Notícies

Entrevista en anglès amb Aileen O'Connor

Aquest curs 2018-19, Aileen O’Connor ha estat nomenada Directora de Cambridge In-company, prenent així el relleu de Jim Chillman, que a partir d’ara exercirà el càrrec de Director Financer de Cambridge School.

Per conèixer millor a la nova Directora del nostre departament i profunditzar en els serveis de Cambridge In-company, us convidem a llegir l’entrevista en anglès que li hem fet:

//////////////////////////

- Tell us about your professional background. 
I’ve been working in English language teaching for 8 years, and have a wide range of experience, both teaching business and general English to all ages. I started out in Valencia, but decided to join Cambridge School after doing my Delta (Diploma in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) here. It’s a very intense course, but the quality of the training and support I received was excellent, which is what encouraged me to work with Cambridge School.

- You took this position at the beginning of the 2018-19 school year, how has this process been?
I was working as the Director of Cambridge School La Roca when the position opened up. I really enjoyed my time there, and it was a real growth opportunity, but at the same time I was (1) eager for a new challenge, and to discover (2) the ins and outs of what In-company director (3) entails.  So I decided to apply for the role, and here I am!

Jim has done a wonderful job with In-company, and I’m sure he’ll do the same in his new role as Financial Director. It has been my pleasure to be able to work so closely with him in this transition, and having his support has ensured a very smooth handover for both our clients and staff. 

- Does having experience as a teacher help you be a better director? 
Definitely, yes. A unique aspect of Cambridge School is that our managers have worked their (4) way up through the school itself. This means we have (5) firsthand experience of how our service works. It allows us to really understand our clients’ needs, the service we provide, and also to support our teaching staff in the best way possible.

- Does being the In-company Director differ from being the director for the Granollers School?
Absolutely. In fact, I am also the director of our Granollers Centre, so I can really (6) attest to that! In Granollers most of our courses run from September to June, or we have intensives in July. We have a fantastic academic team that continually prepare, develop and adapt these courses, and we work very hard standardize the courses in conjunction with the University of Barcelona.

In contrast, we offer a (7) tailor-made In-company service to all our clients, which means each course needs to be thought out to suit a specific set of needs. As companies grow and expand, these needs can change, so we make sure to change with them. Logistically speaking, it can also be a challenge getting almost a hundred teachers to companies all over the Vallès every day.

- Is In-company only for companies? 
No, in fact, we (8) cater to a variety of different establishments. At Cambridge In-company, we teach Business English, but we also provide our services to many different associations such as AMPAs, Local Councils, and many sports clubs. We have recently worked in a range of exciting local initiatives. I have particularly enjoyed being able to play a part in professional development programmes for the unemployed, helping local shopkeepers deal with international customers, as well as preparing local youths for their upcoming Erasmus trips.

- What do you think the future has in store for In-company teaching? 
Well, some very exciting things are appearing in the online market for education. As we have (9) embraced technological advancements in our personal lives, with smartphones and virtual reality gaming, we will definitely be seeing big changes to the way learning will happen in the future. You can be sure that Cambridge School will be exploring these trends in the next few years.

- What’s your favorite subject when it comes to teaching English?
Well, being Irish, I’m naturally a (10) chatterbox, (11)“the gift of the gab” we call it! So, of course I love a focus on genuine communication in class. I (12) relish the opportunity to get to know my students more with a good debate on topical issues.

////////////////////////

Glossary:
1. Be eager for – strongly wanting to do or have something
2. the ins and outs - all the details
3. entails – involves
4. worked their way up – move to higher positions in a company with hard work
5. firsthand experience – direct experience
6. attest to – confirm something
7. tailor-made – made, adapted, or suited for a particular purpose or person
8. cater to – provide with what is needed
9. embrace – accept enthusiastically
10. chatterbox – like to talk
11. the gift of the gab – an Irish expression meaning the ability to speak easily and confidently
12. relish – enjoy greatly