About Joe
Hello, my name is Joe. I am an experienced English teacher with a strong academic background and a long-standing interest in how people learn languages. Although my academic training comes from institutions around the world, my spoken English accent is British.
I hold a master’s degree in Education from an American university, where my final paper focused on how the brain acquires and retains language. I also have a law degree, and I began my teaching career in 2008 teaching English to law students at university level. This background has strongly shaped my teaching style, with a focus on clarity, structure, and meaningful communication.
I have taught in a wide range of contexts, including university, primary school, international schools, and private language centres. I previously worked at EF in Shanghai as a senior teacher and was awarded Best Teacher of the Year in 2019. Since COVID, I have taught primarily online, most recently at a top primary school in Luoyang, China.
My teaching approach is informed by how the brain learns best, with strong emphasis on listening, meaningful repetition, and real-world use of language. I am also a lifelong language learner, currently studying Chinese, Russian, and Vietnamese. I am now based in Vietnam, teaching online.
In conversation with Joe
Could you tell us a little about your background?
Of course. I am an experienced English teacher with a strong academic background, and I have always had a long standing interest in how people actually learn languages. My training comes from institutions around the world, though my spoken accent remains British.
What is your academic background?
I hold a master's degree in Education from an American university, where my final paper focused on how the brain acquires and retains language. I also have a law degree, which is actually where my teaching career began. In 2008, I started out teaching English to law students at university level, and that background has shaped my teaching style ever since, particularly my focus on clarity, structure, and meaningful communication.
Where have you taught over the years?
Quite a wide range of settings, actually. I have taught at university level, in primary schools, in international schools, and in private language centres. I previously worked at EF in Shanghai as a senior teacher, where I was awarded Best Teacher of the Year in 2019. Since the pandemic, I have taught primarily online, most recently at a top primary school in Luoyang, China. I am now based in Vietnam, continuing to teach online.
How would you describe your teaching approach?
It is informed by how the brain actually learns best. I place strong emphasis on listening, meaningful repetition, and using language in real world contexts, rather than relying on rote memorisation. I think that combination helps language genuinely stick, rather than just being learned for a test and then forgotten.
Does your legal background still influence how you teach?
Very much so. Law trained me to think in a structured, precise way, and to communicate clearly, and I bring that same discipline into how I explain grammar and language use to my students.
Are you learning any languages yourself at the moment?
Yes, several, actually. I am a lifelong language learner, and I am currently studying Chinese, Russian, and Vietnamese. I think staying a student myself keeps me a better teacher, since I am constantly reminded of what it actually feels like to learn a language from scratch.