Photo Credit: Fatimah Namdar
Sometimes, language learning can take you to exotic places and enrich other people’s lives as much as your own. Rhona Foulis tells her story:
Hi, Rhona. Would you like to introduce yourself?
I am an actress, English tutor and theatre reviewer. Having graduated with a First Class Honours degree in English and Drama, I worked in the theatre industry for four years before training as an actress.
Did you have a natural talent for language learning at school?
I find learning languages fairly easy because I’m fascinated by words and the ways in which we communicate with each other. I’m definitely an arts rather than a science person.
Has being able to speak more than one language helped you in your career?
I’m not sure whether my Spanish and French have directly helped me in my career. They probably would have proven more useful if I’d become fluent, but the acting took over after my A Levels.
Learning a language is no longer compulsory (in the UK) for schoolchildren once they reach the GCSE options stage. What are your views on this? Do you think children should be encouraged to learn a language at school? What can be done to make children enjoy learning a language?
It’s really sad that children aren’t encouraged to learn languages. We suffer from serious linguistic complacency in this country, assuming the universality of English, which is very ignorant. Undoubtedly, it’s easier for people to learn languages if it’s encouraged from a younger age; then learning language becomes synonymous with discovering the world, rather than a classroom lesson. Beyond childhood, visiting the host country is ultimately the best way to learn.
You taught English as a foreign language to children in South India. What was your experience of teaching in South India like and how did you get involved in teaching English as a foreign language?
Having graduated from university and undertaken several theatre internships, it felt as though I was at a turning point. I decided to make the most of not having any fixed responsibilities by travelling. In my last year at school, we were given a talk by a man who set up an orphanage in South India, the King’s World Trust for Children. Having lived in the Middle East and travelled extensively as a child, he whetted my appetite for an Indian adventure! I wanted to do some voluntary work and thought teaching English would be the best option for me. The tiny village school in Tamil Nadu was like nothing I’d ever seen before – almost like a mud hut – and there were very different methods of disciplining the children. The classrooms were pretty chaotic and full, but you soon learn ways to keep the children interested and engaged.
You’re an actress, an English and Drama tutor and a theatre reviewer. Where does you passion for the theatre come from?
I don’t know! I was hooked after my first performance during a school assembly, aged 10. My passion developed through further opportunities at school and Scottish Youth Theatre.
Have you ever directed a play?
I’ve never directed anything. However, it’s certainly something that I imagine doing in the future, once I’ve had more acting experience, feel more knowledgeable about the theatre and confident in my choices.
As a reviewer, is it hard to write critically about other actors and actresses work when you’ve got first hand experience of how hard the actors work and how much effort goes into staging a production?
No, I think it’s interesting to apply an actor’s perspective to a critical review of a performance, as long as that’s not your only perspective. A reviewer should also consider production values, direction, the writing etc.
Would you agree that Drama and the Theatre Arts are great tools for helping people to overcome the language barrier and communicate with each other? Can Drama and the Theatre bring different sections of the community together?
Absolutely. The structure of the theatre industry itself is traditionally elitist (unfeasibly high ticket prices) and the national curriculum doesn’t give nearly enough value or importance to the arts. However, drama itself is all about people, team work and communication – fantastic tools.
Which would you rather have: critical acclaim or fame?
Critical acclaim over fame. However, I don’t think that either is particularly important to me. What’s important is being able to do work that I enjoy and feel challenged by.
If someone wanted to hire you for English or Drama tuition, how could they do that?
I’m happy for anyone to email me at rhonafoulis@hotmail.com.
What are you working on career wise at the moment?
I’m performing in an exciting, improvisational performance with Fluxx Productions. “Night, London” runs for the first three weeks in March at the Tristan Bates Theatre
Finally, what do you think of my language learning challenge? Have I bitten off more than I can chew or is it really possible to learn many languages in just 1 year?
In some ways, the more languages you learn, the easier they are to learn. You can begin to make connections between languages and common grammatical rules. But there’s a danger of mixing them up in brain overload!
See the Marty Meets: Rhona Foulis interview on the Join Martin Blog.
