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Teachers' Corner: 20 Questions With Britcent Teacher Sam
6 min read
Level: Pre-intermediate—Intermediate
What was Sam told off for in school? What does his family call him? Let's find out...
Sam has been teaching English online with Britcent for over a year. We interviewed him to find out more about his interests, his passions and what makes him tick.
How do you relax after a hard day's work?
I usually just make dinner and eat it! Then I'll lie on the sofa and watch Netflix—I'm a big horror movie fan. I recently watched a great Korean horror movie called 'The Call'; it was fantastic.
Sometimes I also play Scrabble with my wife. We get very competitive. She wins more but I've started winning more recently as I've picked up her tactics! Before the lockdowns I would sometimes go for a drink in the pub. There were free drinks at our office which was great, so I'd often stay for a drink.
What fictional place would you most like to go?
Somewhere in Star Wars—maybe the planet of Naboo.
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What's your guilty pleasure?
Dungeons & Dragons! Very nerdy, I know.
Which personality traits do you dislike and value the most?
I value kindness and dislike arrogance.
What would be your ideal way to spend the weekend?
I would relax on Friday night and have a drink or two at a pub. The next day I'd have a lie in and go somewhere interesting in London. Or if possible, walking or hiking in another part of the country, like Derbyshire or Wales. Then I'd probably hang out with friends at a pub somewhere in London. On Sunday I'd have a really good roast dinner—that'd be amazing. I'd also play music with friends at their house or a studio. We'd jam together and I'd play guitar.
What are you famous for in your family?
They call me a space cadet! Because my mind's always on other things. I was often told off in class for daydreaming.
Where would you spend all your time if you could?
Grantchester Meadows—it's so beautiful that poets have written about it.
What are two interesting facts about you?
I love learning languages—I'm learning Cantonese as my wife's family is Chinese. I've got a few books but I mostly learn by speaking to them and picking up phrases. It's really hard because of the tones! I can also speak Spanish fairly well. I have a lesson online every Sunday to keep my speaking skills up—just like Britcent students. I can also understand and speak some Portuguese.
I also did a DNA test and I'm 30% French, 20% Danish and 0.5% African!
What do you wish you knew more about?
Science—biology in particular.
What's on your bucket list?
I'm really interested in ancient history—I'd love to see the ancient sites Göbekli Tepe in Turkey, the pyramids in Egypt and Uruk in Iraq. I'd also love to go back to Latin America—I lived in Nicaragua for a year when I was 19. I want to visit Cuba, Mexico, Brazil, Venezuela and Chile—the whole area, really!
What's the most interesting experience you've had in life?
Climbing an active volcano in Nicaragua!
Where is the most interesting place you’ve been?
An island called Ometepe in the middle of a huge lake in Nicaragua. It has two volcanoes—one active, one dormant. It's got amazing wildlife with howler monkeys, lots of insects and parrots. It's quite wild and not very touristy. It's very beautiful.
What are you most excited about in the next 10 years?
Going to Latin America and South Korea. And having kids.
What annoys you the most?
Adverts—of any kind! I hate adverts. They just want your money. No one really wants them—no one voluntarily watches adverts. The world would be much better without them! I sometimes play 'Room 101' with students and I always say adverts.
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What is the best compliment you’ve received?
When I'm with my wife's family it's always that I'm tall and can eat a lot! Also, a student said they appreciated my help, as they really improved their writing skills.
Which skill would you like to master?
Speaking Cantonese! I'd also like to learn a Chinese instrument, the guzheng.
What job would you be terrible at?
Wedding planning—I hate planning!
What's something you're interested in that most people haven’t heard of?
The Chalcolithic Age—between the Stone and Bronze Ages. It's when civilisation started!
Also, Ernesto Cardenal: a Nicaraguan poet, priest and revolutionary. I wrote my dissertation on him at uni.
Which personal 'rules' do you never break?
I never gamble—I have no interest in losing money! There's no thrill for me. And I don't eat meat or fish as I'm a vegetarian.
If you had your own flag, what would be on it?
It'd be white and red—red's my favourite colour. It'd have a big picture of a capybara on it—they're my favourite animal. And the capybara would have a guitar strapped to its back 🙂
If you like Sam then check out his profile video on our YouTube channel, or watch it down below. Why not take a trial lesson with him, or one of our other tutors?
Vocabulary takeaway
tell someone off for doing something
Watch this video on the Britcent YouTube channel, where you'll find videos, podcasts, audiobooks and more...
Please note: These blog posts are written in informal, conversational English.
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