Experienced Language Coach and Oxford PhD student teaching English (reading, writing, and speaking)

Find out more about Zara

• 1) When did you develop an interest in your chosen field and in private tutoring?

  I am a biomedical researcher at the University of Oxford, and I have been passionate about understanding our biology for a long time. I am also natively bilingual in English and Turkish, which encouraged my fascination with linguistics. I enjoy tutoring because it challenges me to think about familiar concepts from an entirely new perspective, which is fun for me too!

• 2) Tell us more about the subject you teach, the topics you like to discuss with students (and possibly those you like a little less).

  I teach English and Turkish to non-native speakers, focussing on accent reduction and finding creative ways to explain the sounds commonly used in the language.
  
  I also teach English language and literature to primary and secondary school students, from learning how to read, all the way through to analysing poems, plays, and books for GCSEs.
  
  Last but certainly not least, I teach biology at all levels, from primary to university!

• 3) Did you have any role models; a teacher that inspired you?

  My A level teachers were very enthusiastic about their subjects, which made a huge difference to our learning and showed me the importance of making your subject fun!

• 4) What do you think are the qualities required to be a good tutor?

  I think creativity is a very important quality for a tutor to have, since we sometimes need to come up with alternative explanations and every student has different ways of learning. I think you need to be able to connect with students to understand the best ways to communicate with them and to keep learning fun.

• 5) Provide a valuable anecdote related to your subject or your days at school.

  I remember helping out with a Chemistry presentation at an open evening for prospective students at my school, and I saw one person's parents were struggling to understand. It turns out they spoke Turkish, so I gave the demonstration again in Turkish for them! They were very surprised and I saw how much they appreciated it. It reminded me of how important languages are as a way to connect with people.

• 6) What were the difficulties or challenges you faced or still facing in your subject?

  It is always challenging to communicate our ideas clearly, and I am constantly working on this in every subject I teach. It is different for everyone and so rewarding when you get there! Not only do you help someone understand a new concept, but I personally feel like I learn something new too. Even if I am very confident in the topic, thinking about it in a different way is fascinating and helps me be analytical in my own studies as a PhD researcher.

• 7) Do you have a particular passion? Is it teaching in general or an element of the subject or something completely different?

  I love teaching in general. It helps me to connect with others and I find it very rewarding. I am passionate about science communication for the same reason: I think that knowledge should be shared. We all do better when we learn from each other. Also, if I can help someone else become as excited about science or linguistics as I am, that's fantastic!

• 8) What makes you a Superprof (besides answering these interview questions :-P) ?

  I try to think about the student's experience and I am always open to feedback. I really believe that education should not be limited to the classroom, and I try to stay curious and engaged in my day-to-day. Even though learning a subject or preparing for exams can be tough and stressful at times, I think the best teachers make you feel like you are learning something together, and that's what makes it so interesting and fun!