About

About Me

I love my job and I'm passionate about what I do - there is nothing better than hearing a client say that they have lost their fear of speaking English at work, or that they got a compliment from a colleague about their English.

I haven't always been a teacher however. I started my working life in marketing but soon realised I would rather be working directly with people. It's a long story but in 2008, I found myself in an internet café just outside Barcelona desperately googling, ‘Spain, jobs in English’ and you can guess what came up.

One week into the training, I realised I had found the career for me.

Since that fateful moment in Barcelona, I have worked with hundreds of people in four different countries- Spain, Japan, Indonesia and now Germany. I have worked in companies, in universities, briefly (and fairly disastrously!) with kids and also with private business clients.

Becoming self-employed in 2020 was the opportunity for me narrow down the type of clients I was working with. I can now focus on what I'm best at: working with business professionals who find speaking English at work challenging- think sleepless nights before the weekly English meeting, sitting there in silence or constantly worrying what other people think of their English-and turning that around.

"After the very first session, I already felt more confident communicating in English."
Steffi Roch, Accountant, self-employed

I understand how my clients feel. I'm not a natural linguist and speaking in a foreign language is just hard for me. I still remember my embarrassment at the age of 18 when I was the only student who failed the French speaking exam! If you already have great English and are looking to learn advanced vocab or lose your accent, I am NOT the right person for you. (But feel free to ask me for a recommendation for a teacher/trainer who is.)

Specialising working with one kind of client, has given me the opportunity to really understand them and how best to help them. Since 2020, I have seen time and time again, it's not just about the English, it is also about both confidence and mindset. Therefore, this has become an integral part of what I do. Interestingly, my increased awareness and knowledge in these areas has not only helped my clients but has also helped me when speaking German. To learn more about what I mean with mindset and how it might be affecting your ability to speak English at work read here.

My client's progression is my number one priority. However, providing a friendly and relaxed atmosphere with sessions that are enjoyable and that my clients look forward to, is a close second. I'm a great believer in making it fun and not a session goes by without a bit of laughter - sometimes a lot. The photo above was a leaving present from one of the companies I worked with in Spain -my love for the Real Madrid player Sergio Ramos had become the company joke.

"I just want to say thank you! I have so much fun on the course and it helps me a lot to become more confident in speaking."
Fabienne Willman, Quality Assurance, Falk Pharmacy

If you are interested in working with me, have a look at my two different offers. Both offers include looking at confidence and mindset:

My training sessions are individually prepared, based on your goals and my assessment of your English. If you would like to look in detail at the areas of English you currently find difficult, this is the right option for you.

My online Just Talk Club is a safe space to practice speaking English with other business professionals, away from the pressures of your job. If your main focus is improving your fluency, check out the details of the club