Simon has worked in ELT for 15 years in the UK, Spain and Brazil, before joining UCT in 2014, where he established the English Language Centre. His areas of interest include systems of collocation, prosodic features of speech, IELTS training, and business development in ELT.
Our Team
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Dean's Welcome
Our English Language Centre is located within the vibrant Faculty of Humanities, the second largest and most academically diverse faculty at the University of Cape Town.
There are many reasons to learn English. For some, it is about improving career prospects since proficiency in English is a key requirement in today’s global business world. Some view English as a gateway into the best colleges or universities. For others, it is simply about acquiring a new set of language skills and exploring a different culture.
In choosing to learn English at UCT English Language Centre, you will join a community of international students who, like you, have chosen to pursue their studies at Africa’s premier research, teaching and learning institution. UCT is currently one of the few universities with a unit dedicated to teaching English as a Foreign Language in Southern Africa. Our language students benefit from the Centre’s state of the art facilities and from our highly qualified teachers who will help you attain your individual language goals. Our numerous sports clubs, student societies and recreational facilities will keep you busy during the ‘down time’ from your studies. In addition, we offer you the chance to explore our beautiful city and country, to create lasting memories and the opportunity to establish new networks of friends.
If you are considering learning English, you should know that there are few institutions in the world that rival what we offer students at UCT. So, whatever your reasons for wanting to learn or improve your English language skills, I encourage you to make the best possible choice. Choose to study at the UCT English Language Centre.
I wish you every success in your academic journey!
A/ Prof Shose Kessi
Dean of Humanities
Our Team
The teachers at UCT English Language Centre are all highly qualified and experienced in the field of English as a Foreign Language. Most teachers have their own specific area of expertise and interest which contributes to the development of our team and ensures that ELC delivers on its promise of teaching to the highest standards.
In addition, ELC runs accredited, high-quality TEFL courses (Teaching English as a Foreign language) which offers aspiring English teachers a chance to learn from the best. These courses are designed, run and facilitated by ELC trainers. When not providing training, TEFL trainers form an integral part of the teaching team, as well as supporting teachers' continuing professional development.
The staff members are committed to ensuring your experience, from the moment you enquire to study with us until the day you graduate from our school, is a positive one.
Monica has over 15 years’ experience in the EFL industry and has experience in teacher-training, IELTS & Cambridge ESOL examining as well as working in Academic Management. Monica is passionate about all areas of education, especially alternative progressive models. She also has a keen interest in teacher development.
Since training in Oxford, Alex has worked in a range of teaching, teacher training and ELT management positions in Cape Town and the UK. His areas of interest include motivation in ELT, metacognitive learning strategies, lexical retention and recall.
Christelle moved from a career in chartered insurance into ELT in 2012. She has taught in London, Manchester and Cape Town, joining ELC in 2015. Her areas of interest include discourse in written production; lexical systems; developing learner autonomy.
Caval has worked in EFL for 20 years, teaching in Luxembourg, Angola and South Africa.
Koko worked as a front-end developer, speaker and business trainer, client manager and paid search specialist before joining ELC in 2019. Koko’s current role involves driving the development of above-the-line advertising campaigns.
Catherine has worked in Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) and EFL since 2003 in South Africa and Spain. She ran EFL, EAP and TEFL courses at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) before joining ELC. Her areas of interest include English for Academic Purposes and Digital Story Telling as a tool for teaching and learning in ELT.
Annaëlle has been in the education field since 2007. She has had the wonderful opportunity to work as a high school teacher, EFL teacher as well as an academic manager. Annaëlle loves teaching and interacting with her students and colleagues. Her areas of interest include materials development, creating a conducive classroom environment for the learners, and role playing as a tool for communicative language teaching.
Loren has been working at UCT for the last four years and joined ELC in 2018. As well as reception and admin duties, she also manages the ELC Social Programme.
Karen has been an EFL teacher since 2018 and before that worked in a range of Educational settings and NGOs. She has a particular interest in curriculumn and materials development.
Mike is generally interested in education and training and different approaches to teaching and learning. His years in small business have given him a focus in language in the workplace. This includes English for business strategy, marketing, human resources and psychology.
Judi has over ten years experience as an ELF teacher, group facilitator and invigilator in China and South Africa. She is also a researcher, writer and filmmaker and is interested in incorporating film into the curriculum.
Charnel has taught in various language schools around Cape Town and abroad for the last 12 years. Her areas of interest include allowing student-generated language to fuel the content and trajectory of the lessons, material-light lessons focusing on student output, and Teacher Training.
