Staff Spotlight: Peter Beech

Title:
ITTT Director of TEFL Training for Greece

Photos

Originally from England, Peter has been working in EFL in Greece since graduating from Sussex University in 1986, and for several years was director of his own school in Corinth. After completing his MSc in Teaching English in 1997, Peter established Anglo-Hellenic primarily as a teacher recruitment service, while becoming increasingly involved in teacher training. He has provided training seminars for schools throughout Greece, and since 2004 has been running TEFL certificate courses full-time year-round. Peter also has substantial experience of university teaching, tutoring with the UK Open University on the MA in Education (Applied Linguistics), and at New York College in Athens on the University of Greenwich BA in TESOL and MA in Management of Language Learning.

Tell us a little about yourself. What position do you hold there?

Peter: I’m the Director of TEFL Training for Greece, so I have overall responsibility for all aspects of the course, particularly materials development, assessment and moderation. I oversee all the courses in all three of our locations, and try to spend at least one week working personally with each group of trainees.

What makes Greece a unique destination to obtain TEFL Certification?

Peter: Greece is unique because there’s such a huge demand for teachers of English, and through the partnerships that we have built up during the past twenty years we’re able to guarantee job placements on completion of the course. We offer teaching practice with Greek children, teenagers and adults, giving you the practical experience and confidence to be effective in the classroom when you start your first job.

What are some extracurricular activities students participate in during this course?

Peter: In Corinth, trainees live together in accommodation that we provide, so there are lots of extracurricular activities available. Our most popular trip is the tour of the archaeological sites of Nemea and Mycenae, and in the summer we often go to see plays at the ancient theatre of Epidaurus. Ancient Corinth is just a few minutes drive from the school, and the beach is just a short walk.

In Athens, the sights and facilities are all around us, so it’s easy to visit the archaeological sites and museums. Athens is great for nightlife, and a lot of our social activities involve taverns, bars and clubs. Our trainees usually also take the opportunity to visit some of the nearby islands.

Santorini is incredibly spectacular. It’s a small island with good transportation links, and our trainees can get together to hire a car or ATV at the weekend in order to reach some of the less accessible spots. It’s also very close to Mykonos, the essential party island, so a weekend trip there is a must.

Do students generally stay in Greece to teach after completing this course? What are some other popular destinations?

Peter: Around half of our trainees stay in Greece, as we place them in jobs in the schools that we work with all over the country. One reason that people choose to take the course here is because we provide a job guarantee. But many others come here just to spend a few weeks living in Greece and visiting other nearby countries. It’s a great way to spend a summer travelling around Europe. Our certification is recognised worldwide, and we have a great network of job contacts, so our graduates are working all over the world: Spain, Italy, Turkey, Morocco, Dubai, and many countries in Eastern Europe, South America and Asia.

What is one piece of advice you would offer someone considering obtaining TEFL Certification in Greece?

Peter: Do it!