April 24, 2025 • 11 mins
Febrina, an Indonesian language teacher on Preply, shares her journey from university student to teacher, marketer, and entrepreneur, revealing how helping others has always been part of her nature while discussing the challenges and rewards of teaching languages across diverse cultural contexts.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Hi, I'm Curious Vedant and welcome to Season 7
of my podcast.
Today, my guest is Fabrina, whoteaches Indonesian to
non-native speakers on theonline platform Preply, along
with doing marketing and beingan MC for various social events.
Social events Hi, fabrina,welcome to my show.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Hello Fadan, it's nice to meet you here.
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Yeah, thank you for coming on.
I'm really excited to talk toyou and learn more about what
you do.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
So do I.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
So, Fabrina, starting off, what inspired you to
choose the teaching professionand what do you love about your
job?
Speaker 2 (00:45):
What inspired you to choose the teaching profession
and what do you love about yourjob?
Okay, ferdan, I think helpingothers is just simply part of my
nature, and I do it because Ihave the ability to do so.
This is why I've been assistingothers since childhood.
So back in school, I oftenhelped my classmates and
relatives with their assignmentswhenever they needed my support
(01:07):
.
I only offered help withsubjects I truly understood.
But further on, although Iobtained a bachelor's degree in
education, I think I did notmake the right decisions.
What I mean by that?
(01:27):
I should have challenged myselfmore and followed my father's
suggestions.
And what I love the most aboutteaching is interacting with
people from diverse backgrounds,ages and professions.
Also, my students' progressbrings me a deep sense of
satisfaction that is difficultto describe, so the only
(01:48):
downside is that I feel a senseof loss when I no longer see
them studying with me becausethey have achieved their goals.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
You mentioned that you kind of regret choosing your
profession.
What would you have chosen tobe if not a teacher?
Speaker 2 (02:05):
A pharmacist.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
And what made you choose to be a teacher instead
of a pharmacist?
Speaker 2 (02:10):
I've told you I think I did not think clearly.
That's why I regret it now.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
So you had shared with me previously that you
worked at a spa, did marketingand also a teacher.
Can you tell me more about yourcareer journey to now?
Did?
Speaker 2 (02:25):
marketing and also a teacher.
Can you tell me more about yourcareer journey to now?
Yes, ferdan, so I startedworking as a teacher and a sales
promotion girl when I was atuniversity and I continued in
these roles until I graduated.
After that I received an offerto teach at an English school in
another city.
So I accepted the offer andmoved there, but my role
(02:48):
extended beyond just teaching.
So I received extensivetraining in both teaching and
navigating the business side.
I learned how to make financialforecasts, prepare income
reports, conduct marketing andmanage all aspects related to
the business.
So basically I worked closelywith my bosses, who sent me to
(03:13):
various branches to assesssituations, understand different
problems and find solutions.
So different places Vedantencounter various challenges,
often influenced by localcultures.
So this diversity alsoinfluenced how I interact with
(03:34):
my customers, and the paymentsystems for the courses can vary
depending on specificconditions.
So my company has generalguidelines from our headquarters
in Singapore, so these rulescan be adjusted based on the
local business environment andthe preferences of the school
(03:57):
owners.
So actually it's just afranchise business.
So after working there for aboutfive years, I moved to another
island.
Then I was offered a positionat a spa where I managed a team
up to 18 people and handledaround 60 customers per day, and
(04:21):
sometimes even more.
So it's a long working hour,and in this role, I also serve
as a translator and a personalassistant overseeing daily
operations.
Besides, I calculate mycompany's income and made
financial reports.
So after that, I worked as avirtual assistant.
(04:43):
My job was to check thecondition of the villa appointed
by my employer, and I workedfor a client from Germany, and
later on I returned to myhometown and had the opportunity
to establish my own companylast year.
So I began marketing myproducts.
(05:03):
It went well.
So I began marketing myproducts.
It went well.
But this year I currently feelstuck to do limited financial
resources, and I've alsorealized that I cannot do
everything alone.
