English teacher · Devon, UK
Speak English with confidence, guided by an experienced teacher.
Intensive and motivating one-to-one lessons for everyday English, work and exams, planned around what you need.
- DELTA-qualified
- BA and MSc
- English examiner
- 15+ years teaching
About me
Hello, I'm Chris.
I'm a friendly and passionate English teacher based in Devon, UK. I'm DELTA-qualified with more than 15 years of experience, and I specialise in helping higher level students to take their English to the next level.
I'll provide the support you need to meet your specific goals, whether you need to improve your spoken fluency and confidence, elevate your vocabulary, identify and fix your grammar problems, improve your pronunciation, or prepare for an English exam.
Read my full bio & CVLessons
Find the right lessons for you
All lessons are one-to-one and online. Book a free intro call and we can discuss what you need.
General English
These lessons will help you to develop your fluency and confidence in English, and improve your ability to express yourself in a natural, varied and precise way.
The basis of the classes will be natural, spontaneous discussion on a wide range of topics. You'll get the chance to use and experiment with your English, while I provide feedback and correction and identify areas for us to work on.
Ideal for: students who want to build confidence, expand their vocabulary and grammar knowledge, and take their English to the next level.
What we'll work on
- Spoken fluency and confidence
- Vocabulary and natural expressions
- Finding and fixing your grammar problems
- Understanding fast, natural speech
Pronunciation
Pronunciation-focussed classes are ideal for anyone who has difficulty making themselves understood, or who would like to soften or reduce their accent.
These classes will include intensive practice with specific sounds in English that might be causing issues, as well as work on connected speech and stress to develop a natural English rhythm.
Students often find that pronunciation practice has a very positive effect on their listening skills, which is a nice bonus!
Ideal for: learners who have difficulty making themselves understood, or who want a clearer, more natural accent.
What we'll work on
- Individual sounds that are causing difficulty
- Word and sentence stress
- Rhythm, intonation and connected speech
- Targeted practice to do between lessons
Work & Business English
Using English in professional contexts can be extremely challenging, especially as this often involves pressurised situations like presentations and meetings.
These classes will help you build confidence in the language you need for work, and we'll work on any and all areas that can make a difference - topic vocabulary, presentation skills and practice, small talk, writing skills, and more.
Ideal for: people who use English in any work-related context.
What we'll work on
- Meetings, presentations and negotiations
- Clear, professional emails and reports
- Small talk and networking
- Vocabulary for your industry
Exam preparation
Over the years, I've helped hundreds of students prepare for their English exams and get the scores they need for university, visas, work, or personal development.
We'll look at the strategies and techniques needed to do well in these exams, and do a lot of practice in all areas of the exam to build up your confidence before the day of the test.
Exams: IELTS; Cambridge First, Advanced, and Proficiency.
What we'll work on
- Mock speaking tests with examiner-style feedback
- Writing tasks marked against the official criteria
- Strategies and timing for each paper
- A clear plan up to your exam date
My teaching approach
In three words:
I always aim to make my lessons enjoyable and highly challenging for my students. I have a personal and very friendly approach - I take a genuine interest in my students and their lives, which helps me to tailor my lessons to their needs and interests. I love my job, and I think you'll find that this comes across in my teaching!
I believe in the effectiveness of conversation-driven, communicative and spontaneous learning, combined with plenty of targeted work on grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation. In our classes, you'll find that much of what we focus on emerges naturally from our conversations - as we talk, I will be constantly providing feedback and identifying opportunities for learning.
For example, if you're telling me about your plans for the weekend and I notice that you're only using 'will' to describe the future, that's a perfect opportunity to look at the differences between will, going to, and present continuous to describe future plans. I find that the teaching and learning that flows from authentic communication in this way is far more effective than focussing on something simply because it is next up in a coursebook or syllabus.
I use a wide range of materials to support your learning, and will provide homework and activities for you to work on between classes (if you're able to).
Flexible lessons
I'm very happy to offer a lot of flexibility for my students. Most of my students lead busy lives, and it can sometimes be a challenge to reliably find time for their English classes.
Studying with me, you can choose days and times that work for you, and you're free to move your lesson times each week or reschedule if your timetable changes or something unexpected comes up.
I work at various times (mornings, afternoons, evenings and weekends), so whatever your timetable I'm sure we can find a time that works for you.
From £30/hour Discounts available for lesson packages.
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What my students say
- 10,000+ online lessons taught
- 60+ lessons per student on average
- 5.0 average from 2,780 lesson ratings on Verbling
- 100% lesson attendance rate on Verbling
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Contact
Get in touch
Tell me a little about yourself and what you'd like to work on. I'll get back to you as soon as I can.