Adrienne Radcliffe

Director of Studies

I've been teaching and training teachers for over 14 years all over Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the U.S.. Almaty is a city with a really interesting mixture of cultures living together: Central Asian Kazakhs as well as people of East Asian and Russian descent. Kazakhstan is full of natural beauty and adventurous travel opportunities. The mountains are stunning; there is a smaller version of the Grand Canyon here and of course grassy steppes, yurts, horses and camels throughout the countryside. InterPress IH is a rapidly growing company made up of great teachers, staff and students. It is committed to teacher development as well as helping the teachers to enjoy the country while they're here!

Richard Patterson

Assistant Director

I arrived in Almaty in mid-Sept 2007 after 5 years of EFL teaching in China. So far, I've been very impressed with InterPress-IH, by the school's emphasis on both quality teaching and teacher development. I've only been here a few months but I've already decided to take advantage of the opportunity to do some further teacher training and will be staying on in Almaty longer than I'd originally planned.

Aiman Amandos

Assistant Director of Studies

My name’s Aiman. I’m from Kazakhstan. I really enjoy teaching and I think it’s the most communicative job. I’ve been teaching for over 5 years. I’m also interested in teacher training. I love my country, I love the world as it is. Join us and let’s learn about the world together!

Richard Whiteside

Assistant Director of Studies

Hello! This is my 5th year of teaching EFL and I'm enjoying it very much in Almaty. Kazakhstan is a very interesting country and I've managed to visit some really nice places already. Teaching EFL is a great way of seeing the world and meeting interesting people. However, being away from the UK means that I have to do without good sausages, bitter and cricket.

Assel Baybatyrova

Teacher

My name's Assel Baibatyrova:) I've been working as a teacher of English for 6 years and I love this profession as it's really interesting to communicate with different people and this profession gives me a feeling of blissful happiness and satisfaction. So, if you'd like to learn one of the most beautiful languages in the world, join our big happy family of teachers and students at "InterPress-IH"

Daria Bubnova

Teacher

I graduated KUBUP (Karaganda University of Business Management and Law), foreign language department in the year 2004. In the year 2006 I got an MA in Linguistics. I’m interested in teaching and studying languages. My favourite hobby is music. Hope to play guitar one day!

Darren Shanahan

Teacher

My name is Darren Shanahan. I'm from the west of Ireland and this is my second year with InterPress in Almaty. I've been teaching now for several years and I've worked in Ireland, England, Spain, Slovakia, Lithuania and Kazakhstan. I love traveling and reading. My motto is, 'Ships inn harbours are safe, but that's not what ships are for'. Almaty is an excellent city to live and work in and Kazakhstan, in fact the whole 'stan region, is beyond fascinating.

Elnaz Aitzhanova

Teacher

Hi! My name’s Elnaz and I’ve been working at InterPress school for about 3 years. I like working here because it’s interesting to meet and work with different people from different countries.

Gabriel Farrell

Teacher

After eight years teaching English and Drama in state schools in England, I suspected there was more to life; and to me. I sold up, burnt bridges and traveled for four years. Not being wonderfully gifted in any specific field, I knew the only thing I had the world wanted was my language. A year back allowed me to save a bit, pass CELTA and look for a job. I write this after being here for less than two weeks (so the impressions are first and perhaps na?ve); however, I can say that I enjoy teaching my students, who are motivated, friendly and fascinated by my country of birth. I also relish the upbeat atmosphere of the 'staff room' where the teachers want their charges to do well and, like me, want to experience the un-Europeanised world offered by Central Asia.

Marina Zubkova

Senior Teacher

My name is Marina and I’m 26 years old. In Summer 2006 I obtained Cambridge Certificate in Teaching to Adults in Moscow and in summer 2004 I got Soros Training Teachers Certificate. I love to live because life is love :)

Stephanie Wilbur

Senior Teacher

I'm originally from sunny Santa Cruz, California, located about an hour south of San Francisco. This is my second year teaching at Interpress. Before coming to Kazakhstan, I taught English in Mexico, Guatemala, Slovakia, Lithuania and the US. In my free time, I enjoy hiking in the mountains, reading, watching films, visiting beautiful places and studying foreign languages. In addition to English, I speak some Spanish, Slovak and Russian.

Abduqahhar Abdikadirov

Senior Teacher

When I decided to work for InterPress-IH in Almaty, I thought that it would be just another language school in one of the Central Asian republics, but I was wrong! The school is committed to professional development and the working environment is friendly. At the same time organization is very fussy about the quality of teaching – it applies both to native and non-native speaking EFL teachers. The best logo for teaching at the school is: learning should be enjoyable for teachers and learners. You will find local people genuinely hospitable, and the students here are awesome!

