Why did you choose teaching as your career?

Because I love languages, love travelling and learning about other cultures and I love working with people.

Which class are you teaching at the moment?

I teach the Cambridge Advanced course

How long have you been teaching at Lexis Byron Bay? What did you do before you worked here?

It’s my first week here at Lexis Byron Bay, but I’ve been teaching English for nearly 20 years.  Most of my teaching was in Sydney, and I’ve also taught in Moscow, Bangkok, Korea, Mongolia and Paris!

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

I speak French and German, pretty well, and a little bit of Spanish, Italian and Indonesian.    I studied French for 10 years, but when I got to Paris I couldn’t understand a word, so listening is very difficult for me!

What do you like the most about your job?

Creativity, interaction with people, making a difference in people’s lives and learning about students’ countries.

In your opinion, what is Byron Bay’s best kept secret?

The Pocket, where I live.  There are lots of these little valleys around Byron Bay in the Hinterland, which are beautiful,  green and peaceful.

If you were not a teacher, what job would you have now?

Well, I took a break from teaching for a few years and did something completely different, helping older people live in their homes instead of going into nursing homes (community care).

Please make Ian very welcome at Lexis!