Gary’s lessons

The goal of our lessons will be for you to communicate confidently, clearly and naturally in any real-life situation.

We will achieve this by doing practical communication activities that simulate real-life. These activities will make you more fluid speaking English at work, at home, and in the pub. Coursebooks teach artificial English, so we won’t be using them.

These activities will focus on removing those small persistent mistakes that make up 90% of the mistakes most students make. Those frustrating mistakes to which you know the rules but maybe just need some clarification. Those pesky little mistakes that spoil your speaking, annoy your listener, and upset the flow of an otherwise glorious piece of prose.

Our time together will soon have you producing better, less confusing, less mistake-filled sentences.

Are you like Anita?

Let me introduce Anita. She is in her late 20s, knows she is good at what she does and has ambitions. The company where she works has a lot of important foreign clients.

Conversations with these foreign clients are usually in English. Anita knows English. She even knows the difference between past simple and present perfect. Her problem is that she lacks the confidence to speak in English. Her colleagues look so comfortable with these English-speaking clients. Small talk, jokes, and most importantly solving their problems. When someone tries to communicate with her in English she freezes. ‘One moment, I’ll ask one of my colleagues to help you,’ is mumbled as she retreats into the background. Another opportunity to impress is lost.

Anita doesn’t need more grammar. Nor does she need more vocabulary. Nor does she need someone telling her to ‘believe in herself’.

Anita does have a few gaps, she does make a few mistakes, but they aren’t big. What she needs is practical help.

I will help Anita by:

  • Convincing her to stop comparing herself with others because it is pointless. Her colleagues worked to improve their English. She has to do the same. There is no secret to it. No luck, no short cuts: hacks, voodoo, astrology, and definitely no excuses.
  • Guiding her through activities that will focus on removing those small persistent mistakes that make up most of her mistakes.
  • Instilling a positive mindset in her. No one is born with confidence, it is acquired.
  • Setting realistic goals. Fluency is neither achievable nor necessary for her. Being right most of the time is what she needs and is achievable.
I have spent more than 20 years helping numerous Anitas. This is what I do, and the type of person I help. Are you like Anita?