Dianna’s journey as a teacher started as a curious young girl traveling around the world. Her first opportunity to teach English as a second language in an international school in Kuala Lumpur was about 30 years ago. She gained experience teaching students at various levels, from PRA to university. She then completed her master’s degree in applied linguistics more than 15 years ago and published her first book based on her master’s research in the field of second-language acquisition (SLA).
With an extensive amount of experience and her love for traveling, Dianna feels that she has been constantly learning about new cultures, which helped her settle smoothly into her life in Brunei in May 2022.
“My husband is also from Kuala Lumpur, and we have been based outside of Asia for many years, so it was a nice opportunity to return to this part of the world with our teenage children.”
Making a conscious effort to learn the culture and build strong connections with local colleagues at school has also been key to adapting quickly to her new life in Brunei.
“If you have children, it’s easy to make friends with the children of other CfBT teachers. The cost of living in Brunei is cheap, and it’s also relatively cheaper to travel around Asia than having to book a ticket from New Zealand.”
When she arrived in Brunei, she really appreciated the opportunity to observe a colleague teaching, which opened her eyes to what Bruneian students were capable of. With her years of diverse teaching experience, she realised that all learners, regardless of culture and country, are similar in that they require good teaching.
“My husband is also from Kuala Lumpur, and we have been based outside of Asia for many years, so it was a nice opportunity to return to this part of the world with our teenage children.”
Making a conscious effort to learn the culture and build strong connections with local colleagues at school has also been key to adapting quickly to her new life in Brunei.
“If you have children, it’s easy to make friends with the children of other CfBT teachers. The cost of living in Brunei is cheap, and it’s also relatively cheaper to travel around Asia than having to book a ticket from New Zealand.”
When she arrived in Brunei, she really appreciated the opportunity to observe a colleague teaching, which opened her eyes to what Bruneian students were capable of. With her years of diverse teaching experience, she realised that all learners, regardless of culture and country, are similar in that they require good teaching.
However, she recognised that language teaching is hard work due to a few challenges she faced throughout her teaching career which included language barriers, resource limitations, and managing challenging learners. Hence, she puts great emphasis on finding ways to have as much fun as possible, both in class and in life. She also regularly checks in with the local teachers if any challenges arise.
“My day starts with organising my teenagers, teaching PRA children vocabulary, reading, and writing skills, eating, and laughing with Cikgu Mila, Lina and friends at SR Lumapas, and doing project work. Go home and swim. REPEAT.”
“Come armed with basic Malay greetings and classroom management phrases, especially if you are teaching PRA students!” she added.
Other than that, both patience and a passion to teach and listen to student voices– as opposed to purely completing a curriculum – have helped with the main aims to ensure students build autonomy, resilience, and problem-solving skills.
“I teach students how to learn and achieve. It is a wonderful experience teaching students who are invested and who take responsibility for their own learning.”
Dianna has also been developing project skills while working on WSE and School Improvement Plans. She enjoyed mentoring and coaching the local teachers as part of the ELPP as it was rewarding for her to see one of her mentees achieving a TPA of 4.0 – crediting her mentee as a hard worker.
When asked about CfBT values, she finds integrity to be the value that she relates to the most, as each culture has an accepted way of doing things. The skill is having an intercultural understanding and accepting that there are certain things that are done differently in various parts of the world.
Dianna taught us that actively gaining experience and opening ourselves up to different cultures are some of the best and most practical ways to continuously learn and adapt to different environments. When asked what her next aspiration is, she said,
“I have taught in too many contexts to count, ranging from PRA to university students. A PhD has always been on the cards.”
To find out more how you can apply as an English teacher in Brunei, visit –> careers.cfbt.org