Dear parents and children,
My name is Philip Starling and I’m an English teacher at Big Ben and the coordinator of the KET, PET, FCE and CAE teaching department. I have made the move to Romania from the UK where I spent most of my life living in and around London, Buckinghamshire, and Oxfordshire. Despite having grown up and having spent most of my life in the South East of England, I have travelled extensively, but Romania was the country that I fell in love with, and it is here that I look forward to calling home!
As an individual and as a professional I have a deep love of learning and self-development, this is why when I am not teaching, my time is devoted to my own studies. I have a degree in German and Spanish with the Open University UK, a well-respected university and British institution designed for individuals who wish to continue their academic development well into their adulthood. I have also successfully completed an intensive professional training course for teachers of English as a second language, CELTA, a course designed and regulated by Cambridge University. Over the years my own personal language studies have seen me studying Spanish in Colombia and Argentina, French in France and French Guiana, German in Germany, and Mandarin in China. Looking to the future, it is my intention to complete my Cambridge University regulated DELTA (Diploma of English Language Teaching to Speakers of Other Languages), and my Masters in Linguistics.
It is my personal belief, not only as an English Language Teacher and Tutor, but as a life-long language student, that learning should be enjoyable and engaging, and that the learning process should also be diverse. To become proficient in using the English language I would advise that alongside classroom learning parents also encourage their children to read English books/magazines, listen to music in English, and also watch suitable English language movies. The use of authentic media and materials can not be understated in the acquisition of language, and for this reason it will be used in class to supplement student coursebooks.
It is my wish, that, as well as increasing children’s understanding of English, and their confidence with integrating it in to their everyday lives, I hope they may also take away a love of language learning and a passion for self-development that will continue in to their adult lives.I look forward to teaching your children.
