IH BRISTOL - Key Persons
Hello, I'm Beth! I'm originally from Bristol but I lived abroad for many years in Vietnam and southern Spain where I taught English as a foreign language to children and adults. My experiences in these countries were wonderful: the delicious food I tried, the lovely people I met, and the amazing adventures I went on!
Now, I'm really happy to be back in my hometown and to be teaching at IH Bristol. I absolutely love working at the school - meeting people from so many different countries and cultures is fascinating, and helping students to improve their language skills and achieve their goals is very rewarding.
When I'm not teaching, I love to read, paint and draw, and I also enjoy hiking and camping in the beautiful countryside surrounding the city. I cycle everywhere in Bristol, so you might see me around the city on my bike! I look forward to meeting you at the school.
Hello! My name is Britta and I am an administrator at IH Bristol but you can also find me on reception duties. I am originally from Germany and love the international environment at IH Bristol. I have always had a passion for languages and have personally experienced the rewards of being able to speak another language fluently.
Before moving to the interesting city of Bristol and joining the IH Bristol team in September 2022, I moved many times so I know how daunting the first few days in a new place can be. I therefore try to help our students as much as possible with their queries so their stay in Bristol becomes as enjoyable as possible.
Job Titles:
- Administrator & IT Support
Hi there! My name's Charlie, I'm part of IH Bristol's accommodation and administration teams.
I was born in Gothenburg, Sweden, but moved to Bristol before I was 3 months old. While I visit Sweden for a week or two most years, I have lived almost my whole life in a small village on the outskirts of Bristol - I love the countryside, but Bristol has so many huge, green spaces that I feel at home even in the city centre!
Despite not having lived long-term in Sweden, my mum spoke to me in Swedish as a child and so I am now fluent - knowing a second language is incredibly valuable, as a second perspective/way of thinking, as an expansion of vocabulary and ability to express oneself, but above all, as a way of bringing people together. "If you speak to a person in a language they understand, that goes to their head. If you speak to them in their own language, that goes to their heart" - I love the look on a persons face when they realise you speak their language, especially when they themselves are abroad and can't always share their thoughts exactly as they want to!
I am also learning Japanese - I find eastern culture fascinating, and one day I hope to spend time in Japan, China and Korea, possibly even teaching English (one day!). I am a very casual student, spending only a little time every day, but learning a language is a marathon, not a sprint, and I know that one day my efforts will bear fruit! I also love playing the piano; music is a language that everyone can understand - after all, speaking is just one way of sharing feelings and emotions through sound!
Job Titles:
- Teacher & Head of Teacher Training
Hi, my name is Charlie. I've been a teacher and teacher trainer at International House Bristol since 2003. Recently, I've started teaching on the Cambridge CELTA courses that we are now running.
In my classes, I like trying to find out about my students, their interests and their needs and then designing lessons that give each class member something important. I also spend quite a bit of time developing new class materials for our junior summer programmes. In class, I am particularly interested in using authentic texts and making use of the Internet.
In my free time, I spend quite a lot of time at the gym and generally trying to get a bit fitter.
I'm also keen on photography and sometimes I run English and photography courses and night photography evenings for the school social programme.
Job Titles:
- Head of Marketing & Sales
Hi I'm David. My role within the school is to run the marketing and ultimately raise the profile of our wonderful school. At IH Bristol we are committed to providing an incredible experience and opportunity for our students to learn English and I firmly believe in this continuing beyond the classroom.
My favourite thing to hear from students is memories they have made whilst taking part in our social programme, knowing that hopefully it'll be a part of a much wider experience that they will remember for a lifetime! I have been fortunate to work across several departments previously in the school and I love all aspects of what we offer.
In my spare time I like to run but I also do a lot of archery. I shoot a recurve (Olympic style) bow for those that are interested! I also like to read and travel as often as I can. Immersing myself in other cultures I feel is important for gaining proper perspective on the world.
