Introducing . . . Ben Dawlatly, Teacher of Spanish

What was your last role prior to JAGS?

I taught Spanish and French at Bancroft’s School in South Woodford. Before that, I was a self-employed translator working mostly on children’s literature and legal translations for human rights cases. I also taught the Applied Translation module on the University of Bristol MA in Translation.

What attracted you to work at JAGS?

There were a number of reasons; A-level Spanish is really popular here and the enthusiasm for languages among the students is great. It’s much closer to my home so now I can cycle to work and have breakfast in the morning with my one-year-old daughter. Plus, there’s a climbing wall in the Sports Centre.

What do you want to achieve in your time here?

I would like to contribute to a continued love for languages in the JAGS community. I hope that students here won’t just do well in their exams, but will see languages as a tool that opens up the world to them and can help them to build lasting friendships with people from diverse communities around the world.