TEFL Course Trainers
John Hanes – Head TEFL Trainer
John Hanes has taught EFL since 2003. Since then he has taught at Charles University and the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. He has an extensive research background with degrees in the psychology, philosophy, and cognitive neuroscience of language. During graduate studies he worked in the scientific investigation of chimpanzee language cognition at the Ohio State University Primate Center in addition to performing therapy for the improvement of the language ability of autistic children. He has been a TEFL trainer since 2005. His hobbies include international travel and cuisine, foreign languages, chess, music, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
Christine Thompson – Trainer
Christine has taught EFL in its various forms for fifteen years. She has taught English conversation in private language schools and in state schools in Japan and Slovakia and at university in Bratislava. She did her CELTA in Auckland and completed her DELTA in Prague in 2007. She holds a BA in International Relations. Before her present incarnation, Christine was a buyer for Harvard Medical School/Children’s Hospital in Boston, MA. Christine is currently an English instructor for the Caledonian School, specializing in Cambridge Exam preparation. She has a keen interest in English theatre in Prague, baking the perfect tarte au citron, and fifties-era jazz.
In addition to our course trainers, members of our senior ELT staff serve in advisory capacity and/or contribute to our workshops related to teaching Business English and/or serve as experienced teachers whose lessons trainees observe while attending the TEFL course.
Claire Giffen - Business Seminars Trainer
Claire attended the University of Warwick and gained an Honours Degree in History. She then joined an Insurance Brokers and worked as a Broker at Lloyd's of London for five years. She arrived in the Czech Republic in 1998 after obtaining her TEFL certificate and has taught for Caledonian School since then. She oversaw our Business Department and was responsible for training and advising our Business teachers. She now runs our Business Seminars program for Caledonian Training, part of Caledonian School Education Group. Seminars include Effective Presentations, Effective Negotiations, Effective Meetings, and Business Writing Skills. Claire is also a certified Cambridge University Oral Examiner for both the Cambridge Business English Certificate, and the Cambridge First Certificate of English.