Having studied her undergraduate at home in Taiwan, Taki came to Bath to study an MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). She’s now a classroom support and online ESL teacher, supporting Taiwanese students on their English learning journey. We caught up with Taki to chat about her career since graduating from Bath in 2023.

Linguistics + politics = international communication

For my first undergraduate year, I studied Applied Language and Linguistic Studies. In my second year, I then shifted to International Affairs and Diplomacy (IAD). These programmes provided me with a broad understanding of language, communication, and global affairs. Yet, interestingly, after a year of studying IAD, I realised that my true passion still lies in learning and teaching English. This realisation ultimately motivated me to pursue a master’s in TESOL.

I chose the Bath TESOL course because it’s designed to welcome students without previous teaching experience, which made it an ideal fit for me. In addition, the comprehensive course design was another key factor that attracted me to this course. It covers both theoretical and practical aspects of language teaching, so I felt it would provide a strong foundation for building my skills as a TESOL professional.

One of my favourite elements of the course was exploring topics that challenged my assumptions about language teaching. For example, we studied the concept of ‘native-speakerism’ in the ELT industry, which I hadn’t been aware of before. Diving into this issue really opened my eyes and gave me a deeper understanding of equity and inclusivity in language education. It’s something that has continued to influence my approach as a teacher and motivates me to create thoughtful learning experiences for my students.

Living and studying in Bath

I would be lying if I said the beautiful city wasn’t breathtaking! That’s one of the reasons I came to Bath. Although I do enjoy the hustle and bustle of larger cities, when it comes to studying, Bath is the perfect place for me because it offers a focused and inspiring environment. The combination of a peaceful yet vibrant setting really suited my learning style and made it an ideal choice for pursuing my master’s.

Studying at Bath was a really positive experience for me. The community here is very kind and welcoming, which made settling in much easier. I also joined the Taiwanese Society, which was a great way to meet people not just from my department but across the university. I even made a lifelong friend – we travelled together during breaks, and she later became my housemate when we moved to London!

I also took part in a one-off volunteering activity with the school’s pet care programme, where we walked dogs and met new people. Small moments like that really helped me feel connected to the campus. Overall, I loved how easy it was to balance academic life with social and extracurricular opportunities.

Kickstarting a career after doing a master’s

After graduating from Bath, I worked as an English Curriculum Associate in a secondary school in London. While it wasn’t a full teaching role, I was responsible for supporting SEND and EAL pupils and covering English classes. This gave me valuable hands-on experience in the classroom.

About a year after graduating, I also completed my CELTA training. CELTA is a practical course designed for teachers with no prior experience, and it allowed me to put many of the theories I learned during my MA in TESOL into practice.

I’m now based in Taiwan, working as an online ESL teacher. While teaching can be routine at times, I really enjoy the process of planning lessons and seeing students make progress. Every lesson gives me a chance to apply my knowledge creatively and connect with learners from different backgrounds. It keeps the work dynamic and rewarding!

The course really gave me a solid foundation to start my career in English language teaching. It wasn’t just the theory, but also how we could apply it in practice that made a big difference. I still find myself drawing on what I learned at Bath in my teaching today, so it definitely helped me get to where I am now and feel more confident in what I’m doing.

My advice for future students:

I would say don’t worry if you don’t have prior teaching experience – the course is really designed to support you from the ground up. At the same time, try to stay open to new ideas, especially the more challenging topics, because they really shape how you think as a teacher! I would also recommend making the most of opportunities to apply what you learn and connect with people on the course. My biggest takeaway is: if you’re genuinely interested in language teaching, it’s a really rewarding experience.