Life@Kaplan: An Interview with Kaplan Teacher Casey
Meet Casey Parks, our new teacher and activities coordinator at Kaplan Sydney! We asked her what she uses to teach English to her students and why Sydney is a great place to study abroad.
Which classes do you teach?
I teach lower intermediate students and General English classes.
What type of learning materials do you use in class?
We use a range of materials; when we’re in the classroom we mainly use K+ Notes. I take the students down to the study centre once a week and we use Kaplan Online to focus on the students’ grammar skills. It’s really good to get them on the computers. We encourage students to read news articles so they keep up to date with current affairs in Australia. We encourage the students to take part in speaking activities too. It’s really important to get students with a lower level of English to become confident in speaking in English.
What are the main differences you see in students from the start to the end of their course?
I would say it was their confidence. I’ve seen a lot of students who start off really shy and towards the end of the time at Kaplan, they grow their confidence and they’re speaking more to me and to other students. You see their personalities come out more. It’s really nice to see that they’re trying so hard and that they genuinely make big improvements.
Why is learning English beneficial to students?
For a lot of students, it opens up a lot of opportunities for work and for travel. A lot of students come to Kaplan Sydney to advance their careers or to study further. You can always tell that they are really motivated to learn and how important learning English is for their future.
Why do you think students choose Kaplan over other English schools?
Kaplan has a good name and reputation around the world. A lot of students have heard of us and are confident that they’ll receive a good education.
What advice would you give to a student who was thinking about studying at Kaplan Sydney?
Do it! Come over and study with us! I would say that is such a friendly place. What I love about Kaplan after only being here for 2 months is the environment. It’s open; there is a nice balance between it being studious and fun for students to enjoy social activities. Students all get along well with each other and they socialise with other students of all nationalities. It’s great because it means they all come together to speak English.
You are also the activities coordinator. What unique activities are there for students in Sydney?
There are so many! We have the benefit of being able to go outdoors for a lot of the time! There are lots of parks, and then there’s the Sydney Opera House, which is a 20 minute walk away. We have Bondi Beach, which is one of the world’s most famous beaches. There is an open air cinema by the harbour, which is beautiful in the summer. We have BBQ’s on the beach all the time. In fact, we’re going over to Sydney Manly tomorrow for a football tournament and BBQ with the students!
If you'd like to see photos of all the great activities that Sydney has, you can see photos on the school's Facebook page. For more information about our Sydney schools, please talk to someone from our team.