So I'm actively seeking theright people to help support my
business now.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
Yes, Wow, I mean, your journey seems very
inspiring, very amazing.
As a teacher, what are some ofthe most memorable experiences
you had with your students?
Speaker 2 (05:32):
I think each moment is precious to me, so I cherish
every class with my students.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
And what are some struggles that come with
teaching languages to others,and how have you learned to
overcome those?
Speaker 2 (05:44):
to others, and how have you learned to overcome
those?
Okay, so this is interesting.
Most students want to learnquickly.
I aim to help them acquire atleast 10 new words each day and
make them understand how to usethem properly in sentences.
But the challenges I facemostly arise not from teaching
(06:06):
but from my students' conditions.
So they come from diversebackgrounds and some dealing
with personal issues and traumas, and how do I overcome them?
So I read many journals relatedto psychology and seek
information from reliablesources and try my best to be a
(06:28):
good listener and to keep themengaged.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
okay, so I use interactive games that help my
students to focus on theirlessons, like that you seem like
a fantastic teacher and anystudent would definitely be
lucky to have you as theirteacher.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Oh, thank you.
Thank you very much.
I will try my best.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
Yeah, I mean, maybe you could help me learn a
language someday.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Oh sure, I'll be happy.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
How has your teaching journey been and what are some
valuable pieces of advice youwould give to anyone who is, or
wants to be, a teacher?
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Okay.
So for me, I find that teachinglanguage is not particularly
difficult, but teaching adultscan present some challenges.
So, based on my experience withonline teaching, some students
come to my class with variouspurposes and intentions, so some
(07:21):
bring their life problems,while others may seek to
challenge other people's beliefs.
So therefore, I maintain aprofessional approach and prefer
not to discuss sensitive topicssuch as politics, religion or
anything related to that, so Idon't want to answer that.
And for advice, fedan, any jobthat involves working with
(07:46):
people can be quite complex andchallenging, and teaching
languages is no exception.
So I think collaborating as ateam can significantly simplify
the learning process and whenyou're dealing with people,
don't get emotional and don'ttake something personally and
(08:07):
what advice would you givestudents to help their teachers
teach them better?
okay.
So I think, to really makeprogress, it is important to
study every day so you can studyby listening to music or
podcasts, watching your favoriteshows in the language you're
learning, or reading someinteresting books.
(08:30):
And if studying on your ownfeels a bit tough, because some
people do so, they don't havemotivation to study alone.
So you should look for ateacher who matches your
preferences so it will maintainyour language skills and keep
you motivated.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
So to all my listeners, if you're a student
who's learning languagescurrently or wants to be a
teacher in general, I think itwould be really useful for you
to follow this advice, and itsounds like very good advice.
Okay, I hope it will be useful.
Yeah, definitely.
I mean I learn languages inschool.
I learn chinese, and the advicethat you gave of like maybe
(09:14):
watching my favorite tv shows inchinese or listening to chinese
songs or listening to chinesepodcasts, they definitely would
be useful in my Chinese learningexperience.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
And it's more fun, isn't it?
Speaker 1 (09:27):
Yeah, definitely my teacher.
She gave my class some materialwhich is like Chinese series,
chinese books, and I've read andwatched a few of them and
they're really fun and they helpme learn Chinese a completely
different way.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
Wow, that's amazing.
You must enjoy your lessons.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
Yes, I definitely do so.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
I found this book quite relatable to my
(10:18):
experiences because it focuseson how to protect myself and how
to read people in general, andhow to influence others, not
manipulate them, and how to movethrough life fiercely.
So my goal now is to keepmoving forward until I find
(10:41):
those who genuinely support mycareer and personal life and
further, and I may succeed orfail in the future, I don't know
, but I will never, never regrettrying my best and seeking
happiness along the way yeah, Imean, I think you're a very
amazing teacher and no matterwhat you do, you will definitely
(11:04):
be remembered in all of yourstudents hearts oh, I hope so.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Thank you for them so thank you so much for coming on
my show.
