Alison

  • Australia
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Profile information

  • Travel information

    I am currently

    At home

    My next destination:

    Peru - from Apr 2024 until Oct 2024
    View all
  • Description

    Hi,
    My name is Alison and I am from Australia.

    I love travelling, I love people and I love the natural beauty of our world. Ten years ago, my husband and I left Australia on our boat (it's an old fishing boat not a luxurious yacht).
    Right now we spend part of the year on board and part of the year at home.
    Throughtout the years we have spent time with people from many countries, cultures and economic backgrounds.

    My Workaway passion: I love to help Spanish speakers learn or improve their English.

    When someone told me about Workaway and I was immediately inspired. I have since spent many monthes in Guatemala and Ecuador living in small communities and teaching English in schools and in the general community. During covid I continued teaching many of my Latinoamerican friends - and their friends - online. Now I have students in Guatemala, Ecuador, Venezuela and Colombia, all voluntary and all loads of fun.

    I am a primary teacher and teaching is my passion. If people want to learn English then it is my pleasure to help them - and in the process I learn about different cultures, practise my Spanish, develop friendships, eat lots of great food, laugh a lot...

    My 'specialty' is teaching conversational English - to adults and children - in any way that suits them - structured, sequential classes that build on what they already know, supported conversation sessions, English through children's books and art activites, cooking in English sessions - I've done lots of things. Listening to people's needs and desires is important so that I can develop strategies to best meet their needs - all with a focus on using English with confidence.

    Learning Spanish whilst teaching English has been wonderful for me. In interactive English sessions with my Spanish speaking students, I'm a great role model - having a go, making mistakes, trying again - in Spanish - inspires my students to do the same in Englilsh and they enjoy teaching me while I am teaching them. Smiles and laughter are for sharing!

    I am a trained teacher and I taught in primary schools in Australia for 25 years, finishing my career as school principal. I love children and I am passionate about education.
    However, teaching English in schools in Latinoamerica quickly extended into working within the wider community - and now my greatest delight is teaching adults!
    I love the mutual interaction, the dedication and fast learning, the rapid growth of confidence, the cultural exchanges and the friendships I develop. I feel lucky to be able to help people empower themselves, gaining the confidence and skills they need to increase their opportunities and improve their own lives.

    I have TEFL Certification and I am fully qualified to teach English overseas. (TEFL=Teaching English as a Foreign Language)
    I am 60 years old (where does the time go? ) but I am full of energy and enthusiasm. I am a very positive and active person, am flexible and I have loads of patience!

    If you'd like to learn or improve your English (and maybe help me with my Spanish) I'd love to hear from you.
    Alison

  • Interests

    Nature
    Animals
    Cycling
    Sailing / Boating
    Languages
    Camping
    Hiking
    Gardening
    Cooking & food
    Culture
  • Languages

    Languages spoken
    English: Fluent
    Spanish: Intermediate

    More details about my language interests
    This workawayer has indicated that they would be interested in sharing their language(s) or learning a new language. You can contact them directly to discuss this.

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  • Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn

    I'm interested in:  

    Languages

    Able to teach about:  

    Teaching
  • More details about your skills

    I'm a primary teacher and TEFL qualified.
    I'm eager to help adults or children to learn or improve their English.
    I am able to relate to a wide range of people of all ages and backgrounds.
    I enjoy working as part of a team but am equally happy working independently.
    I think it is important to listen carefully to what people want, to notice when and where help is needed - and to give 100% with enthusiasm.

  • Age

    62

  • What else ...

    I am an outdoors person and love hiking, bike riding, kayaking and exploring remote places.
    I live on a boat for much of the year with my husband, Rodger. I am optimistic and always look for (and find) the good in others. I love to try new foods, meet new people and see new places.
    Sorry, but I am not on Facebook.

  • Some more information

    • Smoker

    • Driver's licence

    • Allergies
      no

    • Special dietary requirements
      no

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