Mary - one of the best Callan teachers in London
What is it that students like least about callan method?
We get students first to speak, and only then read and write. They may not get the chance to write and that is the most challenging thing with Callan method.
What do they like most?
They like practice and pronunciation. They like the repetition and strictness in which we exercise that pronunciation is important. They are also amazed how quick they learn English. Few students whom I knew and talked with were pretty amazed that after a week of studying English they were able to put sentences together, while before they have never spoken it. With other methods, it would take a month to reach that level. The method is really forgiving as well. If you make a mistake, it is ok. In fact, we prefer you to make a mistake. Because then we correct and you learn by mistakes. At the beginning of my career of teaching Callan, I was very reluctant to correct students because I thought it was not polite to correct someone. Then I found it very enjoyable to correct students when I saw that students like it and learn more. Students also enjoy the positive and energetic atmosphere that the method creates in classroom.
Have you had a chance to watch and observe any other Callan teachers and can you compare them in terms of their good and bad qualities for Callan method?
Yes, I did. If you are a very shy teacher, then this method of teaching is going to be a challenge, because it is more of a performance like way of teaching. This performance is structured in the method, although as a teacher you are free to move around the classroom.
From your observation, on which levels do students make the fastest progress?
Students of the beginning level progress at an incredibly fast speed. This method gives you confidence and you are not afraid of speaking up and making mistakes.
Do students of certain nationalities learn language quicker than those of other ones?
I don’t see any difference in nationalities in terms of their ability to learn the language quicker. I enjoy teaching students from all different cultures. If your language is closer to English language, then it might be a bit easier to learn English. Age, nationality do not really matter. Certainly, you can’t just generalize, because each student is an individual.
You have experience of teaching Callan in different Callan schools. Have you noticed any difference in their operations systems or any alterations of callan method?
I haven’t worked for too many schools, but one of the school I worked for was very limited in a way it would insist on strictly sticking to the method, while in other college I was allowed o use my strong points and skills such as grammar and pronunciation.
As far as I have noticed, students have good time during your class and I can hear that you are all laughing. Can you tell what makes your classes so funny and enjoyable?
For me it is really important to make the group work together. I want a classroom where each student supports each other. I try to create a friendly atmosphere where students feel being supported and are not afraid to make mistakes. As a teacher I think it is very important to build a class. We sometimes play word games in the last five minutes of our lesson to get them think quicker in English and we get them to learn the rhythm as well. We play traditional English games as well. So we introduce an English culture into the lesson.
Can you remember any funny story that happened during the class?
Yeah, I had a Brazilian student who would most of the times mixes pronunciations. So once instead of saying “I have a hat on my head”, she said “I have a rat on my head” and that made everybody laugh.
What would you recommend for those who would like to become a Callan teacher?
If you are thinking about becoming a callan teacher, I think you should not hesitate, you should just do it. It is very good because it gives you confidence, it gives you chance to meet people from different cultures. You can travel anywhere in the world and have a job everywhere you want.