Meet John: A Passionate Language Enthusiast and Teacher

Hi everyone, I’m John, 30 years old, from London, UK. I’ve been working at LanguageSitter since 2021, and I’m loving every moment of it! I’ve had the privilege of working with amazing clients, and I’ve learnt so much while growing as a teacher.

A few things about me: I love languages (I speak five—English, French, German, Russian, and Slovene). I’ve traveled to 37 countries, I sing and write songs (I’m even part of a Slovene choir here in London), I love swimming, and I’m a big football fan! I’m also a Eurovision enthusiast and sometimes assist with interviewing artists for the radio show Radio International — The Ultimate Eurovision Experience.

A Unique Approach: The Callan Method

I began teaching in 2018 after obtaining my CELTA and TEFL qualifications. Before that, I gained experience teaching at my old primary school. Later I was working as a language assistant in Austria, and assisting with classes in Petrozavodsk, Russia, where I even started a theatre group! We performed a play I wrote called Haakon.

I initially taught general English (worksheets, gap-fill exercises, listening, reading, and writing) before learning to teach the Callan Method. This is a unique approach to English teaching, involving quick questions and answers, as well as instant correction rather than delayed feedback. I’ve been teaching at various Callan schools since 2019, and I have also conducted private online lessons for students.

From Teacher to Student

I joined LanguageSitter in 2022 and have taught students with a wide range of needs. From conversation and email practice to exam preparation. As I mentioned earlier, I love working at LanguageSitter because it allows me to apply everything I’ve learned to help students on their language-learning journey. I also enjoyed the LanguageSitter exchange, where I had the chance to learn a bit of Mandarin Chinese!

All in all, I’d describe myself as friendly, outgoing, and funny. Eager to learn and improve as a teacher, and always willing to do whatever I can to help my students. Teaching, for me, is more of a passion than a job, and I truly enjoy sharing this passion with both students and colleagues. I’d like to thank everyone at LanguageSitter for giving me the opportunity to be part of such a wonderful team!