Márcia plays a very important role in our OET Preparation Programmes. She’s one of our tutors, and there’s much to say about her (good stuff, only). But we’ll let her speak for herself, once she was kind enough to answer our questions.

Meet Márcia, and you’ll start admiring her as much as we do. Plus: she has the best tips for you to pass your Occupational English Test.

You may also like: Why to choose the OET?

Who is Marcia?

I am an English language trainer, passionate about linguistics, born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa to Portuguese parents.

When did the English language become a part of life?

From the day I was born. English is one of the official languages in South Africa. It came into my life as a profession 17 years ago. I have a degree in Hotel Management, and I had just relocated to Portugal. An acquaintance asked if I would like to do English language training, and I took on the offer.

When did you decide you wanted to teach English?

When I was still working in South Africa, I had training at the hotel I was working at the time. I remember the enthusiasm and passion of the trainer and I thought I would be able to do the same. But it wasn’t until several years later that it happened.

About your work as an OET tutor, what does it mean to you?

Honestly and wholeheartedly, it means a lot to me. It is different from traditional language teaching method being so specific. For me as a tutor, it is also challenging as it requires a lot of study because it goes far beyond general English. It takes both the tutor and the student to work hard on both sides.

What do you think are the advantages of our preparation course?

Above all, it is the personalised component, the fact that the candidate has individualized feedback from the tutors, especially in the speaking and writing components which are challenging to self-study.

What is the most difficult thing about this job?

Undesired results, i.e., when a candidate fails the exam, I always question myself: what I could have done differently?

What is most rewarding about this work?

It is extremely rewarding when I see candidates arriving in their country of choice, knowing I was part of that process. Knowing that I contributed to a life-changing decision in someone’s life is indeed highly rewarding.

Recommendation to anyone who needs to do OET…

Constant reading and listening in English are crucial, such as podcasts and medical articles. The candidate should, however, remember that this is a test of their English knowledge, not medical expertise and that must always be kept in mind. The candidate should ideally have a high-intermediate level of English.

 

 

VP Formação by Vitae Professionals is an authorized OET Preparation Provider.