Alexander Mansfield

I am currently a secondary school teacher of French, Edexcel Examiner and also speak German and Arabic. I am passionate in getting students to speak in the target language by finding a subject they are interested in. I find that confident speaking skills help develop confidence in the language, and then allows for grammar to be explored, reasoned with and understood.

Having worked as a French and Arabic interpreter in North Africa and the Middle-East, I am fascinated about colloquialisms and using "real" language, rather than standardised text-book phrases that children are often forced to rote learn in school. These higher level expressions stand out to examiners and having marked thousands of exam papers, they indicate that the student has an in-depth knowledge of the language. I rejoice when students use phrases that I have to look up myself.