Ms Valerie
Specialist English Teacher
Ms Valerie’s biggest pet peeve with English when she was in primary school was hearing her teachers say, “Because it feels better.” As a student, she was determined to understand what that actually meant, and why certain words or phrases were considered better choices than others.
That curiosity followed her throughout her years at Raffles Girls’ School (Secondary) and Raffles Institution, where she chose to read English Language & Linguistics for her A-Levels. Wanting to explore language even further, she later majored in Linguistics & Multilingual Studies at NTU.
Ms Valerie's Introductory Video
Ms Valerie's Profile
Today, after 3 years of teaching English and Composition Writing to over 100 primary school students, Ms Valerie takes pride in helping her students understand not just what works in language, but also why it does. She believes that when students understand the purpose behind language choices, they themselves become more confident, thoughtful, and precise users of the language.
More than just to score well in school, Ms Valerie hopes to help her students appreciate the power of language and grow into effective communicators.
Ms Valerie's Teacher Spotlight
What inspires you to teach?
Having once been a student who constantly questioned and searched for clearer explanations from my teachers, I understand how important it is for students to feel heard and supported in class. I aspire to always make every one of them feel seen and heard, and to explain their doubts away as much as I can. Seeing that light that dawns in my students’ eyes when something I say just clicks for them keeps me going.
Why do you love teaching English?
I often joke with my students that English is a horrible language, and that is not a lie. Compared to the over 7000 other living languages spoken in the world, the English language is so full of inconsistencies from its grammar to its pronunciation to its spelling that it’s no wonder so many students learning it are so frustrated when they are told something is wrong. However, I also tell them that they must first know the language well (like me) before they earn the right to criticise it (like me). If you want to hate the rule, you have to first know what the rule is, when it doesn’t work, and why it doesn’t work, no? In a weird way, that is what I enjoy most about teaching English: helping my students make sense of a language that often seems illogical, so that they can use it with confidence, precision, and intention.
What do you do in your free time?
I play games, and I am unapologetic about how much time I would spend playing games if I didn’t have other responsibilities. If time and circumstances allow, I am always happy to share with you the sorts of games I play, have played and want to play, and hear you out on yours too!
