I am a native English speaker from the UK. I hold a CELTA teaching qualification and a BA (Hons) degree in media and communications from Westminster University in London. I have two years’ experience teaching English to young students in China from ages 5-18, in an online classroom setting. I also teach private lessons to children with a range of abilities from my home in Den Haag. I use technology effectively to provide a dynamic learning experience for all my students.

Prior to teaching students in China I taught business English to professionals in multi-national companies. See below for details.

I currently live in The Netherlands and have also lived in France for six years. I love skiing, hiking the mountains and anything else that involves being in the outdoors! I have travelled a lot in my life and am used to multi-cultural environments. I love meeting people from different cultures, backgrounds and religions and feel that deep down, we are all the same really :)

I look forward to helping you with your objectives in English.

2016-2018: Online English language teacher for DadaABC teaching students aged 5-12 in China focusing on the four skills Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. Lessons are conducted using the Dada platform with teaching materials by Longman and Pearson press. I also coach the older students in preparation for the IELTS exam.

2013-2016: Online English language teacher teaching business professionals from companies such as Fiat, BMW, Ralph Lauren, BNP Paribas and other international companies. The students could be anyone from a company director to a company secretary and lessons were tailored according to their needs. I taught a range of levels from beginner to advanced. I also provided coaching for students with presentations, writing emails, pronunciation and public speaking.

2009-2013: Picture editor for publishing and multi-media company Media Insight. Responsible for image content across a range of platforms including online and books.

2004-2009: Picture Editor for The Financial Times, weekend and magazine section responsible for commissioning photographers and editing photographer’s submissions to present striking visual content across a broad range of subjects for the magazine and weekend supplement. I was also required to research stock image libraries to find the best possible images to illustrate a wide range of subjects such as travel, fashion, food, and features.

1999-2004: Full time contract photographer for The Times newspaper. Assignments included covering national and international news events, feature stories and portraits. Responsible for taking accurate assignment briefs and ex3cuting picture editor’s specifications to come up with striking images for the paper within a highly competitive field. I photographed many celebrity portraits ranging from sports stars to actors and performers.

1993-1999: Picture Editor for Agence France-Presse (now part of Getty images) working on the photo desk based in Hong Kong. Duties included coordinating photographic coverage within the Asia region for news, features and sports. I was also responsible for digitally editing photographer’s submissions and handling newspaper and magazine client requests.

My approach is very much tailored to the individual's needs. Everyone is different and learns in a unique way. What suits one person may not suit someone else. Some people like to learn intuitively, using more free conversation to build their knowledge of English, others prefer a more structured, grammar-based approach. Whatever your learning preference, I endeavour to meet that need.

In addition to HOW you learn, it is important to consider WHY you want to learn English so that I can tailor your lessons to that objective. If you need to improve your English for the IELTS exam or you have an important presentation to prepare for at work, you will have different needs to cater to.

I use a range of teaching resources fun reading texts and videos, quizzes, and online assessments to make sure the learners' productive skills are well and truly used. I try to use materials that match learners' interests so if, for example, you like sports then I will select interesting materials in English on sport. The more someone is interested in what they are reading or listening to, the more they will pay attention to it.

Finally, grammar. It can't be avoided! It can, however, be learnt in a way that is not boring or overwhelming or takes too much time or attention. I use simple strategies for acquiring grammar rules simply and effectively so that it becomes a help not a hindrance!