About

Welcome to my blog 🙂

I’ll keep this short and sweet, as you can read my first ever blog post and the rest of my blog to find out more:

Me, in front of Christiansborg Slot in Copenhagen

Me, in front of Christiansborg Slot in Copenhagen

My name is Rachel, I’m from England, and I love languages. I studied German, Spanish and Italian at Durham University for four years, one of which I spent living in Germany and Spain, and I worked at Routledge academic publishing house in Oxfordshire for two and a half years after graduating from ‘The Bubble’ in June 2012.

Towards the end of 2014, I decided it was time to finally fulfil a long-held ambition to live in Berlin, and from April 13th until May 8th 2015, I did the CELTA qualification (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults, administered by Cambridge University) at the Berlin School of English. This blog helped me document my course, and now charts my attempts to become an English teacher, as well as hopefully offering some insight into life in Berlin…hence BerLingo; an incredibly cringey combination of ‘Berlin’ and ‘lingo.’

There is a section of useful ELT resources, broken down into various categories; there is some information on Berlin (both practical and fun) and there is also a blog full of random witterings. All of these are a work in progress, so please check back if you have time 🙂 I’d love to hear from you.

20 Responses to About

  1. Kelly M says:
    March 6, 2015 at 4:29 pm

    Hi, Rachel! I love languages, too. I have studied ten of them, reaching near fluency in a couple. I’ve added your blog to my blogroll so I’ll remember to check in on you often.

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    • BerLingo says:
      March 8, 2015 at 6:04 pm

      Thanks for your comment, Kelly, and also for stopping by! I’m incredibly impressed by your mastery of so many languages – I would love to improve my ropey French in addition to the German, Spanish and Italian I know, but it’s a time issue for me at the moment!
      I’m enjoying the blogging, though, so I hope you do enjoy seeing me pop up in your blog roll from time to time!
      Thanks again,
      Rachel

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  2. Karima says:
    April 18, 2015 at 11:07 pm

    Hi, Rachel
    I have recently finished my CELTA course and I enjoyed it.
    I have been thinking about blogging as well but I still think about what topics I should write about.

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    • BerLingo says:
      April 19, 2015 at 8:53 pm

      Hi Karima,
      Thanks for your post 🙂 Where did you do your CELTA course? I already know I’ll be sad when mine is over!
      If you’re tempted to blog, I say give it a go! I kept mine private for a while whilst I sorted it out, and then was convinced to set it live, then a few kind and patient people read it and now I somehow have over 20 subscribers which I can hardly believe! I definitely recommend a WordPress site and just lots of enthusiasm 🙂
      Good luck!
      Rachel

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      • Karima says:
        April 19, 2015 at 9:06 pm

        Hi again, Rachel
        I did my CELTA at International house Izmir in Turkey.
        When you finish your CELTA you will be so excited to use all what you have learnt and eager to develop your teaching.
        Thanks for your advice about blogging I will give it a try, I didn’t know that I can make it private so you give me a good idea.

        Liked by 1 person

      • BerLingo says:
        April 21, 2015 at 7:43 am

        Hi Karima,
        I’m so pleased to hear that I might have motivated you to dip your toe in the addictive world of blogging 🙂
        I’ve been to Izmir briefly, on a holiday to Gumbet and Bodrum and I thought it was a lovely city. Best of luck with the continuation of your teaching career – you’re right, I can’t wait to get started on mine 🙂
        Thanks again,
        Rachel

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  3. ladyofmoonlight2 says:
    April 27, 2015 at 8:30 pm

    Hi Rachel. So glad to read your blog on word press. I am writing one too. Please read mine. Rachel I’m doing TEFL and need some tips to excel plus should I do Diploma in Tesol?I am actually planning to teach in university .

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    • BerLingo says:
      April 28, 2015 at 6:44 am

      Hi Jamila, thanks for reading my blog 🙂 I’ll be sure to read yours after I’ve got though this course!
      As regards a Diploma in TESOL, I’m afraid I’m the wrong person to ask because I’ve only just joined this wonderful world 🙂 I’m sure there are plenty of people blogging about it though, so you could try searching withing WordPress?
      Good luck!
      Rachel

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  4. Ashraf Hanafi says:
    April 27, 2015 at 8:34 pm

    I did the CELTA last summer and it’s a very beneficial and prestigious teaching course. I did the CELTA at International House Izmir.

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  5. lessonplansdigger says:
    June 23, 2015 at 9:29 pm

    Hi Rachel,
    I’m so glad to have found your blog in this seemingly infinite WordPress universe. Your posts about living and working in Berlin (where I’m relocating next month) are really interesting and I’m sure I’ll be stopping by regularly.
    Gosia

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    • BerLingo says:
      June 25, 2015 at 11:18 am

      Aw Gosia, that’s so kind of you!
      Thanks very much indeed for the compliment – and good luck moving to this wonderful city 🙂 I take it from your blog name that you’re moving here to teach, too?
      Thanks again,
      Rachel

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      • lessonplansdigger says:
        June 25, 2015 at 1:19 pm

        I’d love to continue teaching in Berlin, but first I need to learn some more about the ELT industry here (it seems quite different to Barcelona where I worked for three years). I’m also thinking about doing the DELTA qualification at the Berlin School of English 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

      • BerLingo says:
        June 26, 2015 at 12:13 pm

        Well if you have any questions, please feel free to let me know and I can give you my email address so I can pass you onto some of he DELTA trainers I work with 🙂 they’re very keen for new recruits!
        I love your blog too, by the way!

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  6. lessonplansdigger says:
    June 30, 2015 at 11:08 pm

    Hi Rachel, thanks so much for offering! It would be great to get some first-hand information on the course. If you could send me some contact info to lessonplansdigger@gmail.com , I’d be very grateful. (I’m sorry for not replying sooner, but I’ve been flying between Berlin and Barcelona, and dealing with a thousand unpacked boxes in the meantime…)

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  7. Mark and Sarah - MASTERS! says:
    August 11, 2015 at 12:35 pm

    Loving the blog. MASTERS20152016.COM

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