Liis Avarmaa

Maybe I work as a teacher because I myself have always liked to learn. I acquired the profession of a special education teacher as well as of English language teacher at the University of Tartu. I have worked in both specialties in a number of educational institutions. In addition to Multilingua, I also work as a special education teacher and teacher in English at a school for children with special needs and as a speech therapist in a children’s club.

I started adult education in 2003, and I enjoy this work very much. I have given group and individual lessons in the language school and in different companies. I have taught ordinary language, business language, and specialty language. It’s exciting to communicate with people from different disciplines and thereby expand horizons.

I like the saying that while we teach others, we always learn ourselves. In a language class, I am rather a partner than the know-it-all teacher for the learners. It’s fun to see how a study group made up of people from different backgrounds starts to work, and function together stops being ashamed to make mistakes and begins to come to the assistance of co-learners when mistakes are made. Playful exercises and humor help to release tension. I think that my education and experience as a special education teacher are also beneficial in the language school. We all have our own smaller or larger special needs. As learners, we need, in particular, encouragement, success, and recognition.