alexismediaco

english training
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english training

take a minute to read about my philosophy, or click here to book a free 15-minute call directly.

the problem

the traditional methods of english teaching - coursebooks with different topics, grammar, roleplays, scripted listening audios - are actually not very effective, especially for professionals.neither is your favourite owl, who offers you short phrases, boring repetition and nothing that will help you communicate effectively in the real world.also, many underestimate, or misunderstand, what's really needed to improve. how to get a six-pack is quite easy to understand theoretically, most people don't know where to start to develop fluency and confidence in a language.

the solution

in my decade of experience as an english trainer, i have realised any student or learner needs five key ingredients:

1. an objective or deadlineteaching someone without a need, a goal or a deadline means there's no measure of success, or value. whether it's a single-class objective, or a longer term deadline with a number of classes, it is what gives the process meaning. i have helped students with everything from effectively delivering weekly status updates to board members to building confidence for a business trip to the us.2. a class based 100% on the learnerstudent expectation from an english class is often to receive some kind of coursebook or handout, or a text and work from that. and as a teacher, i have been guilty of that approach too many times. in reality, it's often irrelevant, and always limiting.the most fulfilling classes, i have found, come from using the learner's own experiences and language, for several reasons.first, it matters to them deeply, in a way that generic content cannot. it's personal.second, no two classes are the same. there will always be something new.third, the value of new vocabulary that emerges, and any topics that need work, are inherently clear to the learner, because they needed them naturally.fourth, the best part of my job as a trainer is connecting over shared experiences, and also learning from my students and clients. human interaction and experience isn't a one way street. this is also why a good ai will take the job of a coursebook trainer, but not a trainer who builds a relationship by relating to the learner's own experiences.3. a lexical and frequency-based approachtraditional language teaching normally comes with a strong grammar focus. that has changed somewhat, but it remains the structure of most coursebooks.however perfect theoretical understanding doesn't translate to using it correctly. there are many more factors in play. Mother tongue interference, confidence, fear of mistakes, recall etc. so many students of mine can see their mistake immediately when i write it out, but continue to speak on autopilot.a lexical approach means dividing the language up into chunks of meaning, and building patterns. to teach "if i were you, I would leave early".traditional: it's a second conditional, if + past simple, would + past participle.lexical approach: remember "If I were you I would" then add a verb.it requires no technical explanation, no knowledge of grammar terms and reduces a risk of mistakes, which from an unconfident learner's point of view, is extremely helpful.frequency is also a factor. an engineer might use "valve" 20 times a day in their job, and never use "close a deal". valve is therefore more important, when the opposite is true for a sales manager. coursebooks don't account for this.4. importance of out-of-class habitsif you learn a language not in the country of that language, immersion hours outside of class are key. a big reason for the success of intensive language courses in the uk is the not the classes themselves, it's just being in the country. therefore anyone learning english not in the UK, the US or Australia needs to compensate.it is incredibly hard for busy professionals to find the time, but it's more about changing habits. read the headlines in German? read them in English. find yourself a favourite YouTube channel. change your phone language. the small things can make a big difference.5. culture and contextlast but not least, this can be where even advanced learners and entire companies can come unstuck.

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about

alexismediaco oü is a registered estonian company founded by Henry Taylor-Gill. i am trilingual, have lived across europe, and created the company for my language training and consulting work. it's now also place where i turn my random ideas into real things in a way that wasn't possible before. my passions revolve around communication, languages, sports, and travel, but i find myself getting inspiration from anywhere. get in touch on socials or using the contact form on this site!

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if you want to give me any feedback on what i'm building, any feature ideas, or things to do next, use the form below!