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Helping advanced learners communicate naturally and confidently.

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I am a British English teacher, teacher trainer and writer with more than 22 years’ experience teaching learners from many different countries, both in the UK and overseas.

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Today, I specialise in helping advanced learners develop more natural, confident British English. I work primarily with learners at C1 and C2 level, as well as strong B2 learners who are ready to progress towards C1.

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Some of my students are preparing for Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE) or C2 Proficiency (CPE). Others simply want to speak and write with greater fluency, precision and confidence. I also work with international professionals who need sophisticated, effective English for their careers.

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More than grammar and vocabulary

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My teaching places particular emphasis on the language that proficient speakers use naturally: lexical chunks, collocations, phrasal verbs, fixed expressions and modern idiomatic English.

Learning individual words is not enough. To communicate fluently, you need to understand which words naturally belong together, how expressions change according to context and register, and how to make your English sound clear, appropriate and genuinely natural.

That principle lies at the heart of my books, courses, one-to-one coaching and Chatterbox speaking workshops.

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Teaching and teacher training

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I hold the Cambridge CELTA qualification and have also completed a Cambridge English course in teaching online.

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During my career, I have taught adults and children in the UK, Italy and Turkey, working in private language schools, state schools, government-sponsored programmes and my own tuition centre. I have also worked as a Centre Manager and Academic Director in the UK, supporting students and teachers from a wide range of national and linguistic backgrounds.

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As a teacher trainer and mentor for the British Council in Malaysia and Thailand, I helped local teachers develop both their English proficiency and their classroom skills.

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One part of that work I particularly enjoyed was encouraging teachers to use illustrated storybooks with younger learners. Songs, storytelling and role-play can transform reading into something lively, memorable and enjoyable—and they demonstrate that effective language learning should never be dull.

Experience beyond the classroom

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Before becoming an English teacher, I served as a Royal Marines officer and later spent many years in senior marketing and general management roles.

That experience gives me a practical understanding of communication in the workplace. It is particularly valuable when I help international professionals use English in meetings, presentations, negotiations and other demanding business situations.

It also means that I understand the difference between knowing English and being able to use it effectively when clarity, diplomacy and impact really matter.

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Writing, music and life in Banbury

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Teaching is only one part of my creative life. I am also a writer, narrator, musician and singer, and I have published several children’s books. Over the years, I have written and produced shows involving both children and adults in schools and the local community.

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I now live in Banbury, Oxfordshire, surrounded by a considerable number of books, two pianos, three guitars, four computers and an ever-growing collection of musical, recording and video equipment. They have a habit of keeping me occupied rather late at night.

Thankfully, an app on my phone gives me a daily nudge to go outside and get some exercise—even when the prospect is not particularly appealing in the middle of a typical British winter.

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If you are serious about taking your British English to a more advanced, natural and confident level, I would be delighted to help.