English for Professionals
Lessons & Pricing
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YOU ARE AT THE CENTRE
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Tailored lessons and resources designed around your specific English goals and interests
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Targeting your difficulties quickly, with clear explanations and focused practice
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Authentic resources and stimulating learning materials - fact, fiction, podcasts, art, culture, science, articles and graphs - all to spark discussion and engage you in 'new' language
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Expanding your vocabulary and idiomatic range, giving you the confidence and flexibility in formal and informal situations - in and out of the workplace
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Balancing all the skills - Writing, Speaking, Reading and Listening; setting a rock-solid grammar base and building your understanding of English nuance
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Clear feedback and progress review are integral to all lessons and assignments, with strong support for your independent English extension - beyond our class sessions
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As the key stakeholder in your learning, you bring your ideas to the table! Question, suggest, debate, be ready to make mistakes ... and to laugh!
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LESSON FEES
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First Introduction Session - FREE
A 40-minute detailed consultation to discuss your English needs and goals
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One-to-one lessons
60 minutes £45.00
90 minutes £60.00
30-minute 'Shorts' from £25.00
Available to existing clients only
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Small groups of same-level learners - by agreement
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All fees are payable in British Pounds [GBP] in advance of agreed lessons.
METHODS
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Lessons are live online tutorials through Skype, Google Meet or Zoom, using email, shared documents and presentations for learning resources, practice and feedback. You need three things: a laptop, reliable wi-fi connection ... and commitment.
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Standard lessons are 60 minutes, or 90 minutes for intensive English extension.
'Shorts' are 30-minute inter-lesson live sessions for existing clients, with targeted feedback on your specific writing project or speaking presentation. Specific proofreading / editing / presentation support is by prior arrangement.
PROFESSIONAL
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BUSINESS ENGLISH
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​​Extending vocabulary, terminology and idiomatic language for specific professional contexts, and beyond the workplace
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Building confident grammar accuracy and your range of English structures for formal and informal demands
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Strengthening your writing skills for clear, professional communications - emails, letters, reports, proposals, appraisals, information and marketing content
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Understanding English nuance! Your choice of words, emphasis and tone [or your misunderstanding] can make or break a business relationship
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Empowering your speaking - to equip you for wide-ranging situations ... how to propose and persuade convincingly, negotiate effectively, reject diplomatically and criticise constructively​​
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Improving your pronunciation and natural English delivery for confident, spontaneous interaction with colleagues and clients - meetings, interviews, conferences and networking contexts
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Developing fluency, structure and coherence in extended speaking and professional presentations​​
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Expanding your cross-cultural understanding to build solid business relationships in global contexts
PROFESSIONAL BUSINESS ENGLISH
GENERAL
ADVANCED ENGLISH
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Resolving your specific English difficulties quickly, and strengthening your grammar accuracy and range of structures
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Building vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, collocations and phrasal verbs for in work environments and social contexts
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Increasing flexibility in your writing across varied formal and informal text types - letters, emails, applications, reports, essays, articles and reviews
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Expanding your clear understanding in reading and listening, grasping main ideas, key details, purpose and attitude swiftly
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Developing your confidence and fluency in English speaking skills in professional and less formal situations
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Mastering pronunciation (vowel and consonant sounds), intonation and native-speaker delivery
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Setting long-term, enjoyable extension strategies - beyond our sessions - to build real English confidence and proficiency
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GENERAL ADVANCED ENGLISH
PRESENTATION
SKILLS
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PUBLIC SPEAKING
Confident presentation is a vital skill in any career, whether you are heading a team meeting, pitching for a new contract, speaking at conference or running a training programme. Whatever the context, our focus is practical:
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Generating confidence, natural fluency and authenticity with wide-ranging practice in extended speaking
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Connecting with your audience; adapting your approach, tone and emphasis to get your message across effectively
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Planning and preparation; building clarity and coherence in your structure and delivery​
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Engaging your audience's attention from the start; avoiding repetition, varying your intonation and speaking pace, using signposting and emphasis
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Key speech techniques to generate trust, and to convince and to motivate your listeners
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Developing self-prompt strategies - and not relying on your speech script or your slides
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Eye contact, body language and non-verbal communication skills to convey your message more powerfully
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Learning from others! Deconstructing how the best speakers do it
PRESENTATION
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PUBLIC SPEAKING
SPEAKING,
PRONUNCIATION,
INTONATION
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NATIVE-SPEAKER DELIVERY
Clear English pronunciation empowers us. It's about expressing exactly what we mean, with the energy and impact we want. Speaking skills are part of all wider Advanced learning, with the focus on accurate 'neutral' UK pronunciation and native-speaker delivery. As our spellings are notoriously confusing, you will be training your 'English ears' - not your eyes - with listening, imitation, explanation ... and a lot of practice!
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Specific vowel and consonant sounds which you find tricky, or avoid! Here, we work on producing the sounds clearly - with the right mouth and tongue positions. You'll learn when sounds should be 'shortened' or omitted, and where to put the correct stress on syllables.
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Intonation, Word Stress and Rhythm are just as important, affecting the entire meaning of your message, your intention and your attitude.
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Phrasing, connection and pace make your spoken English immediately understandable and coherent. By grouping words in logical phrases, we create 'thought groups' which your listener comprehends easily. Pace is also one of your greatest tools, giving variety, interest and energy to your speaking. ​​​
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Accent is part of your identity; don't be too keen to lose it! Nevertheless, we will reduce any 'big First Language habits' which affect your English clarity, or reduce your credibility and impact in an English-speaking environment.
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Understanding other speakers, and other accents, is a key feature. I will be using wide-ranging listening resources to expose you to different regional accents in the UK and globally, so that you understand them ... and can interact spontaneously!​
PRONUNCIATION
IELTS PREPARATION
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PREPARING FOR IELTS
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We are aiming for high IELTS band scores! Here, the spotlight is on accuracy, extensive topic range and key strategies in Writing, Speaking, Reading and Listening.
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Solid consolidation of English grammar
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Building your range of sentence structures - and the art of paraphrasing
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Expanding your vocabulary and idiomatic language for detailed discussions on the vast range of IELTS topics
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Reporting data accurately with varied infographics, discussing trends, changes and processes effectively
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Structuring a coherent, reasoned essay - brainstorming and mind-mapping!
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Stating your opinion; highlighting key points with explanations, extensions and examples
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Cohesive thinking and linking devices; the language we need to compare and contrast
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Strengthening spontaneous fluency in extended speaking - with correct pronunciation, natural phrasing and intonation
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Boosting your out-of-lesson learning with a breadth of audio and visual resources to expand topic-relevant vocabulary and knowledge
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ACADEMIC ENGLISH
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HIGHER EDUCATION
Whether you are working on a PhD, embarking on a Masters, or as a new undergraduate, our focus is on two key areas:
Formal Academic English:
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Expanding your vocabulary and terminology for the specific [and broader] demands of your formal studies
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Strengthening your grammar range and accuracy for clear, coherent expression in your writing and speaking​
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Building your ability to paraphrase, summarise, describe, compare and contrast, analyse and evaluate - and to state your opinion​
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Developing precise understanding of what you read and hear; using and recognising the nuances of English!
Crucial Academic Skills:​
Alongside the language of the academic world, we'll work
intensively on four key skills!
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Reading: Effective strategies; Skimming, scanning and in-depth analysis.
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Critical thinking: Weighing up different sources, evidence and arguments
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Presentation: Speak confidently in seminars, tutorials & lectures
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Collaboration: Listening, offering ideas and counter-arguments
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