We are proud of having great teachers here in GV Brisbane. As everyone already know, Sam is a very populer teacher among all the students! Let’s ask some questions to Sam and find out a little bit more about him!

How long have you been teaching at GV Brisbane and what did you do before you worked here?

I have been teaching at GV for almost three months. I have just come back from a year of teaching English in Calgary, Canada. I have also taught in Korea.

Do you speak another language and what was your biggest challenge when learning it?

I can read and write Korean, but can probably understand and speak Spanish a little bit more but I am pretty bad at both! The most difficult thing in learning another language for me is using it and not worrying about making mistakes, just trying it out without caring.

Which class are you teaching at the moment?

I am teaching the Intermediate 2 class at the moment.

Tell us about a student in your class who you feel has made outstanding progress…

Javier has improved a lot. At first he was quite shy and while very good at grammar, he wasn’t as good at speaking. Now he has a lot more confidence and can happily talk to other students easily and fluently. Seeing that type of progress is very rewarding.

What do you most enjoy about teaching at GV Brisbane?

I really enjoy meeting students from different places and seeing how the students interact with each other. All of the classes at GV seem to have a really nice mix of nationalities and that is something I really enjoy. Seeing people of different countries become friends and learning their customs and culture is always nice to see.

If you weren’t a teacher, what job do you think you’d be doing now?

If I weren’t a teacher I would probably be doing something with Psychology. I studied psych at university and it is something I really enjoy.

Which country have you most enjoyed visiting and why?

All of them!!! Travelling is something I really love. I went to Colombia last year and I had a great time. I went to Bogota and Cartagena and they were both amazing. Cartagena in particular was gorgeous, an old Spanish fort city on the Caribbean coast, it was incredible.

What do you like most about living in Brisbane?

I love the weather! We have beautiful winters and the summers don’t get too hot. The weather makes it great to do outdoor activities throughout the year and I love always having a park close and being surrounded by a lot of trees. After travelling I always notice the amount of trees we have in Brisbane and they stay green all year round which is something I really appreciate. Also being able to go to the beach in May is awesome! In Calgary, it was still snowing in May!

Tell us about your favourite café, restaurant or place in Brisbane…

My favourite pub is O’Malley’s, I’ve been going to O’Malleys for years, it is always a good place to go with friends and it is normally easy to find a place to sit and talk. It is right on the mall, so I normally don’t have to worry about being able to get home. However my favourite restaurant is Kapsalis at South Bank. I love Greek food and Kapsalis makes incredible Greek food and you normally have a wonderful view as well.

At weekends, where can we find you…?

At the GABBA!!!! I love Aussie Rules football and the Brisbane Lions and my family have season tickets so every other weekend I am at the GABBA watching the Lions. Also on the basketball courts at Kelvin Grove. I try to play at least once every weekend. Basketball is my favourite sport to play so there aren’t many weekends when I don’t get there.

On Friday, it was Nathan’s last day of GV Brisbane! He is going away for about 2 months to take care of study tour groups and coming back to the Brisbane campus in August. Students prepared some cakes for him and said goodbye.

We learn some more about one of GV Brisbane’s teachers – Chloe.

How long have you been teaching at GV Brisbane and what did you do before working here? I’ve been at GV for about 3 years. Before that  worked at Goma in the Children’s Art Centre.

Do you speak another language and what was your biggest challenge when learning it? Yes I do. I speak sign language. It’s a lot easier to learn than English but it was still a challenge for me. It’s difficult for me when people sign too quickly.

Tell us about a student in your class who you feel has made outstanding progress. I think everybody has made great progress. My students impress me everyday by how fast they’re improving.

What do you most enjoy about teaching at GV Brisbane? I love the people here! The students, the teachers, everybody is wonderful!

If you weren’t a teacher, what job do you think you’d be doing now? I’d be a photographer.

Which country have you most enjoyed visiting and why? Indonesia. I went there last year and it was wonderful! I loved Bali! I especially love Balinese music and dance.

What do you like most about living in Brisbane? I love the weather and the people.

Tell us about your favourite cafe. restaurant or place in Brisbane… My favourite restaurant is called Trangs. It’s on Hardgrave Road in West End. They serve cheap delicious Vietnamese food there. My favourites are ‘The rare beef noodle soup’ and ‘The Tofu Cold Rolls.’

At weekends, where can we find you….? I go to the West End markets every Saturday morning with my friends. I get a coffee from the BlackStar stall and breakfast either at the Turkish food stall or the Hungarian place. Then I go and sit on the soccer field with a picnic rug, eat breakfast, drink coffee and pay frisbee. I love it there!

We wish our teacher Michael a safe and enjoyable trip as he heads off on a 2 month journey overseas!!

He will be visiting relatives in Croatia and exploring around Europe.

Make sure to wish him all the best if you see him this week.

We look forward to you returning with lots of stories and presents!!

Today we are featuring a teacher close to GV’s heart, Calla, who is a returning teacher that taught in Noosa and is now teaching Intermediate here in Brisbane!

