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I became an English teacher in 2003, when I graduated from Tallinn Pedagogical University with a degree in English philology. I have also studied French.
I have been teaching languages since 2000, when I started as a secondary school teacher whilst also teaching English to nursery school children. For most of my teaching career, I have taught adults.
I also give one-to-one and group lessons at various institutions and companies. I have been teaching at Multilingua since the autumn of 2017.
I have completed a professional development programme From Language Teacher to Language Coach. I combine traditional teaching methods with coaching techniques.
I believe that cooperation between the learner and the educator is essential when learning a language. The learner needs to have an open mind, a positive attitude and motivation, whilst it is the educator’s responsibility to find exactly what nourishes, supports and develops all of this. In my work, I strive above all to create a friendly, positive and motivating learning environment that encourages learners to experiment, participate, learn and develop. As well as being goal-oriented and varied, my lessons are usually interesting and fun.
As an adult educator, I:
- identify the needs and expectations of the study group; prepare training plans and plan learning activities based on Multilingua curricula;
- create a physical, mental, and social environment conducive to language learning; base my approach on the learners’ needs and adapt learning stages or working methods as required;
- analyse the learning process, assess learners’ learning outcomes, and inform both the learner and the contact person at Multilingua about the results of the language learning;
- pay attention to my physical, mental, and emotional well-being, maintain a healthy work-life balance; engage in continuous professional development; update training content and teaching methods, revising and modernizing them as needed;
- use relevant information and communication technology (ICT) tools (e.g., interactive smartboards, online platforms such as Zoom and Teams, cloud services such as Google Drive and OneDrive, e-learning platforms, etc.) in the preparation, delivery, and evaluation of the teaching and learning process, as well as for supporting my own professional development; am able to search for information online using a critical evaluation of sources.
To ensure my ongoing professional development, I have taken part in the following training courses:
- From Language Teacher to Language Coach 2019–2023 (led by Evelyn Soidla). Read, listen about it HERE.
- The 4Cs: Creativity, Critical Thinking, Communication and Collaboration in Schools, Nice, France, 2022
- Job shadowing at the Linguaviva Centre language school, Dublin, Ireland, 2024. Read about my experience HERE.
I follow the activities of the EPALE community.
I have delivered in-house training sessions at Multilingua on the potential uses of interactive boards in language lessons.
Feedback from learners:
- “The course exceeded my expectations. I have benefited greatly from this course. The teacher’s approach was fresh and playful for me, and didn’t cause any stress. I received a lot of useful materials for the future. The topics covered were practical and relevant. It’s very likely that I’ll return to Multilingua to study again should I need to learn a language in the future.”
- “This course has been extremely useful. I’m absolutely delighted! I’ve had plenty of practice and opportunities to refresh my memory of things I learnt at school so long ago. I really liked the teacher. I’ve wanted to go somewhere where I could practise English for ages. Now I’ve had this brilliant opportunity, where – exactly in line with my suggestions and needs – I’ve been able to refresh my memory of the rules, and most importantly, to speak English. I’m planning to enroll on the next course, and it would be brilliant if I’m lucky enough to have Kristi as my teacher again.”
- “I’m very satisfied – it even exceeded my expectations. A brilliant teacher, useful references, exercises, links and assignments. I also attended a Russian language course at Multilingua about two years ago. That was a brilliant experience, too. Keep up the great work :)”
- Student Anu Kaiv: “The course was a success because Kristi is a very good trainer – in addition to her linguistic expertise, she is very good at engaging participants and adapts to the learners’ pace and the topics covered. Kristi’s excellent sense of humour and motivating attitude were a great support to the students and helped us ‘get through’ the transition to online lessons. The lessons were full of real-life examples and practical communication scenarios. I’m considering continuing in the autumn.”
- Learner Anne: “Multilingua found me a suitable group very quickly; the interaction was very pleasant and constructive. Our group consisted of three people, which was ideal for learning, and they were also lovely people with whom it was a pleasure to chat about all sorts of topics. Kristi is a very professional and encouraging teacher. She encouraged us to overcome our Estonian reserve and shyness and to express ourselves confidently, without fear of making mistakes or being judged. The lessons were interesting, varied, and offered plenty of additional materials. I gained the confidence to speak and became aware of my language level, which I hope to continue developing. A big thank you, Kristi!”