It was very interestingspeaking to you and I learned a
lot about your experiences inyour career, and I'm sure all my
listeners will as well.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
So thank you so much thank you for the see you so
much time.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
See you, bye-bye.
Hi, I'm Curious Vedant and welcome to Season 7
of my podcast.
Today, my guest is Fabrina, whoteaches Indonesian to
non-native speakers on theonline platform Preply, along
with doing marketing and beingan MC for various social events.
Social events Hi, fabrina,welcome to my show.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Hello Fadan, it's nice to meet you here.
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Yeah, thank you for coming on.
I'm really excited to talk toyou and learn more about what
you do.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
So do I.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
So, Fabrina, starting off, what inspired you to
choose the teaching professionand what do you love about your
job?
Speaker 2 (00:45):
What inspired you to choose the teaching profession
and what do you love about yourjob?
Okay, ferdan, I think helpingothers is just simply part of my
nature, and I do it because Ihave the ability to do so.
This is why I've been assistingothers since childhood.
So back in school, I oftenhelped my classmates and
relatives with their assignmentswhenever they needed my support
(01:07):
.
I only offered help withsubjects I truly understood.
But further on, although Iobtained a bachelor's degree in
education, I think I did notmake the right decisions.
What I mean by that?
(01:27):
I should have challenged myselfmore and followed my father's
suggestions.
And what I love the most aboutteaching is interacting with
people from diverse backgrounds,ages and professions.
Also, my students' progressbrings me a deep sense of
satisfaction that is difficultto describe, so the only
(01:48):
downside is that I feel a senseof loss when I no longer see
them studying with me becausethey have achieved their goals.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
You mentioned that you kind of regret choosing your
profession.
What would you have chosen tobe if not a teacher?
Speaker 2 (02:05):
A pharmacist.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
And what made you choose to be a teacher instead
of a pharmacist?
Speaker 2 (02:10):
I've told you I think I did not think clearly.
That's why I regret it now.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
So you had shared with me previously that you
worked at a spa, did marketingand also a teacher.
Can you tell me more about yourcareer journey to now?
Did?
Speaker 2 (02:25):
marketing and also a teacher.
Can you tell me more about yourcareer journey to now?
Yes, ferdan, so I startedworking as a teacher and a sales
promotion girl when I was atuniversity and I continued in
these roles until I graduated.
After that I received an offerto teach at an English school in
another city.
So I accepted the offer andmoved there, but my role
(02:48):
extended beyond just teaching.
So I received extensivetraining in both teaching and
navigating the business side.
I learned how to make financialforecasts, prepare income
reports, conduct marketing andmanage all aspects related to
the business.
So basically I worked closelywith my bosses, who sent me to
(03:13):
various branches to assesssituations, understand different
problems and find solutions.
So different places Vedantencounter various challenges,
often influenced by localcultures.
So this diversity alsoinfluenced how I interact with
(03:34):
my customers, and the paymentsystems for the courses can vary
depending on specificconditions.
So my company has generalguidelines from our headquarters
in Singapore, so these rulescan be adjusted based on the
local business environment andthe preferences of the school
(03:57):
owners.
So actually it's just afranchise business.
So after working there for aboutfive years, I moved to another
island.
Then I was offered a positionat a spa where I managed a team
up to 18 people and handledaround 60 customers per day, and
(04:21):
sometimes even more.
So it's a long working hour,and in this role, I also serve
as a translator and a personalassistant overseeing daily
operations.
Besides, I calculate mycompany's income and made
financial reports.
So after that, I worked as avirtual assistant.
(04:43):
My job was to check thecondition of the villa appointed
by my employer, and I workedfor a client from Germany, and
later on I returned to myhometown and had the opportunity
to establish my own companylast year.
So I began marketing myproducts.
(05:03):
It went well.
So I began marketing myproducts.
It went well.
But this year I currently feelstuck to do limited financial
resources, and I've alsorealized that I cannot do
everything alone.
So I'm actively seeking theright people to help support my
business now.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
Yes, Wow, I mean, your journey seems very
inspiring, very amazing.