Calla with her GV Options class studying hard!

How long have you been teaching at GV and what did you do before you worked here?

“I used to work at GV Noosa two and a half years ago. Then I went to England and taught in highschools there. Now I’m back in my hometown and have been at GV Brisbane for one month.”

Do you speak another language and what was your biggest challenge when learning it?

“I learned Spanish as a complete beginner in Spain. No-one in the entire school spoke English so it was very hard to understand anything at first. After a week it just started to make sense. I learned a lot in one month.”

Please tell us about a student in your class who you feel has made outstanding progress…

“Damien Jung has worked very hard in my General English class. He has consistently achieved excellent results in the test and always offers to answer questions in class. He has just moved up to Upper-Intermediate!”

What do you enjoy most about teaching at GV?

“The students are very eager to learn and enthusiastic about participating in class”.

If you weren’t a teacher, what job do you think you would be doing now?

“I would probably be working in a children’s theatre company. I studied Drama at QUT and used to be a children’s entertainer. It was really fun!”

What do you like most about living in Brisbane?

“The weather is beautiful all year round. Brisbane people are really friendly and relaxed.”

What is your favourite cafe, restaurant, shop or place in the local area?

“I love Verve Cafe on Edward Street. It’s under the Metro Arts Centre. Lots of artists and actors hang out there. The food is excellent!”

It was Daniela’s Birthday yesterday.

The beautiful Daniela with her cake

Lovely Daniela has been teaching our Cambridge Preparation – CAE classes and is well loved among students and staff. We hope you had a fantastic day yesterday Daniela!

Today was our favourite accountant’s birthday! Happy Birthday Leandro!

As you are all probably aware, Hannah is pregnant and her baby is almost due. Which means we sadly have to say goodbye to her today.

Good luck with the new addition to your family, Hannah. We can’t wait to meet the new GV Brisbane baby! You are going to name her GV, right??

Today is Jill’s last day here at GV Brisbane and we are all so sad to see her go.

From all the staff and students, we wish you all the best in your future endeavours, Jill. Make sure you keep in touch!

It’s Liz’s birthday today!

The Intermediate classes have already sung her Happy Birthday, so if you haven’t yet, make sure you do before you go home.

Sorry Liz

As part of our regular ‘GV Brisbane Teacher Feature’ posts, we thought we would also get to know the other staff here at the college as well. This week it’s Peter!

Name:
Peter Walmsley

Job:
Marketing Coordinator

What do you actually do?
I maintain the online community (Blog, Facebook, Flickr etc) and keep all the local agents up-to-date with all that our students are doing. I’m also the pesky guy who walks around taking photos of all the things that the students are up to.

What’s your favourite place in Brisbane?
In the city, my favourite place would be New Farm Park. It is so beautiful there (and great for a game of football!). My favourite place around Brisbane, though,  would definitely be Moreton Island. I used to go there every year when I was young and I can’t wait to go back and run down the sand dunes again!

Where would we find you at 9pm, Saturday?
Having a barbecue at my place or at the Camp Hill hotel having a few beers.

Give us one Brisbane secret!
There are so many magnificent natural spots around Brisbane that not many people are aware of.  My favourite is near The Gap where there are a million different walking tracks through the bushland to explore.

What advice would you give to a new student arriving in Brisbane?
Don’t just stay in the inner city. Go exploring! Visit the islands around Brisbane (Moreton Island, Fraser Island etc.) or visit the Sunshine Coast. There is so much to do here that people can miss out on.

Today was Heidi’s last day at GV Brisbane. She is moving down to Melbourne next week, but she didn’t leave without saying goodbye.

We will miss you Heidi! But we’ll stay in touch on Facebook.

This week, we are featuring English for TESOL teacher, Phil.

Teacher Phil with TESOL student Sabrina

How long have you been teaching at GV Brisbane and what did you do before you worked here?
“I have been working here for almost 2 years (with two 3 month breaks to go to South America and Europe). Before I was a manager at a bar and was finishing my bachelor of Music.”

Do you speak another language and what was your biggest challenge learning it?
“I can speak French. I always found grammar challenging as well as idiomatic language and some aspects of pronunciation.”

Please tell us about a student in your class who you feel has made outstanding progress..
“Sabrina Pinto. Sabrina is highly motivated and a very diligent student. Her level of written and spoken work is very high and her contributions in class are always productive and insightful.”

What do you most enjoy about teaching at GV Brisbane?
“The mixture of cultures among the students and seeing students achieve their goals. Also, I like the fun and laid back atmosphere.”

If you weren’t a teacher, what job do you think you would be doing now?
“I would probably be doing something in the hospitality industry or working on a sailing ship travelling the world.”

What do you most like about living in Brisbane?
“I like the climate and the laidback and friendly attitude of the people”

What is your favourite café, restaurant, shop or place in Brisbane?
“My favourite places would be the Dancing Bean coffee house on Adelaide St and The Bowery cocktail lounge in Fortitude Valley.”

Remember to wish him happy birthday when you see him!

