Getting to know....Fabrice Lamotte

How long have you been at UCL?

I have been at UCL since 2003, first working on Evening Courses and then Course Units (now Modules) from 2007. Prior to this, I worked at LSBU as a French Tutor and with International House as a Teacher Trainer.

What working achievement are you most proud of?

I am most proud of completing an MA in Language Teaching in this country whilst working at UCL and seeing how the learning from the programme helped to inform my lesson design and teaching strategies.

What's the biggest challenge you face in the classroom and how do you deal with it?

The biggest and most rewarding challenge is how to tailor approaches to different students from different cultures and also support those who are less confident as language learners to develop.

What piece of technology or resource do you find invaluable in your teaching?

I am increasingly using my iPad for note taking in class and find it an invaluable resource for connecting to the internet and storing lesson plans.

What advice would you give to someone looking to develop the way they teach?

The best advice I can give is to really get to know your students and what motivates them. This for me is more important than soldiering on and delivering a lesson plan perfectly but where students might be struggling to follow. Sometime less can be more.

What do you most and least look forward to teaching (and why)?

I most look forward to meeting new students each year and how to ensure I build rapport and engage them. What I enjoy least is the pressure to cover the whole programme in a relatively short classroom time.

What would it surprise people to know about you?

People may be surprised to know that I have been a student of meditation for the last 12 years and am very interested in mindfulness and how to bring this more to the classroom for supporting students and colleagues. I am about to begin a Post Graduate Programme at Bangor University to become a teacher of mindfulness.

What's your favourite place in the world (and why)?

There are many places I have loved visiting, but one which stands out for me is Brazil, which I visited with my husband four years ago; especially the stunning waterfalls at Iguazu.

Can you recommend somewhere to eat in London?

There are so many great places to eat in London. I really like Lebanese food and also Chinese. Maroush is a great chain of Lebanese restaurants and the Lido in Chinatown does the best dim sum for me.

Sam Keenan's question for you from the last newsletter: "If you could bring back one icon from the past, who would it be and why?"

Of all the great people from the past, the person I would like to bring back is Gandhi for what he could teach us about staying true to one's conviction and bringing about radical change peacefully.

What's your question for the next colleague?

My question for the next colleague to write in the newsletter is: If you could take 6 months off with full pay what would you do?