Hi, I'm Tara. I’m a landscape architect, Business English coach and certified Neurolanguage coach.®  Combining my passions for culture, languages, landscapes and architecture has enabled me to find my true voice. I'm on a mission to empower other landscape architects and architects who speak English as a second language to help them find their voice, too.

 

After moving to France in 2018, I realised how challenging it could be as a quiet introvert trying to learn a language and adapt to a new country while also trying to work and feel like you’re making a valuable contribution.

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Once I figured out how to align who I was as a person, my strengths and values I realised how I could use these to help others. 

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I remembered my first few years working as a landscape architect and having massive admiration for my colleagues who spoke English as a second language. I remember their struggles, frustrations and I admired their resilience for overcoming these challenges even though it was not easy. I would often offer my help where I could but always felt like I could do more to help. 

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It would be another 14 years of working as a landscape architect and then becoming an English teacher that would help me to realise I could make a difference to my colleague's lives. When I created ArchiEnglish, my mission was to spend more time listening, understanding how I could help my colleagues with the frustrations they so often talked about with me. I had no idea just how useful that would be for so many people. People often tell me how surprised and happy they are that what I do exists.  

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I might not have a typical resume, but my experiences are rich and diverse. Everything I have done in my life has strengthened my knowledge, skills and passions. Everything I have enjoyed learning throughout my journey comes with me to make my English teaching with ArchiEnglish an absolute pleasure. 

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Landscape architecture

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As a landscape architect, I started my career in a multidisciplinary office working with planners, engineers and urban designers. Then I gained more experience in residential landscape design and horticulture and began working as a landscape architect in a nursery in Melbourne. This allowed me to dramatically improve my plant knowledge and customer service skills. 

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Teaching  

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After volunteering to help a primary school with their kitchen garden  I discovered my burning desire to teach and I can honestly say that teaching is what gets me out of bed in the morning.  I obtained a Master of Teaching and headed to England to teach for 12 months, before returning to Australia to do both relief and art teaching. 

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Language Learning & Coaching  

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In 2018 left for an adventure to live in France where I have been teaching English to adults and children, working via distance for the Lygon Street Nursery in Melbourne as well as learning a language myself. I can honestly say I am very lucky to be able to do two things I'm passionate about. I love being an English teacher and seeing my students make progress and most of all I enjoy learning about how cultures communicate with each other.   

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In 2020 as well as coaching Business English to architects and landscape architects 1:1  I started teaching English for Architecture Presentations and English for Architecture Communications at KMITL University in Bangkok, Thailand.  I've loved learning more about teaching across cultures and how to make teaching more effective.

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Urban sketching 

 

When I'm not teaching, you'll find me sketching in the streets of Montpellier or whichever city I'm visiting at the time. Urban sketching is my meditation, my way to connect with the world around me and a way for me to draw for fun. If you're interested, you'll find my work at Tussock Studio.