Lindsay

With a long-standing love of languages and cultures, I have dedicated much of my academic and professional life to both learning and teaching them. At GCSE level I opted to study Spanish, French and German and eventually went on to graduate with a First Class Honours in French and Spanish from the University of Glasgow. Thanks to my path in languages, I have spent five wonderful years living and working abroad, predominantly in Spain and with briefer periods in France and Southern Italy. I have been lucky to live in various fascinating parts of Spain, including the Basque Country, Andalucia, Catalonia and Asturias. These experiences ignited my passion for truly embedding myself within other cultures and forging strong connections with the people who live there: indeed, I remain in contact with a number of Spanish and Italian friends I made during my time abroad and I love participating in language exchanges to maintain fluency and stay engaged in foreign cultures.

I currently speak five languages in addition to English and take great pride in being a polyglot! Such is my love of languages that I worked as a voluntary English teacher in Peru and Tanzania prior to qualifying as a teacher during my Undergraduate degree. This passion for language learning is one I am incredibly eager to share with children, especially given the fact many young people do not opt to study languages beyond GCSE level: when I can make the learning experience a more positive one for a young person I embrace this wholeheartedly.

My other passion lies in working with children and young people to support them and help them realise their potential. In addition to my teaching experience detailed below, I have several years' experience working in the charity sector, specifically in the field of education and youth work. In recent years I have worked for the Child Poverty Action Group to address the attainment gap and barriers to educational opportunity. I have also worked for a national violence prevention programme, delivering workshops to pupils and leading teacher training to ensure school is a safe place for learning for all.

I pride myself on being very approachable and understanding when it comes to supporting those I work with. I like to think of myself as a real people person! I know that young people can often find language learning a daunting process which can feel overwhelming and demotivating at times: as a lifelong language learner I can attest to that feeling! However, I firmly believe that with the appropriate support at the right time students can find languages much more manageable and rewarding to learn. This is my goal: to empower students and facilitate a more positive learning experience for them. I would simply love to see more young people continuing with their language studies beyond GCSE level and to see them benefit from the amazing opportunities being multilingual can bring: from living abroad to being able to connect with people from all over the world here in the UK!

Most recently I took up Italian and studied intensively to gain an Upper-Intermediate Certificate in the language at the Dante Alighieri Society in Sicily; as such I am very familiar with occupying the role of both teacher and student. This means I am keenly aware of my learners' needs and can relate closely to their experiences and concerns.

I currently work in gender equality in a role which involves engagement with young people in secondary schools in the north of Scotland. I also volunteer on the Board of a charity based in the north-east of Scotland where I support the strategic operation of the organisation as part of the team of trustees.

When it comes to my free time, my true love is hill-walking and exploring the Scottish Highlands. As far as I'm concerned, the more remote and rugged the landscape, the better! I'm working my way through the Scottish Munros - mountains over three thousand feet - however I still have over two hundred to go until I complete them!