Life in Exile: John’s story
Ever since he can remember, John has been an advocate for culture and the arts. In his home city, Cali in Colombia, this passion led him to become a member of the senate, with the hopes of changing the political landscape in his country.
He was bold in pushing for new programmes to ensure that everyone in Cali had access to a basic education and could participate in cultural events, where they could explore and experience different art forms. “I believe in art as a medium of change, a power of transformation. Art is so strong that it can transform an entire society,” he muses.
But the weight of his progressive ideas provoked resistance, marking him as a target for those unwilling to embrace change. “They tried to assassinate me more than three times,” John discloses. Despite multiple gunshot wounds, he persisted.
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A challenging start
With his life at risk, John moved to the UK in 1995 and brought his passion for education and culture with him. As a founder and member of Artists In Exile, he expanded his educational horizons, completing an Arts in Education training course, then earning a PGCE in Lifelong Learning from Birkbeck University of London. Now, he imparts his knowledge on drama, film, and communication to young minds in the capital.
However, relocating to a new country was not without challenges, with the language barrier being the most formidable. For a vibrant and expressive personality like John, the inability to articulate himself and forge crucial connections was overwhelming. He identifies these hurdles as the drive behind his decision to become a Chatterbox Language Coach. John aims to ensure others do not suffer the same isolation he experienced due to linguistic differences.
“The biggest challenge was being able to express myself, to talk to people, to give my ideas and opinions day by day. Learning a new language was a huge challenge. That’s why I understand that people in the Chatterbox community want to learn.”
Personalised learning
Empathy forms the cornerstone of John's teaching methodology. With first-hand experience of language-learning struggles, he acknowledges that everyone’s learning journey is unique. He tailors his approach to accommodate each individual's needs, particularly focusing on ESOL students – young migrants, refugees, asylum seekers, and learners with Special Education Needs and Disability.
John’s personalised approach has garnered him acclaim from his students. One CEFR level B2 Spanish learner enthuses, “I've been working with John for two years now and he's brilliant. I actually really look forward to our sessions. He's so in tune with the emotional side of learning a language. I find his approach really compatible with my learning style.”
“I’ve been working with John for two years now and he’s brilliant. I actually really look forward to our sessions. He’s awesome. He’s so in tune with the emotional side of learning a language. I find his approach really compatible with my learning style.”
A cultural ambassador
John is emphatic in his love of Colombia, a country where the Amazon meets the Andes and indigenous, African and European cultures mix. Ever since his first Chatterbox session with a Westminster University student, during which he gave her the Latin American newspaper he was holding, he has incorporated culture into every Live Practice. He remembers how much she appreciated the personal touch he added, talking about articles in the newspaper that interested her, such as theatre and literature.
“For me, it was a ‘wow’ moment. It’s great that I can make people happy and they appreciate my way of teaching. I felt great. I felt amazing.”
“I love teaching, I love being an ambassador of my culture, I love my language, I love my country and I will be very happy to promote my country, language and culture for the rest of my life. And Chatterbox is the right platform for that.”
Building a more inclusive world
With the support of organisations who choose Chatterbox as their language training provider, and in so doing create employment opportunities for people who are historically overlooked by the labour market, coaches like John are able to rebuild their professional confidence, work from anywhere in the world and be ambassadors for their country and culture.
And the benefits are two-way. Research carried out by the Red Cross has demonstrated that Chatterbox also has a positive effect on people’s perceptions of refugees, helping to broaden perspectives and build empathy and understanding of marginalised groups. In other words, employees are creating more inclusive organisations from the inside out.
“On a professional level, it opened a new door, a new opportunity for me for work. In whichever corner of the planet I am, I can connect and teach and share my culture with other people. ”
Broadening horizons
When he isn’t coaching, one of John’s biggest passions is travelling and discovering new experiences, especially culinary ones, as it allows him to better understand humanity and history. He also loves anything to do with drama and, unsurprisingly given he was born in the salsa capital of the world, dance. The latter fascinates him because of the connection you can make with other people, something that aligns strongly with Chatterbox’s human-in-the-loop pedagogy.
“When I’m not doing what I love to do, I like to create new things and have new ideas. To have new proposals on how to make things better in terms of education, activities, politics and philosophy in life in general.”
John brings a wealth of diverse experiences to his role as a Chatterbox Spanish Coach. He has been part of the team practically since Chatterbox’s inception and has been a huge motivating factor in his learners’ journeys to Spanish fluency. They praise his creativity and unique approach to language learning that encompasses all aspects of Latin culture. He has also worked on the creation of the Chatterbox Spanish course content, giving both linguistic and cultural advice. Thank you for being a much valued member of the team, John!
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