Above all I am always happy to help anyone whilst they are at the school, whether with social programme or beyond. I look forward to meeting some of you soon!
As another summer season approaches, I find I am looking forward to it more than I have for several years. It really feels like we have turned a corner in business terms.
Life has returned to something approaching normal. I am still running, although I have no upcoming races and I now think it is unlikely that I will ever do a half-marathon. However, I enjoy the activity and it gives me much needed thinking time, so races or not, I intend to continue. Marcel and I are still dancing at least twice a week. It is wonderful to have things to do which help you to focus your mind on something other than work. When I dance, dancing is all there is. It is like meditation in movement.
Both children are back home for the summer and both working for us at the school. And we need them there. I am a firm beleiver in young people and I like to have as many as possible at IH Bristol. Nothing beats their enthusiasm, their energy and their unwavering belief that the best is yet to come. It helps me to remember that life is still an adventure and I am still a part of it.
I have also made a return to the classroom. I realised that a hightlight of every day was interacting with our students and decided that I would offer free classes addressing language issues raised by students. I love it. It brings back why I set up the school in the first place and shows me that we can make a difference.
2023 has also seen us continue with our refugee work and this, too, is a wonderful way to remind myself not just how lucky I am but how much difference I can make. Seeing our refugees go on to find jobs, enter the health service or go into further education is uplifting. We all have the power to make the world a little better and I can see how I am doing just that.
This summer also marks my 20th wedding anniversary, which is a milestone. I can hardly believe I have been married that long and I can guarantee you that there will be a lot of celebrating. As it falls during July, an overseas trip is out of the question, but we are going to spoil ourselves for a weekend in the beautiful Peak District.
Hello! My name is Jason. I am the bookkeeper of IH Bristol. I moved here from Hong Kong, and this is my first job in UK. My colleagues are very nice and helpful providing me with a lovely working environment.
Before our family moved to Bristol in 2022, I was working as an auditor for many years. Compared with my work in Hong Kong, I don't feel under pressure, feeling that working here at IH Bristol has given me a healthy work/life balance. I am very happy that I can now balance spending time with my lovely family whilst also doing a job I enjoy.
In my spare time, I love to watch football and explore the beautiful city of Bristol. Everything in the UK is a fresh and exciting experience to me. Giving me a similar perspective to those students joining us in the school! I enjoy living in Bristol very much, and I hope you do too!
Job Titles:
- Senior Teacher for Teacher Development
I'm a teacher of English and manage one of our young learner centres during the busy summer months. I moved to Bristol about a year ago and have really enjoyed getting to know the city. Before moving back to the UK I taught English in Vietnam for six years, where I gained my Diploma and Young Learners qualifications. As I'm originally from Scotland, I can speak with both an English and Scottish accent, and love doing other accents too.
In the classroom I focus on giving my students opportunities to communicate and develop their spoken fluency, as well as helping with pronunciation problems. In my free time I enjoy exploring new parts of the city, going to the cinema, and playing tabletop games with my friends. Games are a great way to improve your English!
I look forward to welcoming you to our lovely school.
Hello there! My name's Leander. I'm part of the IH Bristol administrative team, and I spend most of my time coordinating the exams we run here at the school. Before moving to Bristol I lived in Italy for two years teaching English, so I really appreciate being able to work in such a vibrant, international environment.
In my spare time I probably spend a little too much time watching football - it's a mildly unhealthy obsession, but I'm always trying to learn more about the footballing history of different countries, so if you have something you can teach me about yours, please feel free!
If I'm doing something else then l I'm probably reading or possibly working on my Italian. I also like to keep fit, usually by running or playing football.
Job Titles:
- Administrator
- Receptionist
Hello, my name is Liliana and I am the Receptionist Administrator at IH Bristol. I moved to the UK three years ago after living in Canada for almost two years. I am from Colombia, where I completed my law degree.
