20 Hour Classroom TEFL Course

Director of Studies, Tracy Robinson

After almost 20 years in the industry, teaching students of all ages and nationalities, Tracy now uses her experience to train teachers to do the same! As our Director of Studies she is involved in creating and maintaining courses, looking after our tutors and candidates and dealing with day-to-day academic issues.
TEFL highlight: Tracy has worked all over, including four years in Japan where she realised TEFL was her calling.

TEFL Tutor, Lindsey Cottle

Lindsey is currently living in Amsterdam, where she’s worked for the university since late 2015. She’s previously worked all over including in India, Italy, Taiwan and the UK – but Hong Kong is her favourite teaching location after being thrown in the deep end at just 22. She loves the motivation and effort the weekend course students demonstrate, and can’t wait to meet you all there!
TEFL highlight: The new perspective you get – being invited into people’s houses for religious festivals, and being taught to cook local cuisine.

TEFL Tutor, Stuart Fassam

Stuart’s been teaching TEFL for nine years now, after what was meant to be a year in Sicily turned into six (oops)! As well as Italy, he’s also worked in Spain and France in private language schools, state school and universities, and also has experience in Director of Studies and examiner roles. He’s now based in the good old north of England with his partner and two kids.
Fun fact: Stuart’s partner Claire is also one of our TEFL tutors (though they haven’t yet confirmed if they met in the classroom!).

TEFL Tutor, Penny Campbell

TEFL superwoman Penny is qualified up to the eyeballs, and has lived and taught in some amazing locations like Egypt, Mexico and Japan over the past twenty years. It was a burning desire to see the world that spurred Penny to get qualified, but since then she’s learnt how rewarding and diverse a career in TEFL can be; she’s written books and exams, and produced online resources for the British Council. Phew!
TEFL highlight: When I qualified, online courses didn’t exist – so I did my CELTA qualification in Egypt, and loved it!

TEFL Tutor, Meryl Burgess

Leeds lass Meryl delivers courses around the north of England, and has volunteered and taught abroad in Ecuador, the Czech Republic and Australia. She’s been in the TEFL game for 15 years, and still gets a kick out of meeting the TEFL students who are off on amazing adventures around the world. Meryl’s favourite country is Ecuador, a diverse country with very welcoming locals.
TEFL highlight: Obtaining my visa to be able to teach in Ecuador involved illegal border crossings and bribery. Maybe not a highlight… but certainly memorable!

TEFL Tutor, Wendy Rogers

Wendy lives in beautiful Cape Town, South Africa and has been a TEFL tutor since July 2011. She loves living here, and her favourite place is the beautiful nearby fishing town of Kalk Bay. Wendy has taught in Ireland, Libya and the UAE, and has travelled extensively – highlights include the pyramids in Cairo, and seeing elephants swim in a Zimbabwean lake.

TEFL highlight: Watching students’ creativity, and each time a student tells me how much more confidence and insight they have at the end of a course.

TEFL Tutor, Teresa Jacobs

Travel is Teresa’s passion, and her claim to fame is having visited every country in Europe, Scandinavia, China (with the toilet stories to prove it) and many of the ‘Stans! It’s just as well she’s a TEFL tutor, then, as she’s able to continue travelling (to Hanoi, New York, or even just Milton Keynes!) and inspire others to get out and have some meaningful adventures. Favourite destination: Brazil.
TEFL highlight: Working in Turkey, where in the mornings I taught in Asia and in the evenings, Europe!

TEFL Tutor, Annie da Silva

Portuguese-born Annie started life in Paris, but has lived in Johannesburg, South Africa for most of her life after her parents emigrated when she was two. She’s been a TEFL teacher in her home country for over 25 years, and a teacher trainer for over ten years. You’ll likely meet her if you take our classroom course in Jo’burg, so be sure to say hi!
TEFL highlight: I feel very privileged to do the work I do. There aren’t many jobs that expose you to so many different types of people and walks of life!

TEFL Tutor, Peter Bowdery

Peter lives and teaches in the Czech Republic, and is currently an online tutor for i-to-i. He’s been teaching for over twenty years in Poland, England and the Czech Republic, and in his spare time he translates, proofreads and writes materials for English course books, as well as lending his voice to recordings on these learning materials!

TEFL specialisation: Business English. I have a Trinity TESOL Certificate and RSA DELTA.

TEFL Tutor, Debbie Hooper

It was the variety of the work and the diverse people that attracted Debbie to TEFL back in 1993, and she’s lived and worked in Vienna, Austria and New Zealand (lucky!). Based in Devon, she’s been teacher training since 2002. Fave aspect of TEFL? She loves the challenge of diving into a new culture and finding out how things work in a new country.
Most remote TEFL course: I’ve run courses in remote parts of China, Siberia and Rwanda!

TEFL Tutor, Paul Myers

Paul lives in Hong Kong, and runs weekend courses in Bangkok and Hanoi. He started his TEFL career teaching in Korea, then moved on to Japan and China, and still nurses a passion for travel today. His favourite aspect of being a TEFL tutor is being instrumental in the lives of people who want to learn English, and he recognises that the teacher makes a huge difference in learning effectiveness.
Favourite place: Thailand, for sure. I think this is largely due to the incredibly friendly people. I’d love to teach there one day.