Conversation Course at Magnolia Teehaus, Worb

I come from a fairly big city in South West England, so moving to Worb represented quite a big change in that regard. Things like greeting your neighbours and supporting local businesses weren’t alien to me, but living in a much smaller place has given me a greater understanding of the importance of community and supporting one another. We are very lucky to have a lot of conveniences in Worb, such as public transport and supermarkets, but we are also lucky to have many small businesses run by and for locals.

One new addition is the Magnolia Teehaus in the old Kreuz Inn building. As a dual citizen of the United Kingdom and Ireland (third and second respectively in terms of per capita tea consumption as of 2016), it was probably inevitable that I would end up being a big tea drinker. I’m delighted that I’ll be starting a new English conversation course for intermediate and advanced speakers at Magnolia from Friday the 29^th of November.

I have offered a lot of conversation courses in the past, and they are some of the most fun to teach. I strive to make my teaching as student-centred as possible and value input from learners, particularly in terms of topics that would interest them. I believe that speaking practice is one of the best ways to learn a language, and I hope that the course will lead to a lot of interesting conversation and give people an opportunity to practice their English in a friendly and non-judgmental environment (and perhaps enjoy a cup of tea as well).

The course will take place weekly from 16:00-17:00 and I hope to see as many people as possible there. You can find the course details here and register using the contact form here or simply contact me via the details below:

englishteacherbern@gmail.com
079 662 84 38

Published by Nick Conway on 19/11/24.

About Me

I have been teaching English as a foreign language since arriving in Worb around five years ago. In that time, I’ve worked hard on my personal development as a teacher, as well as getting to know Switzerland and learning German.

Bristol Floating Harbour, 2016.

Before teaching, I completed my PhD in history at the University of the West of England in my native Bristol. Before that, I earned my BA in History from the University of Wales, Swansea and my MA in Irish Studies from the University of Liverpool. Teaching English appealed to me because of the opportunity to work directly with interesting and motivated people. For me the joy of teaching lies in helping people to reach their goals, whether they want to pass a specific exam, go into a new profession or simply learn for fun.

Although there is no one-size-fits-all formula for success, I believe in the importance of speaking practice and fluency. I have seen the validity of the phrase ‘use it or lose it’ in my own experience of learning German. For me the best teachers were those who gave learners the freedom to use new vocabulary or new grammatical structures in ways that are interesting and relevant to them. I strive to tailor lessons to the needs of the group or individual, whilst providing the space for them to use the language, improve and discuss whatever is most important to them.

Outside of the classroom, I enjoy spending time with my partner and our Irish Water Spaniel, Tadhg. I am an avid reader of modern Irish and emigration history (my PhD topic) and diverse fiction and poetry. Two of my favourite poets at the moment are Louise Glück and Seán Hewitt. I’m also a huge fan of classic horror cinema, particularly the Hammer Horror and original Universal Monster films.

Worb, 2022.

I’m always looking to improve as a teacher and frequently attend Cambridge webinars to keep up with new pedagogical developments, literature and technology. I will be using this blog to share tips, give my insights and opinions about learning and teaching English as a foreign language and living in Switzerland. If you are interested in learning English or getting in touch, you will find my contact details here or at the bottom of my website.

Published by Nick Conway on 12/9/24.