When I arrived in Bristol, I had the wonderful opportunity to enrol in the free English classes at IH. This experience allowed me to meet new people and improve my English. I was pleasantly surprised that newcomers could have such an enriching experience at this school. When I saw the opportunity to work with IH, I didn't hesitate. One of the things I enjoy most about working here is meeting people from all over the world and helping students to have an enjoyable experience away from home.
I'm one of the directors of IH Bristol and can be found looking after the IT in its many forms.
After doing some occasional IT support for the company in the late nineties and early noughties I fully joined in 2007.
I specialise in integrating IT systems together. I've connected our student administration systems to Microsoft's cloud, for instance, so that we can seamlessly enable the use of Microsoft Teams for our classes, both on-site and online.
I'm very lucky to live close to Bristol's 'Downs' park and continue to run there as a hobby. I like skiing and ballroom dancing with Eric and Helia at Bristol Dance Experience.
I like art, particularly painting and sculpture and city holidays that include museums and nice weather.
I'm passionately committed to helping IH Bristol provide the best experience it can to our students, clients and teachers and hope to continue doing that for many years to come.
My name is Patrick and I teach English as a Foreign Language to both adult and Junior learners here at IH Bristol. Before teaching in the UK I worked in schools in China and France, teaching a variety of English or Music related classes. I enjoy teaching here because it is always interesting to meet new people and get to know about their countries and cultures. It is always rewarding to help people on their English journey.
Bristol is my favourite city in the UK and I'm always happy to share it with students, often as part of the great social programme we have here at the school.
Outside of teaching I try to keep busy by writing, reading and making music. I also seem to spend a lot of time trying to control my garden, from which occasionally I manage to grow tomatoes.
Job Titles:
- Director of Studies
- Principal
I have worked at IH Bristol as a teacher, teacher trainer and manager since 1998. I manage the school to ensure all students have the best possible experience during their time with us. Before International House Bristol, I spent some time teaching in secondary schools in Greece - this was a great opportunity to experience Greek culture and to learn the language! As a child, I also lived for several years in the Middle East, including Yemen, and Salalah in Oman.
My main responsibility is the day-to-day organisation of the school's programmes. I also enjoy finding new ways to help students learn more effectively: for example, I encourage our teaching teams to integrate pronunciation into lessons in different ways. I also think learning English phrases - 'chunks' of language, not just single words - is important for successful learning.
Outside of work, I spend most of my time with my family, trying to keep up with my teenage children (one boy, one girl). When I have free time, I enjoy playing the guitar and piano - especially blues, jazz and improvising. I also play squash with a group of friends every Monday evening - to try and keep myself fit - and I like to walk or cycle to work a few times every week.
Bristol is my home town, so I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! I look forward to welcoming you to the city and to our school!
Job Titles:
- Accommodation and Welfare Officer
Hello, I'm the Accommodation and Welfare Officer here at IH Bristol. I match students with our lovely hosts and ensure that they have a welcoming and safe experience during their time with us.
I believe education is empowerment! I had worked in the education sector for 6 years before starting this role: teaching English as a foreign language in Vietnam; working as a teaching assistant in a high school; and then as a primary school teacher here in the UK. Living in Vietnam was a great opportunity for me to build my confidence at learning languages, although I still get nervous when I try! I also very much enjoyed eating the delicious food and travelling through the beautiful countryside there.
When I am not working at IH Bristol, I like to read, run, surf and travel.
Hi! My name is Saskia and I've been teaching at IH Bristol since 2019. I'm originally from Bristol and love the vibrant and creative energy of the city.
As the daughter of the school director, I grew up with IH Bristol - and now I love teaching here! I work with both adults and younger students and I enjoy helping my students build their confidence and vocabulary in English. I recently studied English at university, and I like to integrate poetry, books and drama in my teaching to connect students to the language in as many ways as possible.
In my spare time I love to read, paint and play board games. I love learning so I'm often watching documentaries or visiting museums and exhibitions. I love fashion and making clothes so you can spot me out in charity shops and craft shops at the weekend.