Hello students!

I am Sue Parsons and I have been a teacher for 17 years. I love my job and want to be a teacher for the rest of my life. I began my career teaching social studies to grades 7 to 13 and then taught law to college and university students, but I really wanted to teach English as a foreign language. Because I have family ties in China and love the culture, I did my first teaching course in China! A few years later I went back to university and completed a post graduate diploma in English teaching in order to become a better teacher and specialise in topics such as pronunciation, IELTS and business.

My experience ranges from children as young as five to retirees, exam entrance students to businesspeople, and tourists to learners of English for specific purposes (ESP). I am also a qualified maths tutor. In addition, I have taught many students with specific learning and psychological needs, which is very rewarding.

My philosophy: I believe that teaching English should be as relaxed as possible because students learn faster and gain more confidence when in this mindset. I am a very patient person and am able to adapt very quickly to different learning styles. I have a good sense of humour and enjoy making my younger (and older) students laugh when appropriate!

I am very good at reading body language, dealing with different situations and helping students feel at ease. I enjoy new challenges so I have always been willing to develop my teaching abilities through self-study. I also value learning about each individual's needs and interests, so that we both find it easy to have spontaneous conversations. I believe that spontaneous English conversation ability is of the utmost importance, and I spend the beginning of each lesson encouraging small talk. As I have studied phonology I am able to teach students exactly how the muscles and parts of the mouth must move and function in order to produce the perfect sounds. I find a good balance between what students are able to learn by themselves and what it is necessary for me to teach. This maximises both teaching and learning in each lesson.

I look forward to speaking with you! You will be very relaxed with me and your confidence will certainly grow. I have been to China 3 times now and would love you to teach me about your amazing culture too!

Sue Parsons