Think you’ve had an interesting life? Yours has not been as interesting as that of French teacher Robin Oliver. Consider the following fascinating tidbits about this interesting man in our midst.

The British-born and raised Oliver has been a teacher for 19 years. He got into the profession in his home country in quite a strange way. He was sitting at home when he suddenly got a call from the head of Eton College’s foreign language department asking if he wanted the job. Eton is one of England’s most prestigious private high schools. Oliver was just 23 when he got the call so he figured it was some kind of prank so he hung up.

Later that day his mom called him. She explained that she was the one who gave his phone number to the school. He quickly called back to take the job. Thanks to the good humor of Eton’s foreign language department chair, Oliver landed the coveted post. Eton College was a school founded in 1440 by King Henry VI of England and the school boasts alumni like England’s Prince William, a royal who was Oliver’s student in the 1990s.

Aside from his prestigious teaching career, Oliver attended the University of Cambridge and a military high school in England. It was the military school training which led naturally into his year of service in the British military. His parents are the reason he is a dual-citizen between England and America. His mother is from the Cincinnati, Ohio, and his father is from England.

Oliver’s passion for learning languages started early. In high school, he saw the English ambassador to Nigeria speak about his own status as a polyglot, or a speaker of multiple languages. The speaker mentioned that he spoke five languages and this became an aspiration for Oliver. He went from passing to smashing that impressive mark. He speaks eight languages, a status that classifies him as no mere polyglot but actually an octo-linguist. “It has been a goal of mine to surpass him in this aspect,” Oliver said. “It is amazing that I actually did this.”

He initially learned French and Latin and it was these languages that were the stepping stone for other languages to follow. Beyond English and French, Oliver speaks Spanish, Greek, Italian, Portuguese, German and Latin.

An enthusiastic traveler, Oliver makes a point of traveling to the countries where his acquired languages are spoken. His travel destinations have included Bhutan, Mexico, Spain and Indonesia among others.

For this interesting teacher, language acquisition has been opened the door to unlimited opportunities and knowledge. His outstanding accomplishments means he can share his knowledge and wisdom, all while teaching North Atlanta students the wonderful languages of the world.