Teacher Douglas J's Page

I’m an English-language enthusiast and I enjoy giving clear, patient explanations of how the language works. I want it to make sense to you, because when something makes sense, we learn it more easily and we remember it longer.
I’m new on SkimaTalk but I’ve been teaching English online for sixteen years. That’s a lot of hours of classes! So I have a useful depth of experience.
I try to have a relaxed and fun atmosphere in my classes. I’m sure that people learn better when they are calm and happy and, as much as possible, enjoying themselves. Make no mistake, learning a language takes time and effort; you need to work! But we can still have a lot of fun along the way.
It’s important that the student should talk as much as possible, so we’ll take every opportunity to talk together about any topics that come up. It’s entertaining but also stimulating. When you use your language to communicate something that matters to you, you are much more likely to remember it.
We’ll choose from a range of materials, depending on your level and objectives. For general English, I tend to use the Headway series of coursebooks. They have something for everybody, whether they are at beginner level or advanced, and give plenty of practice in reading, listening and speaking.
For Cambridge Preliminary (PET), I recommend ‘Complete PET’ and ‘Vocabulary for PET’.
For preparation for the Cambridge First Certificate (FCE), I often use the ‘Complete First’ coursebook.
Similarly, for Cambridge Advanced (CAE), I tend to use ‘Complete Advanced’.
So these are the basic textbooks. Additionally, I bring in extra materials as appropriate. One of my favourite and most effective activities uses videos, mainly from the BBC. I usually ask the student to watch a specific video, which gives practice in listening and understanding. Then, in the next class, we discuss the video together, focusing on both the language and the content. By summarising the video and exchanging opinions about it, we get very effective practice in speaking.
We may also use photographs from the British daily newspapers. This can take us into a range of different topic areas, which is ideal for speaking practice and expanding vocabulary.
In the end, the choice of materials depends on you, your current level and your objectives. No two courses are the same, because no two students are the same. We’ll start by finding out where you are at the moment with your English and talking about where you want to go. Then we’ll make a plan about how we can work together to achieve your objectives.