Niko: English Instructor and Translator in Morocco

Meet Niko—an educator from New Mexico, working in Morocco at the American Language Center of Tétouan and American Language Center of Tangier.

Languages are a window to communication and perspective and have allowed me to enter into spaces (both in a physical and conceptual sense) where I wouldn't have had access had I been monolingual.

What first inspired you to become an educator? What motivates you today?

I fell into language education. I've always loved learning languages, but I never considered teaching full-time until after I had finished my undergraduate degree and became an assistant English teacher in France for a few months. Then I returned to the University of New Mexico and taught French as part of my master's program. These experiences taught me that not only was I a good teacher, but that I genuinely loved teaching!

My teaching experience has facilitated my relocation to Morocco, where I currently live. The process of helping someone else along the path of tackling a language is truly a beautiful thing. I feel incredibly fulfilled when I successfully give someone the tools to improve their confidence when speaking English or French. As someone who has gone through this process myself, I know that the most daunting aspect of this journey can be self-consciousness.

It is always apparent to students if their teacher’s heart isn’t in it, and this passion has kept me afloat even during frustrating periods of my teaching career.

What advice or encouragement would you like to share with aspiring or early-career language educators?

Firstly, one should expect a period of adjustment when they first start teaching. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and discouraged, but it’s important not to give up. Each person has their own voice/style as a teacher, but it can take some time (and real-world experience) before you can figure out exactly what this is. There is not one correct way to be a language teacher (or any type of teacher for that matter). Ideally, your teaching personality should be an extension/version of your “regular” self, and you should use your own personal strengths, interests, and passions to your advantage.

What is your greatest strength as an educator, and in what ways do you use it on a regular basis?

I always struggle with self-assessment, but let’s give it a shot. I am a very empathetic and perceptive teacher; I can usually sense when someone is confused or struggling, even if they don’t articulate it explicitly, and I always make a concerted effort to work with someone until I can see the proverbial light bulb materialize over their head.

My own passion for art, literature, geography, and history (in addition to languages, of course) has also been instrumental in my success as a teacher.

What is your favorite word or expression in another language and what does it mean?

"Dkhoul souq rasik" which literally translates to "go to the marketplace of your head," but which means "mind your own business" in colloquial Moroccan.

Complete the thought: "Teaching a language means..."

Teaching a language means listening as well as speaking. It is essential that you try to communicate with your students on a personal/individual level (if only for a short time) in order to give them the tools they need. I don’t conceive of teaching as a hierarchical, top-down process, but rather a collective journey in which the educator guides the pupil along a path.