About Chris
Hi my name is Christopher. Thank you for taking the time to visit my website and to learn more about me.
I help English language learners improve their English language skills, in the areas of speaking, conversation and pronunciation. I help in a few other areas too.
I teach online on Skype – usually one-to-one. I sometimes teach face-to-face here in Leeds in the UK, where I am based. I used to teach a class a few years ago in a physical classroom on a voluntary basis to international students at my local university. I meet many international students and I know how frustrating it can be to learn another language, and how much effort it takes. I aim to make learning English an enjoyable and rewarding experience for you, and help you make the progress you desire.
I was born in England and have lived here my whole life. I am a native English speaker with a standard English accent. I grew up in the south of England in the county of Surrey, but I have lived in Yorkshire now for many years: so I can teach you to speak English with either a southern or northern accent if you like.
Teaching English is my second career. My first career was in volunteer management. I used to be a regional manager, managing UK and international volunteers on social care projects for a large UK-based national charity. This work took me overseas where I interviewed potential volunteers who wanted to join our programme in the UK. I managed international volunteers from 13 different countries. I loved talking with, and supporting, my volunteers from around the world. I recognised the importance of the values of helping, listening and encouraging. With this experience, along with my more recent teaching with international students, I have learned the unique difficulties, that English learners from different countries have, with the English language.
I have worked for a few large national charities in the UK. This means I have worked with many people in a social work or social care setting. I love helping people and have a keen interest in their personal development. I like to include in my teaching an element of coaching – things that I have learned from my first career. More about this in My Lessons.
I have always enjoyed travelling and talking to people from around the world, so I decided to take a course and learn to teach English. I completed a Teaching English as a Foreign Language Certificate (TEFL) course in 2014. I have a Bachelor of Arts (First Class) Honours Degree in Social Studies, from a UK university and I am a qualified youth & community worker.
I used to be a registered host-provider with a couple of homestay agencies. Since 2012 I have had students stay with me from Spain, Japan, Finland, Germany and Ireland. They attended one of the English Language Schools locally. I helped them with their English (mainly conversational English) in the evenings and at weekends.
In my spare time I enjoy travelling, reading, exploring, mountain biking, and some extreme sports. I would really love to do a skydive one day.
Teaching is something that I enjoy very much. I truly believe that you can change your life and make a difference, by changing the way you speak. I love connecting with people from all around the world, and have made some very special friends.
I have taught students from: Japan, China, Brazil, Spain, Hungary, Italy, France, India, Oman, Greece, Korea, Poland, Pakistan and Venezuela.