If you want to take your English speaking to the next level, I would be delighted to help you with my “Individual Coaching: Speaking” plan.
This coaching plan enables you to develop your English speaking skills in four live online tutorials with me. These tutorials are completely individual and will help you learn, practice and develop confidence in areas of spoken English where you need to improve. Tutorials can be planned by me in response to my evaluation of your ability, or they can be entirely planned by you. I am happy to create a tutorial plan to fit your preferences.
About me
I have been teaching English for 25 years, and during that time I have helped tens of thousands of learners from all nationalities, ages and levels (beginner to expert) achieve their English goals. For the past 15 years, I have taught English language at university level, preparing students for English-based university study as well as for careers in Business, Marketing, International Communication, and more.
My qualifications are the highest attainable for professional English language teachers:
- MA in Applied Linguistics & TEFL (with Distinction, the top grade for postgraduate qualifications)
- Cambridge DELTA (Cambridge’s premier qualification for professional English teachers)
- Cambridge CELTA
- Fellowship of Higher Education Academy membership (FHEA: British university lecturer accreditation)
During my time at the University of Portsmouth (UK), I was Programme Leader for all English language courses provided by the university, and was Course Leader for BA (Hons) International Business Communication, a course that achieved the maximum 100% “Student Satisfaction” rating in the prestigious “National Student Survey” which ranks all university courses in the UK. I was also a course designer, trainer and mentor for pre-qualified English language teachers.
I have presented at conferences around the world on English language learning research, both for the online and in-person context. Here is a selection of my research and conference publications:
2014: Contextual factors, methodological principles and teacher cognition
2017: Turning the smartphone into an EAP classroom learning device through Kahoot!
2019: Smartphones and Communicative Language Teaching
2021: Teaching Communicatively in a Classroom with Mobile-sourced Materials
2021: Do we still need a teacher (Implications of mobile device capabilities on language teaching)
Before embarking upon my teaching career, I worked in finance. Because of this, I am particularly able to assist learners who wish to improve their English for business purposes.
What happens in this coaching plan?
Before purchasing, you can book an optional free consultation with me on Zoom, where we will get to know each other more and you can share your English speaking goals with me. This is an excellent opportunity for you to find out if you would like to purchase the plan; there is no obligation to pay anything at this point. At the start of this consultation, I will ask you if you would like me to record the consultation. Once you have enrolled, I will study your consultation recording carefully to decide what your main English speaking needs are.
Immediately after purchasing, you will receive a message with the following:
- A link to a questionnaire where you can tell me more about what you want to learn or practice in the tutorials. Please complete this before booking your first tutorial.
- A link to book your first tutorial.
About the tutorials
- Before the first tutorial, I will send you an email confirming the topics we will cover and the structure of the tutorials. You can suggest edits to this plan, which I will incorporate in full - it’s always your plan.
- Completely private - just you and me
- Each tutorial lasts 30 minutes
- All tutorials take place on Zoom and must be completed within 8 weeks of your enrollment date.
Additionally, within 72 hours of purchasing, you will receive an email from me with:
- A code providing access to my writing feedback service, where you can optionally send me four texts over the 8 week period of the plan and I will send you detailed feedback, corrections, and suggestions for improvements/future study. You will receive your first feedback after the first tutorial.
- A code providing access to all of my online courses and PDFs available on this website at no extra cost (Advanced Speaking & Pronunciation, Advanced Grammar, 28 Day Grammar Challenge, Business English, Academic English, Essay Writing).
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I change my mind?
- You can ask for a full refund at any time before the first tutorial. Refunds can no longer be applied once the first tutorial has started.
Do I need to be at a certain English level before joining this plan?
- No. I can help learners at all levels from beginner to advanced. If you have an IELTS test result of 8.0 or less in the speaking component (CEFR A1-C1/low C2), I am happy to have you as my student.
Can I practice speaking for specific purposes? (e.g. Hospitality, Tourism, Banking, Finance, Law, Medicine, etc)
- I am happy to help you with your speaking for any purpose. Please share as much information as possible about your specialism in the pre-plan questionnaire so that I can make our tutorials as effective as possible.
Do I have to attend a consultation before joining?
- There is no need for a consultation. I can collect all the information I require from the pre-plan questionnaire.
What if I don’t want my consultation to be recorded?
- If you would prefer for the consultation not to be recorded, that’s absolutely fine. I will take notes while we are speaking and use these to inform our plan instead.
What happens to recordings?
- Recordings are stored securely and will be deleted either at the end of the plan or upon your request.
Can you prepare me for my IELTS exam (or equivalent)?
- I can help you prepare for IELTS speaking exams through role-plays, practice and guided speaking based upon my feedback. However, four tutorials is not usually as long as a full IELTS course.
How much correction will you give while I am speaking?
- This is personal to each learner, and depends upon your goals. If your main aim is to improve fluency, I usually correct less, but if your main aim is to improve accuracy, I usually correct more. I can make my own decision about how much correction I think you need in order to improve your speaking whilst not affecting your fluency and confidence, but I will be guided by you. In the pre-plan questionnaire, I will ask you how much correction you would like to receive and/or if you are happy for me to use my expertise to decide how you should be corrected.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to ask me by email: [email protected].
Alternatively, book a free consultation with me now and ask your questions during the meeting!