Narelle Lewis

About me
I grew up on the Gold Coast, spent most of my adult life in Europe, and speak fluent French and Spanish (and a handful of other languages, but badly!). I love travelling and have always been passionate about communication, event organisation, and building community.


Let’s dig deeper
I have a Bachelor of Arts degree with a triple major in Journalism, Public Relations, and German from the University of Southern Queensland. I have lived in the US, Edinburgh and St Andrews in Scotland, Toulouse and Paris in France, and Andorra.

I fell into teaching when I moved to the south of France. Being a native English speaker with a degree in Communications, I got some really wonderful opportunities. I taught at the University of Toulouse, Paul Sabatier University, and several engineering schools, language schools, and associations.

In my spare time, I set up a community called English in Toulouse, which I ran for eight years. I hosted two weekly events and regular experiences like vineyard tours, walking tours, snowshoe hikes, and huge Christmas parties for up to 100 people. The group is still going and is now run by a lovely Aussie from Sydney called Zoe.

After 8 years in Toulouse, I became a French citizen, and moved to Paris for two years. But, I missed teaching, so I moved to Andorra when I was offered a full-time position teaching at a language school. I stayed there for six and a half years until just after Covid.

In the aftermath of Covid, with Australia being closed, I spent a year back in France teaching at the University of Toulouse and several language schools, before eventually deciding to come home to Australia. I moved back here in July 2022.

After 22 years in Europe, I found the reverse culture shock of living Australia to be quite tough. And it has been difficult to reestablish any sense of career, so I set up the Gold Coast International Club and started considering new career options.

Over the past two and a half years I have worked in content writing, copy editing, film, and bookkeeping. I even started studying accounting at TAFE! But, I am pleased to say I have now come full circle and am getting back into teaching.

I am about to graduate from Griffith University with a Postgraduate Graduate Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (June 2025).

Gold Coast International Club

The Gold Coast International Club is a community I created in July 2022 for travel enthusiasts, polyglots, and people who love cultural diversity. The idea is to do fun things together and make new connections. With nearly 4,000 Instagram followers and 500 active members in the WhatsApp group, we are growing bigger every day. While many members are students or on working holiday visas, the club also attracts locals who want to expand their friend circle and practise languages. Events include hikes, game nights, barbecues, monthly dinners, and road trips. I am now expanding into curated tours that showcase the uniqueness of the area.

Professionally speaking

About me

I offer transferrable skills from web & database design, copywriting & editing, language teaching, social media management, and world travel. I have lived in the US, Scotland, France, and Andorra, speak fluent French and Spanish, and have dual French/Australian citizenship. I am motivated, creative, and dedicated with a car and clean drivers’ licence.

Location
Gold Coast, Australia

Qualifications & Studies

  • Graduate Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
    Griffith University, March - June 2025
    Currently enrolled in a full-time postgraduate degree.

  • Certificate IV in Accounting and Bookkeeping
    Robina TAFE

    I completed semester one and withdrew shortly after starting semester two. I have done some work towards a Xero certification and passed the manual accounting units and Excel course. I achieved 100% on all assessments.

  • Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, Public Relations and German
    University of Southern Queensland

  • Screen Onboarding (Short course)
    Coomera TAFE (Complete)

    In this intensive four-day course led by industry experts, I learnt:

    • Who’s who on a production (including the hierarchy from key creatives down to entry-level roles and all about the different departments)

    • What happens in pre-pre-production, pre-production, during production, on a shoot, and in post production (including details on rushes, timeframes, VFX, delivery items)

    • How to be a valued member of the team (etiquette, communication skills, attitude, protocols, chain of command, and how to earn your stripes)

    • How the different departments and teams work together (including art, production, accounting, assistant directors, unit and script supervising teams, locations, camera, sound, visual effects and special effects, director of photography, camera, lighting and grip crew)

    • Résumé writing for the screen industry.

Screen Experience

Accounts Clerk, Voltron (Film)
December 2024 to January 2025

Initially brought on for two weeks to assist the assistant production accountant at VRS, I was asked to stay on for a while longer. I finished at the end of January 2025 in time to go back to my studies. During this experience I learnt new software and procedures, processed petty cash and fuel claims.

Software used: Eclipse (TPH Global), AirWallex, Amazon Studios Originals, Box

Accounts Clerk, Good Cop/Bad Cop (TV series)
February to May 2024
I was awarded a Screen QLD attachment placement to work in the production accounting department on the Stan TV series, Good Cop/Bad Cop. Initially funded for six weeks, the production department opted to extend my contract to three months.

During this experience I learnt how to audit petty cash claims, set up trade agreement accounts, monitor, file and respond to the department inbox and assist in maintaining the department’s Dropbox.

Software used: MyDaes/MoneyPenny, Dropbox