Zia

Zia Tutor Interview

Q. Hi Zia, would you like to give us a short self-introduction.

A. Sure! I’m an Australian English Second Language (ESL) teacher and I also love to travel. I’m planning my next trip with my fiancé at the moment as we are addicted to it.

Q. Which part of Australia do you live in? Could you tell me about your town?

A. I live in Sydney now because my partner lives here. Sydney harbour is pretty spectacular, but I’ve got to say, it isn’t cheap! I guess my hometown is where I grew up which is in Fremantle, Western Australia. It’s kind of isolated from the rest of the country but it’s a very artistic community with performers on the streets every day. The food and clothing markets are also very colourful.

Q. According to your profile, you had lived in Japan! How was life there?

A. My stay in Japan was one of the best times in my life! Travelling and living in Japan for me was like travelling and living on another planet! It was so different to anything I had experienced before and it was also the first time that I had really lived away from my family and friends in a new country. So yes it really expanded my horizons. It was sometimes very difficult because of the cultural differences and language barrier. My Japanese was so bad! But I did pick up a few words here and there that I can still remember. The people were also so friendly and sweet, they really made my stay there a pleasure. I want to go back to visit one day.

Q. I heard your favorite places in Japan are Kyoto and Nara! What makes you interesting in these places?

A. We don’t have those kinds of gardens, ornate temples and sacred statues in Australia. Japan has such a rich cultural and architectural history. Everything is designed and presented in such an elegant, minimalist yet beautiful way, even the food!

Nara and Kyoto really left an impression on me as they are really unique to Japan. I’ve travelled to many countries in Asia. Nara and Kyoto stand out as one of the most low-key yet breathtaking places I have visited. I have never felt so at peace! The temples in Tokyo are special too. They are always accompanied by the busy street stalls which is an odd mix of spiritualism and commerce especially in Asakusa.

Q. I’m interested in your number lesson, “数字の練習 Numbers Practice” and “Practice Numbers More Than One Million”. It’s very confused for non-native speakers, so could you tell me the detail of these lessons?

A. Usually people have lessons to improve their English but not a numbers lesson, so I thought about having a numbers lesson in English. In the lesson we practice reading, spelling, listening and saying these numbers so the student has more confidence to use them in the real world. For example, some of my students get a bit nervous when they have to read numbers such as $50,000 or $100,000 in English.

We practice those higher numbers, then practice writing them and then do a short, fun activity like guessing how much something costs such as a trip around the world or a luxury car. If the student guesses correctly, they “win” the trip or the car. It’s all pretend of course! My students already know how to read numbers, it’s just gaining the confidence to use the numbers at the speed of native English conversation. I also try to make it fun and practical. I think it’s important to know how to pronounce, read and write numbers in English as some people use English every day in their jobs.

Q. What do you think is the best way for continuing studying English?

A. Practice what you learn in class in the real world. You are more likely to remember and use it again and again.

Q. Finally, would you like to leave a message for our students.

A. It’s important to keep going even if you make mistakes and use what language skills you have. It’s better to have had a conversation at all than stay quiet because of a fear of making mistakes. Conversation lessons with a native speaking teacher can also really help your English:-)

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Zia

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