Tell us about yourself!
My name is Rini Ghosh and I hold a Master’s Degree in Spanish Language and Literature from the University of Delhi, India followed by a C2 from the University of Salamanca and Valladolid in Language and Culture.
My passion for teaching made me do a Formacion ELE from UAM Madrid and International House, Spain. I stepped into the world of teaching and training in the year 2000 right after accomplishing my university degree, and began to work with corporate houses like GE, Hewlett Packard and some more well known companies as an interpreter and a trainer which made me travel around the Spanish speaking zones of the world.
Later, I began teaching at Instituto Cervantes in Jakarta, Thailand and also India. My passion for teaching made me begin working with IB Schools in the year 2007 and I found my true love in it. Ever since that I have been teaching Spanish at ab initio, SL and HL along with IGCSE and MYP programmes. I joined Pamoja in 2011 as a subject matter expert when the Spanish ab initio course was still being developed and I must say it was a great experience. Later I joined as a conversation teacher followed by a class teacher and I look forward to participating in more programmes. Learning a language is about more than a few words and a new grammar structure: it is a passport to a new world and as mentors it is our responsibility to bring those elements into our curriculum.
How does IB DP Spanish ab initio support language study/use at university and beyond?
The Spanish ab initio programme prepares our students to broaden their horizons by grasping a new language and culture. This becomes an advantage when they begin their journey at university, and mix with students representing various different languages and cultural backgrounds. Spanish ab initio is a thematic-based curriculum which encourages understanding of the language in various contexts, from food to games to entertainment as well as the global issues which concern Spanish-speaking countries.
In what way have you helped other teachers develop professionally?
I have created a government-recognised programme for teachers based in India, entitled “Learn to teach a foreign language in a country where it is not spoken”.
I devised the Formacion ELE programme for teachers who want to gain hands-on experience of the teaching pedagogy of a language, enabling them to expand their learning beyond the set books and resources. The course not only provides them with ideas on how to teach and what to teach but also allows them to develop their ability to teach various groups of students with different needs.
What advice would you give to prospective language students?
Develop the passion to learn a language, for you are preparing yourself for a new world.
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