6 Tips for finding an online English Teacher Are you searching for an online English teacher for yourself or your children? Here are 6 tips for a smooth experienceSearch for exactly what you need.If you google a general phrase like 'learn English' you're going to get a lot, like millions and millions, of results. How can you use that? Better to search for something specific like English for researchers, or English for TOEFL, an online conversation club or even online phonics for children. Get more specific to find the teachers that can help you.Discover what your ideal teacher looks like with this free online worksheet. It'll get you thinking about what you really like and need from your English lessons.How do you pay?Once you've searched, you'll need to check some details before you commit. Some platforms require you to pay for credits or points to book a lesson. Before you pay check if you can you pay with credit card, or e-money, or another way. Independent teachers might allow you to pay by bank transfer as well as card or e-money. Before you get excited about the lessons, do check you are able to pay!Do you need to download any apps or software, or buy books?Check if you need any software for video calls, apps for learning or messaging. Are they essential or optional, and if so what's the benefit? You might need a book, so check with the teacher what they recommend. Don't forget to include that in your budget for learning too.What's the cancellation policy?We hope it never happens but occasionally emergencies mean you cannot attend your lesson. It's wise to check when you book what the cancellation policy is. For example, you may be able to reschedule if you inform your teacher more than 24 hours before the lesson time. How about if the teacher has an emergency? Check what will happen for you with the teacher.Can you book a package, course or single lessons?While we often think of a course if you need to pass an exam, other types of learning are well suited to courses too. You might like to take single lessons occasionally, or when you need to be flexible with your schedule. Can you pay for 5 or 10 lessons in advance? What would suit you best? Check out this blog post for more about different types of lessonsWhat will you learn?Finally, probably the most important point: what are you going to learn? Think about exactly what you need. What is your aim for your lessons at this time? Will this teacher/course fulfil that? Can the teacher give you an idea of the outcome you should expect from their lessons or course.  How about the way you'll learn. Do you want to talk with a group, or self-study, or a mixture? Will you work from a book or e-course? If possible take a trial lesson to check if you are compatible with the teacher. Did you enjoy the lesson, did it meet your expectations? -

Addictive Business English I'm here with Liz Mackie today. Liz, where are you in the world, Liz? I'm in France, near Béziers. Let's put Béziers on the map. I don't know where that is, north? south?It's in the south, it's on the south. It's not on the coast, but it's very close. Do you know Montpellier? Yes. So it's Montpellier, it's west of Montpellier. Okay. We've got Montpellier, Béziers, Narbonne, Pépignan, Espagne. You're going into rugby country I think. Oh big time. Yeah. Yeah. My sport as well. Great. So you're helping business people and is there anything in particular that you help business people to achieve with their English? What's your focus? My focus is in -service adults, business professionals, and many of them are project managers or software developers who need to talk about abstract concepts quite often, and sales negotiators. They love their conditional sentences. The ultimate negotiators tool is the conditional sentence. And anyone involved in technical delivery or risk management, lawyers, European Union officials, dare I say, involved with regulation and compliance. But as you know, very often what they want is the pragmatic language and they will bring the technical language to the lesson themselves. Right, I see. So they just need, they have the main pieces and you need to provide... provide the sentence structure, preposition use, phrasal verbs, idiomatic language. That's they need that unpacked and they need to be able to practice that. Let's, let's talk about how, how, why I teach, why do I teach and how did I get there. Yeah. Well, a pretty, pretty strange transition, you might say career transition from being a project manager in various educational settings. So, applying planning management soft skills to mainly IT development projects. And I was working for the larger of the two universities that we have in Cambridge for many years in different HR and educational settings. And And just got to that difficult age that we ladies get to, when I decided that I wanted to try something different. So I enrolled on a CELTA course at Cambridge Regional College. And it was the first blended in -person plus online CELTA, which had its challenges. It was a bit of a rough road, not least because I didn't represent a typical CELTA candidate. That was interesting. But I loved teaching small groups and it was the interaction with the students that absolutely got me hooked. Yeah. That's the thing, isn't it? Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So that's, that's my story. And I've taught online since 2016. That was my plan because I'm, you know, way off retirement. I was way off retirement in 2016. So I had to find something to do, something where I could earn some money, but also be a useful member of French society. And online teaching was it. And bizarrely, the COVID, the dreadful time of COVID hit. And it was just at that, being in the right place at the right time, my teaching load just shot up. Yes, so that was just pure luck. And now at a ripe old age and thinking about retirement and thinking, do I really want to stop teaching online? I don't think I can. Yeah, it's kind of addictive, isn't it? It's, yeah, like you said, the students getting to know people. Yeah, that's why we keep doing it. It's so interesting as I talk to teachers, lots of teachers doing this, and it's, yeah, that's it. It'

Helping entrepreneurs enter new markets with English - interview with Edita Bandur

