{"id":30884,"date":"2024-02-25T11:12:31","date_gmt":"2024-02-25T18:12:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/?p=30884"},"modified":"2026-02-05T09:55:20","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T16:55:20","slug":"belinda-teacherpreneur-from-malaysia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/belinda-teacherpreneur-from-malaysia\/","title":{"rendered":"Belinda, Teacherpreneur From Malaysia"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Since she took the leap from lawyer to English teacher, Bridge Teacherpreneur Academy<\/a> member Belinda Peyrelongue has grown in many ways. After years of teaching children and adults at a language center, a language school, and a university, she has transitioned to an independent career as a teacherpreneur. She shares how she specialized her offerings and offers tips for others considering a career as an independent English teacher.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hi, Belinda! Can you tell us a bit about yourself?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m originally from Malaysia and I went to the U.K. to study law. I then worked as a lawyer for 10 years in London and Northampton. I came to France in 2010 with my family, as my husband is French. I was given a TEFL course<\/a> as a gift from a good friend who encouraged me to go into teaching, which I did. I loved it and haven’t looked back ever since!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So far, I\u2019ve been teaching English for over nine years. I started teaching at a language center and I taught kids first, then adults. I then went on to teach at different language schools where I taught adults in companies in France for five years. I specialize in Business English and teaching French professionals and lawyers who want to improve their ability to speak English for professional and personal reasons. In 2019, I went to Reunion Island to live there for five years and I continued teaching kids and adults at a language school there. I helped children prepare for the Cambridge exams and adults prepare for the IELTS exam<\/a> and the TOEIC. I also taught English at the university for three years as well as English for French professionals in the legal English and tourism fields.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interested in teaching English to adult professionals? Learn more about the 60-hour Teaching Business English Specialized Certification.<\/a> <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What motivated you to transition from a traditional teaching role to an independent teaching career?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve been teaching online off and on since COVID-19 in 2020, and I liked the idea of working from home. Last June, I decided to move away from a traditional teaching role to become an independent teacher to teach mainly online. I enrolled in a coaching program that motivated me to learn more about myself and about starting my own business, as my husband and I were planning to go back to live in France at the end of 2023. I came across the Expert Series webinar<\/a> with Rachel Story<\/a> for teacherpreneurs and was so inspired by Rachel about becoming a freelancer working for myself that I jumped straight into Bridge\u2019s Teacherpreneur Academy<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Join the Expert Series<\/a> community to watch more than 75 on-demand webinars on topics ranging from teacherpreneurship to teaching methodologies and best practices to career advice and professional development. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Belinda
Belinda by the river in Bayonne, France.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Could you describe your current role as an independent teacher? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m in a transitional period now, as I\u2019ve just moved from Reunion Island to Anglet, a town in the southwest of France. I\u2019m building my own business and starting to make myself known in my area. I\u2019m teaching students privately online and I\u2019ll be working with an online language school in March to teach legal English to lawyers and students taking the TOLES (Test of Legal English Skills) exams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read about an experienced teacherpreneur’s six reasons to become an independent ESL teacher.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did you prepare to teach English proficiency exam prep and legal English?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When I started teaching English proficiency exam prep<\/a> (TOIEC, IELTS, and Cambridge), I researched the exams, their contents, and what was required to pass and get good marks. I did the exams myself to make sure that I could do them and found the best methods to get good results before I taught the students. I believe that teachers should be able to do the same work that we give our students. Then, I researched and prepared the materials and created lesson plans accordingly. As for legal English, I was already familiar with it as I was a lawyer for 10 years. I just revised the topics beforehand, created lesson plans, prepared the materials, and got ready to teach the students. I had to set their exams and grade them as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Explore Bridge Micro-credentials<\/a>, which include Teaching TOEFL Test Prep<\/a>, Teaching IELTS Exam Prep<\/a>, and Teaching PTE Test Prep<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Belinda
Belinda by the sea in Anglet, France<\/em>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What qualities or skills do you think are essential for someone considering a career as an independent teacher?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many qualities are essential for someone considering a career as an independent teacher, including:<\/p>\n\n\n