Services
Whether you wish to learn as an individual or are enquiring on behalf of a company, the tuition I provide is tailored to meet each student's particular requirements. I work one-to-one or with small groups.
English Pronunciation
You will begin by learning the correct vowel and consonant sounds of English Received Pronunciation and the correct mouth shapes to make them. Then you will discover the most common mistakes and how to avoid them. This will make an immediate difference to your communication skills. You will find out about emphasis within words and intonation within sentences. In particular, you will learn how to pronounce your own personal ‘script’ of the words, phrases and names which matter to you most, such as the terms you use each day at work. Above all, you will develop a clear and effective style of speaking. You will receive printed support material and selected tracks from my audiobook, English Pronunciation – a clear and simple guide, to match the sounds you need to improve, so you can listen and practise between lessons.
Giving a Presentation
Communicating well is not just about your voice – although your voice is important. It’s also about using your natural presence to connect with your audience by being genuine, passionate, inspirational. I teach a technique called Circles of Concentration which will help you to harness and focus your energy appropriately whatever the size of your audience. You will learn to be more charismatic, to express ideas clearly and precisely, and how to communicate with your body. When working on these skills, I can video you to show you where you are going wrong – and right. But before that we will work on the message you want to get across, the structure of your presentation and how best to use graphics. Let’s create a script which reflects your personality and gives you the space to relax and enjoy the experience. Only then will your audience really listen.
Voice
It’s not just about volume – although the strength of your voice is important. It’s also about colour, pitch, and using your voice expressively. Underpinning all of this is breathing: learning how to breathe in a way that will support your voice, so that you avoid straining or damaging it. You will learn to convey the meaning in what you are saying.
Elocution
If you have something to say, then it’s best to say it well, to say it clearly. I can equip you with exercises to wake up your facial muscles, and give your speech strength, clarity and precision. But it’s not just about how well you use your jaw, lips, tongue and teeth – it’s also about speaking with intention.
Confidence Building
We all have the power to achieve our potential. The problem is we don’t always know how - our fear gets the better of us. Working through breathing, and recognising the thoughts which give rise to anxiety, you will learn how to transform nerves into physical presence.
Preparing for an interview
‘Preparation, preparation, preparation’, really is the key. The more you anticipate those tricky questions and practise beforehand, the more fluent and confident you will be in giving your answers. Working through role-play, we can ‘rehearse’ your interview so you can perform at your best and make an impact.
Customer Service Skills
Often, Reception or Telephone Sales teams represent the public face – and voice – of a company. They are the first point of contact for most customers. Hospitality and Housekeeping staff play an equally important role. How well your staff communicate has a direct impact on how much your customers or guests value the service you provide. You may already have in-house training in place, but however hard your staff work to learn your procedures, it’s no good if they simply can’t be understood, or if their manner is off-putting or uninviting, or if they don’t welcome people with a smile. Often, it’s a lack of these basics skills which gets in the way of staff building rapport with the people they are there to help. Let’s work together to make your in-house training programme more effective by focusing on how your staff communicate with the people you most want to please – your customers.
Advanced writing skills
Whether it’s giving your CV an extra polish, helping you to write a really good covering letter, or reviewing and editing your monthly reports, I can advise you on how best to express your ideas - how to be clear and effective – by using the most precise vocabulary and adopting an appropriate style and tone for any document.
Examples of training options:
One-to-one
Using a dynamic and flexible approach, I will guide you in acquiring a range of new skills, from clear speech to presentation skills, and give you a ‘blueprint’ for maintaining these techniques in the future. You may want to begin by working on one area, such as English pronunciation, then go on to develop other skills, such as preparing for interviews. Whatever you choose to learn, I shall advise and support you at each step.
And group work.....
Presentation Skills
The Art of Giving
A one-day workshop exploring the most effective methods of getting your message across: how to structure your presentation; how to express ideas clearly and precisely; how to utilise your voice and body in a way that supports your message; and how to express your personality so that you connect with your audience and hold their attention. Ideal group size: six participants.
Customer Service Skills
May I Help You?
A series of five, two-hour workshops, specially designed to support non-native speakers of English in improving their face-to face communication and telephone skills. Training together at their place of work, often once a week, members of the group learn the basic sounds and intonation of English pronunciation. They go on to practise key work-related phrases and vocabulary, while developing a friendly, welcoming manner. Then they put these skills into action through role-play, training tips and work-related games. Each participant receives printed support material and appropriate tracks from my English pronunciation audio guide to help them learn over a five-week period and beyond. Ideal group size: six or seven participants.
Free English Pronunciation Audio Guide
For those learning Received Pronunciation, I provide, free of charge, tracks from my audiobook, English Pronunciation – a clear and simple guide, selected to match the sounds you need to improve, so you can listen and practise between lessons. This audio guide reflects the way I teach, which is by comparing the differences in English speech sounds and learning how to shape your mouth to make them. You can listen to extracts from the guide on this website.
‘My lessons with David exceeded my expectations. He is a wonderful and patient tutor.’ Neeraj (Indian)