Helen Richards is an English teacher from South Africa with extensive experience teaching English to students from a variety of countries through both in-person and online methods. She completed a TEFL/TESOL course in 2011 and additional modules in areas like business English, teaching young learners, and teaching large classes. For two years, she has maintained a popular Facebook page called "Helen's Easy English" where she responds to learner questions and corrections. Richards has taught students ranging from primary school children to adults near retirement in countries spanning Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and South America. She is able to adapt teaching materials as needed and present them in engaging ways to further develop key language skills.

1. Helen Richards: English teacher
Intrinsic advantages
A UK citizen, I am a native speaker of English,
growing up in a family and a school system, in South
Africa, which always strongly stressed accurate,
precise and effective use of English. While throughout
the English-learning world, non-native speakers with a
suitably high level in the language may teach the basics
extremely well, I do not believe there is any better
option than a versatile native speaker when it comes to
honing those skills through conversation practice.
The value of training
In 2011, I completed a TEFL/TESOL course, supplementing this with additional modules in
the teaching of Business English, Young Learners, One-to-One, Teaching with Limited
Resources and Teaching Large Classes, subsequently applying these precepts and adapting
them when necessary to actual teaching situations.
Understanding the difficulties faced by learners
For approximately two years, I have been posting regularly on my own extensively visited
Facebook page, “Helen’s Easy English”, responding to requests for explanations about
English, locating suitable material and correcting the posts of learners.
Extensive experience
I have taught English, through the medium of English, to learners in countries as far apart as
Brazil, Italy, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan and Korea. In the majority of these cases, I
was able to manage group work even without the benefit of face-to-face contact. My students
have ranged from primary school children, including here in Greece, to adults close to
retirement. I have been able to pass on my love of the English language and am always
strongly motivated by the enthusiasm shown by my students.
Flexibility in materials
I have taught both in face-to-face situations and through a wide range of Internet platforms.
Where the teaching materials provided were inappropriate, too limited and in some cases
simply incorrect, I located interesting material at a suitable level for my classes and presented
it in ways designed to further key skills.
I am a permanent resident of Gavalachori, Apokoronas 73008, Crete and may be contacted as
follows:
helenrichards1@hotmail.com +30 2825022692