Don't say this in English, say thisIf you have ever been on social media you have probably seen posts about 'don't say this in English, say this' You know the ones... don't say small, say tiny. Don't say hello, say greetings! Don't say yes, say yeah.But here's the thing: they're nonsense.In English all words are valid, and it depends on the context why and when you should use or not use them.Let's look at some examples:Don't say very. Very is an over-used word. Sometimes it is good to replace it with another word - very small could be tiny or minuscule, or minute /maɪˈnjuːt/ or, weeny, teeny, wee, or smol. But sometimes it's completely the right word to emphasize just how big, small, hungry or tired you are. So feel free to use very.Don't say 'I don't know'. Oh this one really annoys me. It is very annoying to find out that a phrase you've probably said a hundred time is unacceptable. But it's not. It's completely fine to say I don't know. When alternatives are given: 'Search me,' 'beats me,' 'I have no idea' for example they could be too informal. If your teacher or a customer in your shop asks you a question and you reply: 'who knows?' that's not going to end well. 'I don't know' and if needed, adding a phrase like, 'I'll check' is wonderful English. Don't say handicapped. Actually this is true. Don't say handicapped. It's old-fashioned and now considered offensive. But the alternative that I've seen given: 'specially abled' is not correct, at all, ever. Say disabled or talk about the actual disability - for example an autistic person, a deaf person, or a person who uses a wheelchair. Here are 4 more reasons to ignore these 'don't say this in English' posts on social media...1. You should be clear.  Who are you speaking to? Will they understand that petrified is the same as very scared? If not, just use the simpler word. "Don't use a five-dollar word when a fifty-cent word will do." Mark TwainMark Twain, one of the most famous writers from the USA, tells us the shorter, simpler words are often better.2. Communicate! The point of speaking English is to communicate how you feel, how you see the world, and what you need. If you're not sure what to say because you're trying to level up your English words all the time then you're not communicating. 3. It's the right word. The words you know are right, so use them. These posts are not always correct, and as we saw with 'handicapped' are mixing correct and incorrect information in the same post.4. They knock your confidence. If someone is constantly telling you to stop doing something - how do you feel? Maybe annoyed, angry, rebellious? It can certainly make you feel less confident that your English skills are not good.Finally, I can think of one benefit of these 'don't say this in English' type of posts - they make great materials to discuss with your teacher in your English lessons!If you want to find an English teacher who can help you tell the good English from the bad, and feel confident in your English ability check out the Elevate Directory of English language teachers. -

 Learning English the CALM way, an interview with Lisa Wood who is a member of the Elevate directory. Watch here, or read below

How to learn English efficiently this yearHow long have you been learning English? 1 year? 5 years? more than 10? Learning is a long process, so wouldn't it be great to know the techniques to learn English efficiently, with less effort and more impact. Here are 5 ways you can put to use to help you learn English efficiently starting this week 1. Pomodoro technique Do you know the pomodoro technique? This is a very simple effective technique to help you focus on your work, study, even housework. Set a timer for 25 minutes and do your task. Then take a break for 5 minutes. Then focus again for 25 minutes. You can repeat the work/break cycle as many times as you need. It's a great way to give yourself space to do the things you need. If you're using a computer you can use an app like Marinara which will show the timer, and breaks right on your screen.2. Spaced repetition systemLearning new words is hard because you need to see new words many times before you know the meaning and use instantly. If you want to learn new vocabulary you should use a spaced repetition system (SRS). This is a scientifically proven way to learn efficiently.  Lots of learning apps, like Anki, use SRS to help you learn more efficiently. In an SRS you'll learn a new word, then the system will show you the word again after 4 hours, then 8 hours then 2 days, 4 days and so on. If you get the word right the length of the repetition gets longer, if you get it wrong you'll see it again sooner.3. Make an appointmentLearning English is important so put it in your diary! Treat your English lessons, or even your own self-study sessions, as important - as important as a hospital appointment! Once something is written in your diary, put on your calendar or noted on your schedule - don't cancel or ignore it. Choose something to study beforehand and use it in your study time. 4. Find a buddy or twoWho do you speak English with? Having someone to chat with in English is vital to improve your skills. This might be a friend, a language exchange partner, your teacher, or even the friendly cafe staff in your local coffee shop. Take all the chance to speak English, with as many people as you can.5. Focus"Where attention goes, energy flows" James Redfield.I cannot emphasise how important your focus is. Whatever you are doing to study - lessons, apps, self-study, chatting with friends - focus on that! Pay attention to the conversation, to the book, teacher, video.  Put your energy into the thing you want to achieve and your focus must go to that. If you're using a mobile, apps like Forest, can mute other apps until you've finished your work If you're looking for a teacher to help you learn English efficiently, check out the Elevate directory of English language teachers for more than 25 independent teachers who can help you with your English today. -