Philip Mariposa

Teacher

My name is Philip Mariposa. I'm 49 years old, from Britain. I became a teacher because I enjoy traveling and seeing different cultures. I've been in Almaty since august 2007. 'InterPress-IH' is a very friendly company and the students are all wonderful.

Scott Benson

Teacher

Hi, I’ve been a teacher for 4 years, working in Japan, Thailand and England( where I am originally from). I enjoy new experiences and so I am not disappointed with Kazakhstan- I mainly came here because like many people in Europe – I knew nothing about the country and wanted to learn. As well as learning, I am teaching all levels of students here and finding the locals friendly and sociable. I wish anyone taking the decision to come to Almaty all the best and I’m sure that they will benefit from the experience.

Ruth Scobie

Teacher

I'm Ruth (which I know is very difficult name for Kazakh students to say!) and I'm from London in England. I taught English in Poland and Portugal before I came to Kazakhstan about a month ago. I love reading detective novels and going climbing in the mountains, and I'm also studying Russian- at the moment I'm definitely beginner level but I'd like to practise and improve.

Anthony Cook

Teacher

Hi, my name is Anthony. I'm from Sydney, Australia. I've been teaching English for 2? years, and I've taught in Australia, New Zealand and Russia. I arrived in Almaty in September. So far, I think it's a great city - friendly people, lots of trees, and the beautiful mountains nearby of course. I'm looking forward to learning more about Kazakh culture over the next seven months. I also like my school here very much. They really make their teachers feel like we're part of the 'InterPress Family'.

Donald Pucket

Teacher

Hi, my name is Don, and I am an English teacher currently working with Interpress-IH. Previously I worked in Moscow, at BKC-IH, but to be honest, I like this job better. ( Mostly because the weather is much warmer and the people are friendlier.) Originally I was born in Alabama, and lived there for a large portion of my life, studying in Catholic private schools. Primarily, I pursued foreign languages in college, namely German, Italian, and Russian---the latter of which I majored in and spent the most time attempting to learn. For this reason I went to Russia after living in the Caribbean for several years following college. In Moscow I got my CELTA, and since then have been working as an English teacher. I must say that living here and in Moscow have been much different than Europe, Mexico, the States, and the Caribbean, but on the whole it has been a good experience, and I savour every moment;)

Tess Repenning

Teacher

My name's Tess and I came to Interpress from the International House school in Bratislava, Slovakia. I love travelling and hiking in my free time and look forward to exploring the mountains around Almaty. I'm excited to be living in Kazakhstan but I miss the weather back home in Florida.

Andrew Jenkins

Teacher

My name is Andy and I'm from England. Before moving to Kazakhstan I lived in Italy, Spain and Slovakia. I look forward to traveling around Kazakhstan and learning more about the country. My hobbies include photography, hiking and playing the guitar.

Jane Dennison

Teacher

My name's Jane and I'm English. Prior to coming to Kazakhstan I worked in Indonesia. Kazakhstan is a great place to base for visiting other Central Asian countries and I am enjoying life in Almaty. The city is easy to get around, the people are friendly and helpful, and the mountain backdrop is fab! The summer was pleasant (not humid like Asia) and sitting in the street cafes with friends or walking in the mountains are great ways to spend the weekends! Not sure how I'll survive a cold winter (although the flat and schools are warm)! If you fancy a post-Soviet experience, this is the place!

Alison Ramage

Teacher

Hello! I'm Alison, and have been teaching English now, for six years, mainly in Spain. However, I decided it was time to spread my wings a bit and so I came out east, travelling at first through Malaysia and China and have now landed here in Kazakhstan. The school is a fantastic example of all that is best about International House, we are given lots of support, and there are many possibilities for professional development. The administrative team are wonderful and we are all looked after very well. Almaty is surrounded by mountains and full of trees, so it is hard to imagine that it is a city of well over one million people. As an opera lover I am really happy as there is a stunning Opera house which has a really amazing programme of opera and ballet for prices as low as 2pounds. The weather here is also very different to the UK.....it hardly ever rains!!

Vernon Lehman

Young Learners coordinator

My name is Vernon, I am the Young Learners coordinator for ‘InterPress-IH’. Young Learners are definitely my passion. I am a traditionally trained primary school teacher as well as Montessori. I have taught in schools in the USA and in South Africa. In South Africa I taught young learners from 6-9 years in a Montessori school for five years. My other certifications include CELTA, TEYL and TEFL.

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