Behind Moomin Language School is a team of passionate, multi-talented and pretty cool people, if we say so ourselves! This week we introduce you to Saga Arola, our Head of Pedagogy and a vital asset to Moomin Language School!
Saga has been with us almost from the very beginning. She started out translating, proofreading and creating the playful lesson content. From there, Saga’s responsibilities grew with content editing, voice acting and assisting with sales. Since 2017 she has officially been the Head of Pedagogy; leading the educational content, method and curriculum development, and being in charge of our teacher training.
As a qualified English teacher, Saga is passionate about language pedagogy and intercultural communication, and she is also a skilled translator. She is bilingual with English and Finnish and has also studied Swedish, German, Japanese, Korean, Irish, Russian and French.
Saga’s educational background includes master’s and bachelor’s degrees in English philology from the University of Helsinki. Before she came to Moomin Language School she was teaching, translating and tutoring international students. And as if all this was not enough, she is also a skilled violinist! Saga really is a perfect match for us, and a key player in creating a happy and supportive work environment here at the Moomin Language School offices.
Hi Saga, can you tell us what your role is at Playvation?
I’m Playvation's Head of Pedagogy, and I’m responsible for all the pedagogy-related matters such as curriculum design and development, lesson planning, and teacher training. I also support our sales and marketing teams and meet with customers and partners if they have any questions about our pedagogy.
What do you like the most in your line of work?
I love that we get to create something new and take language learning to another level. I’m crazy about languages and learning sciences, so working on a research-based language learning service is right up my alley! I enjoy coming up with ways to make learning exciting, and seeing children enjoying Moomin Language School makes me smile every time.
What do you like to do in your free time?
So many things! I do theater when I have the time and write short stories and poetry. I sing and I’ve been playing the violin for about 15 years. All of these require full focus so they’re a really good way to forget anything else I have on my mind. I live close to the seaside, so I like to go on walks and explore nature, and I’m trying to get back into reading for fun.
Now for something different! If you were a Moomin character, which character would you be, and why?
Snufkin is my absolute favorite Moomin character and I’d love to be him, but I think I’d actually be a mixture of him and Little My. On the one hand I like my space and freedom like Snufkin, I enjoy spending time in nature, and I’d rather collect memories than things. But on the other hand I’m loud, stubborn and childlike like Little My and I can get feisty if one of my loved ones is being wronged.
Thank you for your answers Saga!
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