Behind the Scenes with Journalist and English Teacher, Jenny Whelan
Today we’re going behind the scenes to talk to a Daily News writer of particular interest to our tutoring community: Jenny Whelan.
She’s not only worked as a TEFL-certified English teacher in different countries. She’s also got tips for tutoring, working with Turkish learners, preparing students for exams, and more!
So tell us about yourself!
I grew up in Dublin, Ireland where I did my degree in journalism and French. After graduating, I moved to France to teach English in a rural public school. Then I made a total change and moved to Istanbul to teach.
I returned to Ireland and became a reporter for a supermarket industry magazine and later became an editor.
And how did you come to work for Engoo?
Well, I liked working in both journalism and education, so when I saw a job opportunity that would let me have the best of both worlds, I went for it.
My training in journalism taught me the rules of writing a strong piece of news content. This ensures that my Daily News articles are engaging and full of clear information. After all, clarity is key to good news writing.
And my teaching experience gives me valuable insights into which parts of English can be tricky for learners. Since I mainly prepare articles for intermediate students, these insights really come in handy.
What do you feel is the biggest difference between your previous work and your work now?
As a journalist, I only really reported on business news. But for Engoo’s Daily News, I could be covering almost any topic imaginable, which is fun.
I still like to write about business and food the most, but I’ve really enjoyed writing articles for our “Language and Education” category. The expressions articles are just really fun, and I enjoy learning about what’s going on in the education industry.
I also love feeling that my articles are genuinely useful to someone because they are helping them to learn. It’s so rewarding.
What was teaching English in Turkey and France like?
Turkey and France were different in many ways. For one thing, I was teaching teenagers in France, but mainly adults in Turkey. I was also a teacher trainer in Turkey.
In both countries, however, the big challenge was in getting students to stop using their native language in the classroom. And in both, I found that once we could do that, the whole class learned faster.
I think it’s okay to use your own language to translate when you first start studying a new one. But as you get stronger, you should try not to rely on translating and really immerse yourself in the new language. It’s not easy, but it’s worth the extra effort.
As a teacher trainer in Turkey, did you give new teachers any tips on working with students there?
Yes, when there were teachers who were totally new to the country, I would spend some time with them discussing Turkish culture and what to expect from students.
For example, in Turkey, it’s common to say “thank you” (instead of “no”) when refusing an offer. The Turkish language also doesn’t have gendered pronouns, so students will often say “he” instead of “she” and vice versa.
Things like this can cause a lot of confusion in class for new teachers!
Did you do any one-on-one tutoring outside of the classroom?
Yes, in France, I had one-to-one lessons with students who needed an extra challenge not being offered to them by the core curriculum.
Some students had family members who spoke English or were just quick to learn. I would try to find engaging ways to let them build on what they have and really tried to keep them excited about learning another language.
I had one student that had a very advanced level of English for an 11-year-old living in rural France because he had taught himself through a love of video games! We spent a few sessions going through how to beat Ocarina of Time, the hardest level in the Zelda game in English.
Did your teaching involve any test prep? If so, what tips do you have for tutors in a similar position?
Preparing students for tests is interesting because you need to both build up their confidence and address any weaknesses.
This is always a good idea, but especially when a student has an exam coming up: always pair any critiques with compliments on where the student has done well or has shown real progress.
Even students who don't have any particular issues might be worried about the test, and that could affect their performance, so it's helpful to give them consistent positive feedback.
I noticed that you took a TEFL certification course before you started teaching. A lot of our tutors also wonder if they should get certified. What’s your advice in this regard?
Having a TEFL certificate certainly made my CV look better, but the training to get it was nothing compared to real-life teaching experience. I do encourage everyone who wants to make English teaching a long-term career to get certified in some way though.
Finally, out of curiosity, did you have to learn Gaelic growing up?
So the name of our second national language is actually Irish or Gaelige. “Gaelic” is just an adjective. There are some regions where people speak Irish as a first language. However, in most of Ireland, people speak English at home and I did too, so it’s my first language.
We learn both in school, but unfortunately, my Irish isn’t great at all!
👋 That’s it for now!
If you enjoyed Jenny’s interview, please let us know through TS! If there’s enough interest, we’ll interview more tutors and members of our staff to bring you the latest insights into our profession. In the meantime, happy tutoring!
