💬 From my own experience: When I was writing up my teaching observations during the CELTA course — 120 hours of closely supervised practice — I noticed that the most credible feedback always hedged: 'This…
💬 From my own experience: At team briefings at Establishment in Sydney, I'd report what guests had complained about the night before. 'The guest said the table was too small' — not 'the table is…
💬 From my own experience: New teachers often ask me: 'What should I do when a student doesn't understand?' I always say: 'If I were you, I'd try a different example before explaining again —…
💬 From my own experience: When I talk about my move from Sydney to La Réunion, I naturally shift into past simple: I packed, I left, we flew, she waited at arrivals in the snow…
💬 From my own experience: At Morrison restaurant in Sydney, the difference between 'Give me a water' and 'Could I have a water, please?' was the difference between rude and professional. In hospitality, polite requests…
💬 From my own experience: Managing a front-of-house team at The Ivy in Sydney meant I needed to brief staff on VIP guests before they arrived. 'She's tall, well-dressed and very direct' — three adjectives…
💬 From my own experience: When I managed the bar team at Uccello in Sydney, new staff always asked me 'What do you do exactly?' I had to describe 15 different things. That's the present…
💬 From my own experience: When I first arrived in Sydney from Bangladesh in 2005, I had 'horrible English' — my own words. But I knew 'hello,' 'thank you' and 'sorry.' Those three words opened…
💬 From my own experience: At the Star Casino in Sydney I once gave a guest the wrong room number because I confused 'fifteen' and 'fifty.' Learning to stress the right syllable saved me many…
💬 From my own experience: My first week in Sydney, I pointed at the menu instead of speaking. Learning ten words changed everything — I got a job within a month.
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