A tale of two schools
Not only did a move to France mean a change of country for Soad Louissi, but also a change of career. On arrival in Grenoble in 2003, she discovered that she could no longer work as a neurophysiologist as she had done in Canada, so she needed a plan B.
“I looked at it as an opportunity to do something else,” says Soad. After going back to school to study business and marketing she found herself teaching English, and now runs her own language school.
“It’s not something I ever thought I could do but I found that I liked it, so I tried to combine everything by starting a business where I could teach English to young children in fun ways,” she explains.
What started off as an English school for children has now grown to include courses aimed at adults. “Now it’s like I’m running two completely different businesses,” says Soad, the founder and general manager of Speak English Kids and Speak English Center.
The children’s courses are centered around learning English through games and fun activities. Children are placed in small groups and are taught by native English speakers. A daycamp structure is offered during school holidays. More information can be found on www.speakenglishkids.com.
The adult courses are offered to people wishing to brush up on their English or start from scratch. Different types of lessons are offered from voice coaching to test preparation. More information can be found on www.speakenglishcenter.com.
Starting her own business is not the challenging part, doing it in another language is where the difficulty lies. “I think my experience learning French is what helps me teach English.”
— Taken from an article which appeared in a British magazine called “French property news” in October 2013.