My English lessons are designed to meet each client’s needs and goals, regardless of English level or experience. These lessons can cover a wide range of topics, including developing a command of grammar, expanding vocabulary, and working on both spoken and written language skills. Many clients are working to become well-rounded communicators in English, so we cover a full range of topics and skill areas. For this type of comprehensive training, I check each client’s strengths and weaknesses and ask about goals and language needs. I then recommend a mix of areas to work on and design a curriculum for each individual.
Other clients have more specific reasons to seek English training. Some need to develop the ability to use English in a certain setting or style, such as business English or academic English focused on a specific field. Some need to practice for an upcoming event that will involve English use, like an interview or a presentation. Another potential focus is to prepare for a standardized test (such as the TOEIC, TOEFL, or IELTS). Lessons can be designed to target any language goals, no matter how specific or general.
For lessons focused on pronunciation and accent, please see the Accent page.
I’ve taught English in a variety of settings and developed custom study plans for a huge range of students. This experience allows me to provide effective and personalized English instruction. Additionally, based on my own language studies, I’m able to take the student’s perspective and relate to what my clients are going through. As a result, I can help them avoid language learning pitfalls and keep them on track to reach their goals.
My overall approach is based on a balance between supported learning and independence. I provide enough explanation of vocabulary and grammatical structures to make sure new items are fully understood. At the same time, I encourage autonomy and self-awareness by encouraging my clients to analyze their use of language and correct their own errors. I also balance structured practice and natural communication. By doing this, we’re able to cover new topics efficiently while also simulating the real-world situations and environments where my clients will need to use English.
[Alex] is very patient when correcting my mistakes and never rushes to move on before I can get it right. I highly recommend him.
Mieko (Japan)
Alex is one of the best English teachers I have ever had! His classes were very interesting … I really appreciate his willingness to come up with new teaching ideas.
Alessio (Italy)
His explanations and various examples helped me a lot to understand English more deeply. He also makes the atmosphere of lessons nice. There was no pressure or stress, so I could concentrate on what I was studying.
Wondo (South Korea)
For more impressions from current and past clients, please check the Testimonials page.
Grammar proficiency
Grammar is probably the biggest skill area that my students say they want to improve. Many of them have learned a variety of grammar structures during years of English classes, but something still feels off, or they simply lack confidence. It can be difficult to pinpoint what’s missing or what needs improvement. This is why I always start with an assessment, including written and spoken components. Through this process, we identify any grammar structures that are causing issues, and then build a personalized list of topics to tackle.
Expanding vocabulary
Another broad area that many students want to work on is vocabulary. Because we tend to use a relatively small number of words in most of our everyday communication, it can be hard to expand vocabulary knowledge just by having normal conversations. Vocabulary development is one of the most time-consuming parts of learning a language, so it’s important to establish an efficient approach. This is different for each individual, but it often involves building personalized word lists, gathering new vocab from varied sources, and using new words in context during lessons.
Challenging conversations
Some of my clients feel comfortable using English in a controlled lesson environment, but get overwhelmed when they need to converse at high speed or in stressful situations. In these cases, it can be helpful to simulate the challenging conversations in lessons. To do this, I sometimes increase my speech rate to push my students to improve their comprehension. If English feels especially difficult in a certain context (like in a presentation or interview), we may act out that situation to practice and get used to it.
Restarting English
Some students are hoping to get back to using English after many years away from it. Some of them feel they’ve forgotten everything and would be starting from scratch. This isn’t usually true, since a lot starts coming back once we begin lessons, but sometimes it’s useful to start from the basics. By doing this we can build confidence before diving into more advanced topics. Everyone’s personal history with English is unique, which is one reason it’s so helpful to be able to work together one-on-one and personalize every lesson.
Price
Please contact me for pricing details. I offer an initial consultation over the phone and a quick assessment via email free of charge, so feel free to get in touch even if you’re not yet sure you’d like to start.
Format
Most of my English lessons are done via Zoom these days. This tends to work just as well as in-person lessons, and it’s much more convenient for many people. As long as your computer has a camera and you have a decent internet connection, this format should work well.
Schedule
Many of my clients work or study full-time, and I do everything I can to provide flexible scheduling. If you prefer consistency, I’m happy to set up a weekly meeting time. If your schedule varies too much for that, feel free to decide about lessons each week. If anything comes up, you can always cancel or reschedule a session with 24 hours’ notice.
If you’d like to learn more or get started with a free initial accent assessment, please send me a message. I’m happy to answer any questions you have about accent training, either via email or over the phone.