
We have two cats so anyone with cat allergies won't be suitable. Occasionally the work can be independent / unsupervised so experience and skills to suit this would be great.
We live in Charnwood Forest, a beautiful area in the East Midlands. The house is surrounded by an extensive network of country parks and woodland so is great if you like walking, running or cycling.
There is a bus service to the nearest town (Loughborough) and city (Leicester), but this doesn't run in the evenings.
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
More than two
4-5 hours a day average, flexible to suit you so you can have days out etc and work more on other days if you wish.
