Teacher Emma T's Page

Some people don't like deep discussion, they prefer small talk. But if you'd rather talk about deep topics, have a wide range of interests or want to discuss specific topics in detail, I'm happy to work with you. While we talk I'll listen for mistakes and help with pronunciation, if you need. I'll give you examples of different ways to say things if you struggle to find the right words. Bring a topic to class or message me with something beforehand if you prefer.

How do you feel about small talk? Honestly I don't like it! I find it very difficult, and quite boring! But most English speakers LOVE small talk! It's the way that we connect with acquaintances and strangers, it's often the beginning of every conversation. We can practice small talk in class, helping you build connections with colleagues and clients and start conversations with anyone you meet.

Do you want to increase your vocabulary and practice your pronunciation? News articles are a great way to do both! Listening while you read helps me identify your pronunciation challenges and we can work on those in class. We can discuss any new words and how they are used. In addition, we can discuss the news, increasing the number of topics you can have conversations about and building your confidence in speaking English.

Whether it's emails, presentations or annual reviews writing for business is a specific skill. We can approach this in different ways: some students bring their documents/emails to class and we work on them directly, editing, proof-reading and making sure your English makes sense and flows well, getting your point across easily; some students just want to practice or discuss different ways to write; some want to have writing exercises in class. Let me know what you're struggling with and we can decide the best way to proceed.

Do you struggle to get your point across or speak up in meetings? Are your international colleagues expecting you to have an opinion, but you feel uncomfortable giving it? The cultural differences between Asia and English speaking nations outside of Asia make opinions, debate and discussion particularly challenging and uncomfortable. Share some real world scenarios and together we can come up with a plan, practice and build your confidence so you can make yourself heard and deliver the results you want.

Is AI is making your email worse or better? Is your vocabulary natural or weird? Is this the right grammar for the situation? Whether you're writing for work, to make friends or just for fun, writing a great skill to work on. I have lots of experience writing for education, public speaking, work and creative writing for fun. I enjoy editing and helping to get the right point across effectively and efficiently. We can make your writing sound more natural and fluent or get to grips with more complicated English. No matter what you're writing, I'm happy to help.

Interviews can be really scary, even more so in another language! I've been the interviewee and the interviewer in a variety of roles as well as helping my international students apply for jobs. I can help you build some skills to cope with the anxiety. I can help you identify common interview questions and create and practice your answers so you're confident and fluent and can get that job!

Giving presentations and speeches can be very scary. With experience of public speaking (and the ASC Certificate of Achievement) and years of experience giving and listening to presentations in various areas of business I can help you improve your presentation slides for work, make presentations for cross-culture pitches more relevant to your audience, improve your public speaking skills and discuss how to make your presentations and speeches easier for a native English audience or an International English audience. We can also work on anxiety management and building confidence for public speaking.

Do you have some really specific questions about English? Perhaps vocabulary you heard in a podcast or from a colleague, maybe you need some clarity on how to use idioms or phrasal verbs. Feel free to bring your questions to class and we can get into the details and nuance of English. Helpful for high level students who are reading English books, working internationally or listening to native English content.

Do you get tongue tied when you try to have a conversation in English? Or are you frustrated because you can't quite figure out how to express what you mean? Conversation is a great way to improve your confidence in English. I have a wide range of experiences and interests, so we can usually find something fun to talk about. Let me know how you'd prefer your correction to be given or if you have a particular focus you're working on so I can direct the lesson in a useful way and give you appropriate feedback.