What inspired you to work for Kurus English?
Kurus English stood out from other schools as a welcoming, vibrant, and exciting place to teach and be taught. It has a feeling and atmosphere of Cape Town authenticity to it.
Describe a typical day at work as a teacher at Kurus English.
I arrive half an hour before my first morning lesson, so I can chat to the other teachers about lesson planning and any specific student needs. I then teach two hours of grammar to my first class, and after a break, I switch classes with another teacher and teach skills to my second class, as well as having a short chat about main concepts and vocabulary related to the afternoon's Language Excursion. After lunch I take students on Language Excursions to meet Capetonians and have authentic experiences in which they can practice their English with students of mixed levels.
Why do you do what you do?
I dearly love language and how it functions to express the inner workings of a person's thoughts and feelings. Helping people to be able to express themselves and to gain confidence is why I do what I do.
What is your favorite part of your job?
I love seeing my students progress far beyond their own expectations in their English skills, as well as the shift in their cultural awareness, positivity, and self-belief during their time at our school.
What makes Kurus English special?
Our school is unique in offering Language Excursions, on which students can explore new parts of Cape Town and practice their English in authentic situations, rather than always sitting in a class and imagining the situation.
A good example is our Cape Malay Food excursion, where we visit our host at her house and she teaches us to make traditional food in her own kitchen. We make our own lunch with her guidance and sit down for a family style meal, all the while talking and practicing new vocabulary and assimilating language without even realizing it.
Why should someone choose Kurus English over other English language schools?
Our Language Excursions alone should convince anyone who wants an authentic Cape Town experience to choose our school, but other fantastic things that make us stand out are our small classes of a maximum of eight students. Small class sizes, as well as our CELTA qualified teachers and hands-on administrative staff, lends itself to a more personal and individualized learning experience. Our school is a family and we take care of, respect, and treat our students like part of our own family.
What do you hope participants take away from your programs?
I hope our students leave our school feeling encouraged, confident, and determined to approach all their future learning with zeal.
What questions do participants often ask you, and how do you typically respond?
Our students often ask about the best ways to improve their language skills. My response is typically that students need to get into the habit of reading as much as they can. Through reading, they give their minds a break from actively studying and subconsciously make their minds more comfortable with grammar structures and vocabulary through authentic repetition. The same goes for watching English movies, documentaries, and TV series. Before they know it, they'll use language that their brain absorbed, but that they didn't even know they were learning!
Why do you think learning a new language is important?
It opens up new opportunities, experiences, and cultures, while improving your self-confidence. It has also been proven to improve your memory and multitasking abilities, which is a great bonus!
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
Meaningful travel includes respect for cultural differences, a willingness for preconceived ideas to be challenged and/or changed, open-minded immersion in a community, and a positive mindset towards learning. Having the goal of leaving a destination better than you found it, even in a small way, is integral.
