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Learn more about Mark

• Do you speak this language fluently because of your origins or because a teacher inspired you to learn?

  I'm a native English speaker from the UK and therefore, I was lucky enough to be brought up using the language. However, by being an English teacher, it has given me the opportunity to learn more about my own language in order to help non-native speakers to understand English better.

• Can you name a living, historical or fictional character that you think is the emblematic representative of the language's culture?

  I would have to opt for the actor Hugh Laurie. Nowadays, he is best known for his role in the series, 'House', but has done many things in the past. Hugh Laurie is the perfect person to represent the culture of the UK. He is well-spoken and understands how to use the traditional British sarcasm perfectly. If you meet a typical Brit, he is what you would expect to get.

• Is there a typical word, phrase, tradition or behaviour in the language that you particularly like?

  A word I particularly like from the English language has to be: Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia. Yes, it is a really long word and more so, its meaning can show just how unfair the English language can be. This word is a medical condition for people who have a fear of long words. So, people who have this fear cannot tell others what it's called. That is just pure evil isn't it!

• Why does speaking this language matter to you?

  Nowadays, speaking English matters to me because it has become the lingua franca of the world. It allows me and many others to communicate with people from all over the world. It is also more important to me because I have made teaching English my profession and therefore, I rely on it to make a living.

• What is the main difficulty in learning this language and what can help the process of learning?

  I believe that all languages have their difficulties and they vary depending on the student's native language. Most of the time the biggest problems come from how to use prepositions and articles. These have a tendency to confuse most learners even at a more advanced level. Another problem can be with the pronunciation of the language, which once again varies for different mother tongues.

• Provide a valuable anecdote related to your language learning or your days at school.

  When I first started learning Portuguese, I would often overhear natives talking and I would try to pick out words that I knew in order to understand the context of the conversation. Being new to the language, I would sometimes misunderstand. Here's one example of that.
  
  One day, after being out and about in Sao Paulo, I realised that there was one word I heard often, but it really didn't make sense to me.
  
  The word for lunch in Portuguese is 'almoço', and I would often hear people shouting it to each other. I started to think Brazilians have an obsession with lunch. One evening, I returned home and asked my wife, why do people keep calling each other lunch? I always hear people shouting 'almoço' at each other. My wife burst into laughter, I had misunderstood what they were saying, they were actually saying 'Oh moço' which basically means 'hey guy', just an informal way to get someone's attention.

• How has travel or a specific trip helped you to increase your skill and knowledge of the language?

  After living in Brazil for five years and trying to learn Portuguese, I now understand what it is like to be a language learner and some difficulties students have when trying to master a language. In turn I have adapted my teaching style to make learning English more enjoyable and less like a chore. This experience allowed me to meet many other teachers who I could exchange techniques and knowledge with and as a result, it has allowed me to fine tune my lessons to help students achieve their goals.

• What makes you a Superprof in language?

  Because everyone is different, and different people learn in different ways, I don't use one type of methodology. In fact, I don't believe that there is a single methodology that works for everyone. Instead, I use a variety of styles that work for your individual learning style.