Eugene cutting the cake at morning tea with the teachers

After travelling throughout the world for a few months, everyone’s favourite teacher Phil has rejoined us at GV Brisbane.

I’m sure he has plenty of fabulous stories to share so make sure you say hello! Welcome back Phil!

After a month of holidaying in Argentina, Mariana has returned to GV Brisbane looking refreshed and energized, ready for 2009.

Don’t forget her favourite saying.. “Speak English!”

This week we are featuring Cambridge FCE teacher, Vivienne.

Cambridge FCE Teacher Vivienne & Student (Harry) Young Woo Kim

How long have been teaching at GV Brisbane and what did you do before you worked here?

“I have been teaching here for 3 years. Before this I was teaching in China for almost 3 years.”

Do you speak another language and what was your biggest challenge when learning it?

“Some ‘getting around’ Mandarin”

Please tell us about a student in your class who you feel has made outstanding progress..

“Harry is the hardest working student and it shows in his results. He does tests alone after class every day. He questions everything!”

What do you most enjoy about teaching at GV Brisbane?

“I enjoy teaching FCE because of the challenge of preparing the students to pass the exam. The curiosity of mature students makes for interesting and intelligent discussions.  I also love the atmosphere in the staff room. The staff here are all easy to get along with.”

If you weren’t a teacher, what job do you think you would be doing now?

“I would hate to imagine! This is the best job I have ever had- my final career.”

What do you like the most about Brisbane?

“The warm weather.”

What is your favourite cafe, restaurant, shop or place in Brisbane?

“Anywhere along the river or by the bay is very nice. Also, West End, the Brisbane Powerhouse, the Jazz club at Kangaroo Point and my back deck at Holland Park.”

This week we are featuring everyone’s favourite EAP and IELTS teacher, Margie!

Hea Jung Kim (Jessica) and EAP & IELTS teacher, Margie

How long have been teaching at GV Brisbane and what did you do before you worked here?

” I have worked here for 2 and a half years. Before this, I taught high school preparation (ESL), taught in high schools, worked as a Director of Studies and was self-employed for 14 years.”

Do you speak another language and what was your biggest challenge when learning it?

“I speak Japanese. I am a qualified Japanese teacher at secondary level. I found honing my listening skills and building a broad vocabulary my biggest challenge.”

Please tell us about a student in your class who you feel has made outstanding progress..

“Hea Jung Kim (Jessica). Jessica is highly motivated to learn. She reflects on skills taught and consistently attempts to transfer these skills to appropriate contexts. Her writing shows marked improvement.”

What do you most enjoy about teaching at GV Brisbane?

“The students – they are friendly and respectful and I enjoy teaching young adults from a wide variety of nationalities.”

If you weren’t a teacher, what job do you think you would be doing now?

“I would be working as a suntan lotion spray machine operator in Tahiti.”

What do you like the most about Brisbane?

“I like living in Brisbane because my youngest son is here. Also, I like the fact that I can ride my bicycle to work pretty much every day of the year.”

What is your favourite cafe, restaurant, shop or place in Brisbane?

“I love ‘Trang’ restaurant – a Vietnamese restaurant on Hardgrave Rd, West End. It has good food at a great price!”

At GV Brisbane we ask our staff every week to answer some questions about themselves. We call it a ‘Teacher Feature,’ and it is intended to help you learn more about some of the dedicated staff that we have here.

Student Young Soo Jeong & Teacher Daniela

This week we are featuring one of our Intermediate teachers, Daniela.

How long have been teaching at GV Brisbane and what did you do before you worked here?

“I have worked at GV for nine months (since March ’08). Before starting here, I was at University doing my teaching degree.”

Do you speak another language and what was your biggest challenge when learning it?

“Apart from English, of course, I also speak Romanian and German. When I was learning a new language, I found that speaking was the biggest challenge.”

Please tell us about a student in your class who you feel has made outstanding progress..

“Young Soo Jeong. He is improving every day and is an asset to the class. He interacts well with others and his English continues to improve. He works hard and students enjoy his company as he is also funny.”

What do you most enjoy about teaching at GV Brisbane?

“Seeing students progress, meeting new people, the variety of nationalities and all the lovely staff members.”

If you weren’t a teacher, what job do you think you would be doing now?

“A full-time writer or linguist. I absolutely love the study of languages.”

What do you like the most about Brisbane?

“The people, the weather and the lifestyle.”

What is your favourite cafe, restaurant, shop or place in Brisbane?

“My favourite place has to be Southbank and I love the Myer Centre and DFO for shopping.”

“Hello, everyone!

I’m Mariana, the new Director of Studies at GV Brisbane. I have worked at schools, a university and at a teachers’ training college, so my experience is at different levels. I love travelling and meeting people and I have found myself in situations similar to the ones that you students experience here. Because of this background, I know exactly how it feels when trying to learn a language. I believe that I can help you with both my experience and my knowledge of the English language to get around this new country and to find the course that best suits you.

If you have any comments, doubts or questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Come to my office, the doors are open!”