I've been teaching languages and translation at a professional level for 6 years, to students of all age and levels.
I always try to make my lessons fun, and to make my students feel at ease, because I believe that a good and safe environment is key for a top-notch learning experience.
Studying and teaching languages means learning cultures, and cultures are made by people. When you learn a new language you learn what they do, think, sing, praise, hope and cry about.
And doing so, you're more in contact with what you do, think, sing, praise, hope and cry about as well.
By working as an audiovisual translator, and by teaching this subject, I've been able to discover the full potential of empathy. When dealing with a complex dialogue in a series, you need to feel the characters' mood, to be aware of their story, to understand what they are communicating to a deeper level.
And the same goes for teaching. You have to gently find your way into the people's minds, find the right tune to knock at their doors, and then the right way to speak to them.
It's not always easy. Sometimes a day full of lessons leaves you completely drained of all your energies. But when you see that spark in your students' eyes because they feel and share your passion for what you teach... When you succeed in teaching something complex by making it easier to understandit's... I think it's the best feeling in the world.