Interviewer: Mahmoud Mansi
“As a human being I try my best to keep reminding myself that there’s always more out there to see and to learn about life, people, and how we operate… Therefore, I force myself out of my comfort zone very often, anywhere and anytime, regardless of how uncomfortable it might make me feel…”
Suzanne Youssif
ABOUT THE INTERVIEWEE
Suzanne is a citizen of the world; born and raised in Saudi Arabia, she has resided in many different countries due to her passion for travelling and embracing different cultures. Besides traveling and teaching Business English in different countries such as Poland, Indonesia, and Egypt, Suzanne enjoys hobbies such as painting, singing, acting, drumming and dancing. She is currently residing in USA.
THE INTERVIEW
HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: What is the most delightful thing you love about your job?
Suzanne: Being able to be an influence in the lives of many students from different backgrounds and cultures, and realizing that the teacher-student relationship is one of the most rewarding gift a person can have.
HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: You have worked as a Business English Instructor in several countries including Poland, Indonesia and Egypt… Did you find the job different from one country to the other?
Suzanne: It is absolutely different. The behavior and attitude of students is greatly affected by the culture in which they were raised. For example, in Indonesia, they’re very relaxed and they take things easy which is generally a great quality but educationally that wasn’t always ideal. In Poland, my students were driven, punctual and self-reliant, which resulted in a very fruitful learning environment. In Egypt, where I struggled the most, many students favor the spoon-feeding approach and they tend to expect instant results, this is ultimately reflected in their motivation to learn. Consequently, attempting to produce lifelong and self-directed learners was extremely challenging.
HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: Many English Teachers & Instructors face stereotypes and it might reach discrimination if they are not “native speakers” or from an English speaking country. Have you faced any similar situation? How did you deal with it?
Suzanne: I certainly have, especially in Indonesia where not only being a native speaker was a priority but also you had to be Caucasian to teach English in some institutions regardless of your qualifications. Shocking, right? It’s always been a major frustration for me and it was a challenge to deal with such racism in the English teaching field but eventually I came to accept that we live in a world where injustice exists in many aspects and that we need to remain positive, resilient, and strong.
HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: What kind of practical suggestion would you pass to HR people & Recruiters working in institutes and schools who want to mitigate this type of stereotyping yet at the same time they want to guarantee high quality instructors and teachers?
Suzanne: I would simply recommend considering the teachers’ qualifications and experience regardless of where they’re from. Recruiters should proceed to the interview phase if the resume matches the criteria that they’re looking for regardless of whether the teacher is a native speaker. A lot of non-natives have such qualities and, in some cases, a thorough understanding of how the language learning process operates since they’ve been through it all. Moreover, some non-natives are born into an environment where they acquire the second foreign language in a manner in which it becomes as natural to them as their mother tongue. There are so many aspects to consider when hiring an English teacher rather than their nationality.
HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: You continuously work on developing yourself through courses and certifications. Can you tell us about the most effective one you had, and how it impacted your knowledge and skills?
Suzanne: One of the most effective courses I’ve undertaken was an intensive training led by one of the most knowledgeable trainers in the field of education in Indonesia, Mr. Karl Millsom. This course has significantly helped me grow as a teacher. It gave me the opportunity to understand new teaching approaches and how to implement them within different cultures and academic structures. We were introduced to the communicative approach in teaching as well as tackling the language barrier challenge faced by expat teachers in the classroom.
HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: Besides the technical career development, how do you work on developing yourself as a human being?
Suzanne: As a human being I try my best to keep reminding myself that there’s always more out there to see and to learn about life, people, and how we operate… Therefore, I force myself out of my comfort zone very often, anywhere and anytime, regardless of how uncomfortable it might make me feel. Needless to say, this has been a great technique to learn and thereby develop as a person.
HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: You have a hobby of singing, and many other hobbies. Work-Life balance is becoming an important trend in today’s world. What advice would you give to other workers and employees in order to plan and sustain a balanced life?
Suzanne: If there’s something that I will never give up, it is the ability to maintain a balanced life. My advice would be to not to overwork yourself no matter what because at the end of the day your mental health is the most valuable gift you own.
THANK YOU