Media and Communications Graduate teaching English (Speaking, Reading, Writing) IGCSE Cambridge Education

Find out more about Khadija

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

  I grew up speaking English, so in a way, it has become my first language!

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

  I can't narrow it down to a single character, fictional or non-fictional as English is such a vastly spoken language, each country and region has their representation of it.

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

  I love how English has changed in almost every country it's spoken in, as a society we have taken it and rearranged it to suit where we come from, and yet it's universally understood. For example, patronise often has a negative connotation in the area I live in and means to be condescending towards someone, however when we come to Nigeria, patronise is used to support someone's business. I find it so interesting how a region affects the understanding of language.

• Why does speaking this language matter to you?

  It has become my mother tongue, it's how I communicate with most people in my life, and I am grateful for the ability to express myself no matter where I go.

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

  Grammar! English grammar is so varied and hard, for example, all my answers have been written in spoken English not as written English, and a lot of people don't understand the difference. I would say the only way to learn grammar is to learn grammar, there are no shortcuts.

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

  My years at school were definitely some of the best years of my life, and it proceeded to get better once I joined university, there is such peace in learning something that brings you joy, I would do it all over again if I could.

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

  I have had the privilege of living in three countries throughout my life, and this has given me first-hand experience in seeing how varied English is in different countries and yet, it is understood by everyone, this helps me to inspire confidence in my students!

• What makes you a Superprof in language?

  Languages and linguistic abilities come naturally to me, it's been this way ever since I was a young girl, so this gives me hope that I can teach anyone, and help anyone!