As a teacher, what are some ofthe most memorable experiences
you had with your students?
Speaker 2 (05:32):
I think each moment is precious to me, so I cherish
every class with my students.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
And what are some struggles that come with
teaching languages to others,and how have you learned to
overcome those?
Speaker 2 (05:44):
to others, and how have you learned to overcome
those?
Okay, so this is interesting.
Most students want to learnquickly.
I aim to help them acquire atleast 10 new words each day and
make them understand how to usethem properly in sentences.
But the challenges I facemostly arise not from teaching
(06:06):
but from my students' conditions.
So they come from diversebackgrounds and some dealing
with personal issues and traumas, and how do I overcome them?
So I read many journals relatedto psychology and seek
information from reliablesources and try my best to be a
(06:28):
good listener and to keep themengaged.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
okay, so I use interactive games that help my
students to focus on theirlessons, like that you seem like
a fantastic teacher and anystudent would definitely be
lucky to have you as theirteacher.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Oh, thank you.
Thank you very much.
I will try my best.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
Yeah, I mean, maybe you could help me learn a
language someday.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Oh sure, I'll be happy.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
How has your teaching journey been and what are some
valuable pieces of advice youwould give to anyone who is, or
wants to be, a teacher?
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Okay.
So for me, I find that teachinglanguage is not particularly
difficult, but teaching adultscan present some challenges.
So, based on my experience withonline teaching, some students
come to my class with variouspurposes and intentions, so some
(07:21):
bring their life problems,while others may seek to
challenge other people's beliefs.
So therefore, I maintain aprofessional approach and prefer
not to discuss sensitive topicssuch as politics, religion or
anything related to that, so Idon't want to answer that.
And for advice, fedan, any jobthat involves working with
(07:46):
people can be quite complex andchallenging, and teaching
languages is no exception.
So I think collaborating as ateam can significantly simplify
the learning process and whenyou're dealing with people,
don't get emotional and don'ttake something personally and
(08:07):
what advice would you givestudents to help their teachers
teach them better?
okay.
So I think, to really makeprogress, it is important to
study every day so you can studyby listening to music or
podcasts, watching your favoriteshows in the language you're
learning, or reading someinteresting books.
(08:30):
And if studying on your ownfeels a bit tough, because some
people do so, they don't havemotivation to study alone.
So you should look for ateacher who matches your
preferences so it will maintainyour language skills and keep
you motivated.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
So to all my listeners, if you're a student
who's learning languagescurrently or wants to be a
teacher in general, I think itwould be really useful for you
to follow this advice, and itsounds like very good advice.
Okay, I hope it will be useful.
Yeah, definitely.
I mean I learn languages inschool.
I learn chinese, and the advicethat you gave of like maybe
(09:14):
watching my favorite tv shows inchinese or listening to chinese
songs or listening to chinesepodcasts, they definitely would
be useful in my Chinese learningexperience.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
And it's more fun, isn't it?
Speaker 1 (09:27):
Yeah, definitely my teacher.
She gave my class some materialwhich is like Chinese series,
chinese books, and I've read andwatched a few of them and
they're really fun and they helpme learn Chinese a completely
different way.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
Wow, that's amazing.
You must enjoy your lessons.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
Yes, I definitely do so.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
I found this book quite relatable to my
(10:18):
experiences because it focuseson how to protect myself and how
to read people in general, andhow to influence others, not
manipulate them, and how to movethrough life fiercely.
So my goal now is to keepmoving forward until I find
(10:41):
those who genuinely support mycareer and personal life and
further, and I may succeed orfail in the future, I don't know
, but I will never, never regrettrying my best and seeking
happiness along the way yeah, Imean, I think you're a very
amazing teacher and no matterwhat you do, you will definitely
(11:04):
be remembered in all of yourstudents hearts oh, I hope so.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Thank you for them so thank you so much for coming on
my show.
It was very interestingspeaking to you and I learned a
lot about your experiences inyour career, and I'm sure all my
listeners will as well.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
So thank you so much thank you for the see you so
much time.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
See you, bye-bye.
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