I am British, and have been teaching English for 32 years. I worked in Madrid for 4 years, and then in Milan for 11, before returning to the UK, and have been in Oxford since 2006. I have also lived in France and Switzerland.

English as a Foreign Language is my main subject, though I also do some secondary school English tutoring. I enjoy exchanging ideas and experiences with students, and my knowledge of other languages often helps understanding. I can teach general English (all levels), exams and business English.

Some of my interests are: music, politics, the environment, psychology, detective stories, health and diet, cricket, table tennis, and railway transport.

I hold a BA degree in Romance Languages (French and Italian with Spanish) from University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, and two teaching qualifications from Cardiff University – a Postgraduate Diploma in TEFL (DELTA equivalent) and a PGCE in secondary school education. I also have a postgraduate diploma in Technical and Specialised Translation, which can sometimes be useful for special vocabulary.

I have had many years’ experience teaching all levels of general English and various levels of business English, including large groups, small groups and one-to-ones. In my exam work, I have done IELTS, CAE (with a 100% pass rate), CPE, FCE and GESE (17 out of 18 students passed), plus TOEFL and TOEIC. I have also taught many vocabulary, communication, grammar and pronunciation classes.

I taught at various language schools in Madrid and Milan, and a large number of companies. In Oxford I have worked at 9 different language schools, including EF for over 4 years.

I talk to the student to discover their level and their needs. Then we can discuss their preferences – do they want a general course, an exam course or business English? Do they want to concentrate on improving their spoken or written English? We can give extra time to pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, listening materials, graded readers, or something specialised if they prefer. Sometimes humour or music can be very helpful, bringing easier, more relaxed learning.

I am patient, thorough and give clear explanations.