Meet the Instructor: Philip Reid

He has a flair for drama…very fitting considering his storied theatrical background. Actor, stage director, educator—Philip Reid knows what it takes to grab his audience and take them on a journey. Students in his English classes make rapid progress as he entertains, inspires and makes learning fun.

Yes, the results are serious. Philip means business. The programme he directs at AIHM is called English for Business and Academic Studies after all. But he understands that most dramatic results often come about in surprising ways.

Philip Reid – Lecturer of EBAS (English for Business and Academic Studies)

Whether you’re aiming to refine your English to prepare for admission into AIHM’s BBA degree programme, or you need to increase your IELTS score to study abroad, or seeking to sharpen your language skills for business purposes, Philip’s creative teaching approach will help you achieve unpredicted results.

Want to know more? Read his description of his teaching style below. Get ready for a wild ride!

‘English for Business and Academic Studies’ Lecturer Philip Reid on How He Teaches the Next Generation

Four adjectives to describe my teaching style?

Delightfully chaotic, relentlessly enthusiastic, unexpectedly insightful (though I say so myself), and—above all—unapologetically unconventional.

Let me explain how this peculiar cocktail came to be.

First, let’s talk about “delightfully chaotic”. I've always had a visceral aversion to traditional classrooms. The regimentation, the strict order of desks, all pointing in the same direction—it always felt suffocating. My classroom tends to resemble a bustling market more than a monastic library. There is, however, a method to my madness. This organised chaos began when I realised that students, much like toddlers and a little like myself, possess an attention span shorter than a goldfish's memory.

Imagine a whirlwind of activities: debates that provoke, jigsaws that challenge the mind, crosswords that tease the intellect, card games and board games that invoke strategy and camaraderie, music that stirs the soul and films that open windows to other worlds. Each lesson is an unpredictable journey, an adventure designed to captivate and engage. It's not about abandoning structure; it's about redefining it. By keeping everyone on their toes, I hope to transform the mundane into the extraordinary.

In this vibrant chaos, there’s a certain poetry where each student plays a vital part. If Shakespeare could have been a DJ, I’d like to think he might have approved of this approach. The Bard, with his knack for engaging the crowd, for blending the profound with the playful, would find a kindred spirit in this method. After all, education should be an exhilarating ride, not a tedious march.

Next, “relentlessly enthusiastic”. Picture a kid in a sweet shop, eyes wide with wonder, but instead of candy, the shelves are lined with stories. Stories of people who shaped and changed our world, the good, the bad and the ugly.

I have however learned to pace myself. Enthusiasm, I realise, needs direction. Now, I channel my excitement into more productive avenues. It’s not just about bouncing off the walls; it’s about harnessing that energy to inspire, to innovate, to create an environment where learning is not just a duty but a delight. I’ve learned to blend my passion with patience, to inject my lessons with a spark that ignites curiosity without burning out.

In this balanced approach, I find a deeper satisfaction. My classroom is still a place of vibrant energy, but it’s also a space of thoughtful engagement.

“Unexpectedly insightful” is a result of my perpetual state of curiosity and my habit of falling down internet rabbit holes. I developed this by spending too much time rediscovering long-lost and obscure comedians, poets and musicians or binge-watching long (and sometimes best- forgotten) documentaries and TV shows. I now know, for example, how best to explain the complexities of quantum physics, having watched a particularly insightful episode of The Big Bang Theory, which compared Leonard and Penny’s off/on romance with the Copenhagen interpretation of Schrödinger's cat: after a while, the cat is simultaneously both dead and alive!

My students never know when they’ll get a lecture on Emmaline Pankhurst, Rosa Parks, Ada Lovelace or Beyonce, or as they did today, all four of them!

Keep looking people, and looking in the strangest of places. It’s surprising what you might learn.

Finally, “unapologetically unconventional”. Different is good. My style developed in response to the realisation that conventional teaching methods were about as effective as a chocolate kettle. So, I embraced my inner weirdo, and voilà! Students might come for the curriculum, but they stay for the impersonations of historical figures and the occasional impromptu guitar solo or Shakespearian soliloquy. In conclusion, my teaching style is a blend of chaos, enthusiasm, insight and quirkiness, developed through a mix of trial and a great deal of error.

It’s not for everyone, but then again, neither is pineapple on pizza. And that’s just fine with me.

Take Your IELTS Score to the Next Level

AIHM admits the best and brightest international and Thai students who desire to be the hospitality leaders of the future.

We’re a business school offering an innovative and elite management curriculum in one of the world’s best locations to study the hospitality industry and network with its current leaders. We look for students who can express themselves with confidence and who are ready for the challenges and excitement our degree programme.

As part of the admission requirements for the BBA degree, applicants must meet certain minimum scores on the IELTS, TOEFL or Cambridge FCE/CAE exams. If your scores aren’t quite there yet, our EBAS (English for Business and Academic Studies) programme is an IELTS prep course designed to increase your score from approximately 4.5 to a 5.5 average.

Click here to get more information on our 15-week and 8-week EBAS courses.