Istanbul

So, I start giving private English lessons today. It's all arranged through a language school, and they sent me this before i get started tonight:


Andre,

One thing that I neglected to say, and to explain about Turkish students, and private lesson students in particular, is that they have usually tried a number of teachers before as they live in a very course oriented culture in Istanbul. They all go to courses, whether it be language courses, cooking courses, whathaveyou, and a number of our clients (students) have tried private lessons in the past, either with us or with other companies, so they have a very good idea of what teacher profile they want. Basically, they want someone who is experienced, a native speaker, and who has been a teacher since birth. What that means is that if they ask you what you have done in the past, tell them you were a teacher. Don't let them know that you have ever had any other job nor wanted one. It seems a bit exagerrated, but believe me when I say that we, and many people I know, have had this problem in the past. Sometimes, not telling the whole truth is the best and only way to establishing a good student-teacher relationship.

Other than that, if they ask where you're from, say America. Then go on to explain where your roots hail from. Basically, play up the American, play down the German (all students will ask, and again, some people don't care, but most do, and they have the view that if you're not from America or Britain, you're not native... this is also true for a lot of Australians strangely enough, we often have to introduce them as British and no Turks know the difference). If they ask you about your relationship with us, say that you've been working with us for a few months now, and then restress your past experience in other locations.




Basically, I get to reinvent my whole life story for tonight. This should be fun :)