Adrianne Tomatas is an English teacher who helps children learn to read and write English with phonics. You're an English teacher. How long have you been teaching for? So, I've been teaching for five years and recently started tutoring as well about a year ago.Have you worked in schools or has it always been online? I worked in schools for five years. At the moment I'm still in and out of schools but then doing my tutoring after school hours.  Who are you teaching? I teach primary age children, so from the age of around four when they start school, so from reception all the way up to year six. You're in England. Are you teaching kids who are there with English as a second language? I do have one child, yes. So, most of the children are English native speakers, speakers, but I do have one who is from Hong Kong, who is learning English as a second language.  That's interesting. So what do you help them do? We start off with phonics, so really looking at the initial sounds, how to pronounce the sounds, how to read and write using the English letters and sounds and then we build on that so they become fluent and confident readers which helps them to become confident writers as well. Phonics is really sort of trendy at the moment and fashionable. I think a lot of people have heard of phonics but they don't really know what it means. Could you explain just a little bit? Absolutely, so I think phonics is the fundamentals and everything that underpins English, reading, writing, spelling and even the talking of English. So, it's the sounds that make up words. So, for example, in the word mat, it's m -a -t, mat. So, our lessons are very focused on talking, so speaking and listening because ideally you want to be confident having a conversation with somebody, especially if it isn't your native language. So they work really well in talking to each other because we have group lessons, so the children have a chance to talk to me, but also to speak to other children, which is really, really great. And while developing that spoken language, they're also developing their reading skills, written language skills. So quite a lot, really, that we focus on, but they all link together really nicely. Do you do online group lessons or is it one -to -one? So I offer a range. So online, I have a bit of a mixture, really, depending on the needs of the child. So some children cope really well in a small group. They're quite confident. They're pleased to talk to other people. So, small groups work really well for those. I do have a few other children who are maybe a little bit more reserved or some that have more specific learning needs that work really well, either one -to -one or even just with one other child, so in a pair. So, they're kind of getting the best of both with that.That's great. Yeah, with children, you need to be a bit flexible, don't you? Absolutely. And wherever they feel safe and comfortable is the best place for them to learn. So, finding the way that works best for them is really important. Is there something that you really love teaching that the kids really love taking part in the lessons? So I think just everything really. I love to teach and I love teaching reading and spelling in particular because it's just such a life skill and I think children who are confident readers can take that with t

How long does it take to learn English? Some say 3 months, 3 years, or even 30 years? Why are the answers so variable?  Here's a fun calculator to work how long it'll take to learn English, depending how many lessons you plan to take. The answer in the calculator is clear, but don't forget you're a human and humans aren't always so clear! So how long does it take to learn English? Let's talk about all the factors you'll come across in this journey. Why does it take so long to learn English?It does depend on your first language, or other languages you know already. English is 50% French, so French speakers find a lot of common words. But French sentence structure is very different!  If you speak Japanese or Korean you might find it difficult as they are completely opposite to English, then your learning journey might be longer too. English is big; there are a lot of words, but confusingly we can use the same words in many situations (for example get and run have multiple uses and meanings), there are tenses which might be different from your first language, articles like 'a' and 'the' which might not exist in your language, and tricky pronunciation too, not to mention the spelling! What does it mean to be fluent in English?Let's explore what it means to be fluent in English anyway. This will be different for different people. A fluent 7 year old speaks differently from a fluent 17 year old or 27 year old. This is true for any language. A doctor needs to use different words than a mother or a pottery artist. You might feel very fluent when speaking to your friends but hesitate when you have to give a presentation. Can you judge how fluent you are by the number of words you know? Not exactly because knowing is not the same as using or using correctly. So how long does it take to learn English and feel fluent will depend on you, your previous experience, and what you believe is fluent enough. How long does it take to improve your level in English?This is a little bit easier to calculate, especially if you're thinking about exams. For example if you want to take the IELTS exam, it's estimated that if you study around 4 hours a day for 3 months you could improve by half a point (ie band 4.5 to 5.0) but it also depends on a number of things - how you enjoy your study, the help and advice you receive, how anxious you feel, what your previous level was before. Read this for more information about leveling up your IELTS score.You can speak straight awayI'm always confused by apps and courses that say You can Speak English after 3 Weeks!  because you can speak English immediately. In fact, there are very few people who know zero English in the world, as it's often a school subject, and English words have been adopted into languages the world over. So you can speak right now. Don't wait for the perfect time, place or person to speak to. That will never happen. You can even start with an AI chatbot if speaking to a real person is not right for you. In this way learning English doesn't take very long. You can chat from day 1!Practice makes perfectThere's definitely no one who speaks perfect English. But plenty of people who think they do! There is no standard English that is defined by an Academy or Institute. What we think of as Standard English is different in the USA, the UK and Australia. So don't worry about being perfect in English. Practice does