Meet the trainers

Sarah Turnbull

I’ve been a teacher of English to Speakers of Other Languages ever since I went as a VSO volunteer to Thailand in the 1970’s. I was pretty soon hooked: teaching adults abroad combined the very best of all worlds: a fulfilling job teaching a language to people who were motivated to learn, and travelling, learning and having fun at the same time.

After Thailand, I applied to join the forerunner of the JET scheme and was sent to Japan for three amazing years. I worked for Asahi Kasei Chemical Company, which provided a wonderful insight into how a Japanese business works, and made good friends who have remained so to this day. I also gained a taste for sashimi which are, unfortunately, hard to find in Yorkshire!

Returning home, after completing an MA in TESOL at the University of London’s Institute of Education, I worked for three years in the private sector in and around Harrogate, and was then asked to be one of a small team setting up and running Leeds’ first Cambridge CTEFLA (later renamed CELTA) course at Leeds Metropolitan University, for which I became Course Leader. My sixteen years at Leeds Met offered other fantastic opportunities including setting up and teaching on an MA in Language Teaching, and collaborating with Dewsbury College on a Level 4 qualification for teachers of ESOL in the FE and Adult Education context. I am also a trained Assessor for this course and for CELTA, and have good links with most local EFL and ESOL providers.

Now Claire and I have embarked on an exciting new development, establishing our own school and training centre in Leeds. We’re acquiring new skills in business and marketing, and getting accustomed to taking our own decisions and learning by them. We hope you will feel as excited as we are about the opportunities Action English offers you, and we look forward to getting to know you during your time here.

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Claire Yarborough

I’ve been a teacher all my working life. I’ve worked in the public and private sectors, initially as a French teacher in secondary education and then later I retrained as an English language teacher by taking the CTEFLA (now the CELTA) course and the Dip TEFLA (now the DELTA). Several amazing years of overseas teaching with International House and The British Council followed – in North Africa and the Middle East. On a professional level, I gained wide experience by teaching young learners, exam classes and Academic English. On a personal level, I learnt a smattering of Arabic, met some great people and experienced the Sahara desert at night.

I returned to the UK to take an MA in Linguistics and English Language Teaching and bumped into a former colleague in a photocopy room, an event which ultimately led me to move into teacher training at Leeds Metropolitan University. I helped develop the CELTA programme there, taught on a Masters course in English Language Teaching and had a Staff Development role.

Recently, I’ve enjoyed delivering CELTA courses in Belfast, Mallorca, and South Africa and I am a trained CELTA Assessor.

As co-Directors of Action English, Sarah and I bring a wealth of experience and expertise to our new Training Centre. I believe that the learners should be at the centre of everything we do, whether they are learning English or learning to teach English. I hope to show you what I mean.