Jenna has lived in Hong Kong since September 2010 and has over fifteen years of experience teaching the French & Spanish languages in Hong Kong and online. She has taught at different levels, including small groups from A1 to C1, usually  to adults, adolescents and younger students (from the age of 11). She can help with any exam preparation such as DELF, DALF, iGCSE, CNED, and for Spanish: DELE, SIELE, iGCSE, & IB Alongside teaching to examinations, Jenna can teach conversational content including varied accent approaches within both languages.

On becoming a teacher:

I had taught English and Maths at college, and I always had it in the back on my head. After a short career in finance, I realised that teaching languages was my destiny, and I decided to do it full-time: I never regrated it. I really enjoy each time I meet my students again. What I like most is see the fast progression of my students. Some stay with me over a period of 5 to 7 years, and they speak fluently after a few years. It pleases me so much to have them complete my homework, be on time, be interested and be curious. I also embrace students with difficulties, it makes it challenging but worth it.

Other interests that reflect on my personality as a teacher:

I really enjoy teaching about French culture and Spanish culture, not just teach the language. I like talking about history, geography, origins of words, foods… I like synonyms and expressions a lot, I think it tells you a lot about someone’s language and culture. I enjoy talking about travel, music, movies, but mostly, I talk about literature, poems being my favourite text format. I’m interested in many subjects such as aviation, sailing, hiking, tennis, riding, genealogy, science, and space.

A person I find inspirational and why:

I admire most Simone de Beauvoir, for her travels, the persons she met while traveling, her philosophy, her novels, her feminism theory, her story, in general. She is a person that I admire above all. I admire also Miguel de Cervantes, for being the best Spanish writer of all times, for going on so many adventures, for teaching us Spanish culture. I love Jean de la Fontaine for teaching us great lessons, in a playful way. I love Federico García Lorca for his choice of words in his beautiful poems.

Top tip to younger self:

I would have probably not studied finance and worked 5 years in finance. I enjoy languages a lot more. It makes me dream!