A chance for us to meet and get to know each other a little. 
I'd like to know what your English learning goals are, what you are interested in, and what you find most challenging about learning English. 
If you are looking for Business English, or English for work, I'd like to know what your job is, and any specific goals you have, e.g., email writing, presentations, legal English, etc. If you're looking for help to prepare for IELTS, I'd like to know what your primary motivation for taking IELTS is, when you're hoping to take it, and how familiar you are with the exam. If you're mainly interested in improving your conversational skills, I'd like to know what you like to read, to watch, to do - what feeds your soul!
No doubt, you also have some questions for me, which I will of course be happy to answer! 

We will also discuss how you'd like to be corrected and the timeframe you have in mind, as well as the types of materials which may be suitable and useful for us to work towards your unique goals - in my classes I often use current (high quality) newspaper articles, and I have subscriptions to several ESL lesson libraries. Sometimes I create bespoke lessons for a student's individual needs. My students are also welcome to bring their own materials - whether that is a report or presentation you need help with, or a passage from a book or a poem you found particularly interesting. 

I am a very patient, friendly and open person with a genuine passion for English, and a love of meeting people from other cultures. I will put you at ease if you are nervous, and do my very best to ensure you feel relaxed and comfortable, so you can make the most of our time together and achieve your personal aims. 

I look forward to meeting you!

***This class is NOT for children under 16 years old***

Taking an IELTS exam can be lifechanging and daunting, in equal measure! 

In an IELTS preparation lesson we will practice the speaking and writing parts of the exam - parts 1, 2 and 3 of the Speaking test, and Tasks 1 and 2 of the Writing exam.

We will look at:
- what exactly you need to do in order to achieve the band score you require;
- useful exam tips to increase your understanding and confidence; and
- vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation 

We can practice under timed conditions if you wish, working towards a mock exam eventually. 

For IELTS lessons, I refer regularly to British Council materials (I attend monthly IELTS teachers' webinars run by the British Council) as well as various text books and several IELTS websites which provide useful resources. I will also provide you with multiple resources for independent practise, and an ongoing record of what we cover together. 

ALL my IELTS students have gone on to achieve the band score they wanted or higher!

Preparation for IELTS - Speaking and Writing

We’ll start with an in-depth needs analysis to identify specific areas you need to work on for your particular industry and position. Using a variety of relevant sources (articles, videos, worksheets etc.) we’ll target the key skills you need to improve, whether that be speaking, listening, reading, writing, lexis or grammar, or a combination of these. 

I will boost your confidence with:
Structuring presentations, as well as delivery and pronunciation
CV preparation and interviews
Meetings: participation and leading 
Emails 
Business lexis: expressions, idioms, phrasal verbs 
General professional conversation
LinkedIn profiles and communication
If there is something specific you need to achieve I recommend you bring it to class for us to work on together.
I provide written and verbal feedback throughout classes, together with referrals to further resources for independent learning (including appropriate grammar exercises if needed).

I worked in offshore companies as a qualified legal secretary for >10 years, in tax, corporate/commercial, banking & finance, civil litigation, criminal/family and property practices; I am familiar with British legal language and these areas of business. I’ve also worked in banking, building consultancy, retail and hospitality. I have good overall business acumen and am keen to research areas I am less familiar with!

My students come from the following industries:
Accountancy
Administration
Banking and finance
Building consultancy
Civil engineering
Customer service
Education
Government
Health
Hospitality
IT
Law
Marketing
Property 
Retail 
 
I have active subscriptions for the Financial Times, the Economist and an advanced business curriculum, all of which are great resources for advanced business students. 

Please - if possible, use Zoom (much easier for screen sharing);
Note that I always take a 5-minute break as per italki’s policy; and
Ensure you have understood the italki cancellation policy.

Business English

***Please note this class is NOT for children. If you want to book classes for your child please choose my British English for Kids lesson***

I am an outgoing person - I love meeting people, and I am quite a chatterbox in my day-to-day life! In these lessons, we will choose a topic and chat at length about it. We can use newspaper articles, videos and social media to stimulate conversation, and of course, you are welcome (and I actively encourage you) to choose a subject which is particularly interesting to you. I will ask questions about your opinions and reasons, creating lots of opportunities for you to communicate and explain your personal ideas about all kinds of things, ranging in complexity. 

The aim of these lessons is to get you comfortable and confident with communicating (i.e., conveying meaning) in English more effectively, so I will provide feedback on pronunciation errors only when they affect the clarity of the meaning. Similarly, I will give you feedback on grammar if there are serious mistakes which make it difficult to understand. This approach allows more time and space for you to practice developing fluency. I usually make notes during class, so we can go over the details of any grammatical errors later, rather than interrupting your flow. 

I am a natural, strong communicator, and I find I can often instinctively understand what my students are trying to express, even when they struggle to find the right words. I will offer suggestions of alternative vocabulary, idioms or colloquial expressions that might be more commonly used in spoken English, which will help your communication feel and sound more natural. 

I am British, and these lessons will include everyday British idioms, sayings and expressions, and where relevant, my personal insights into and reflections on British culture. They will be useful for anyone who wants to communicate with British people in general, but particularly helpful for anyone immigrating to the UK.

British English for communication: general conversation

I will provide comprehensive correction and feedback comments on a wide range of writing, including but not limited to: 
- university essays, dissertations, theses 
- IELTS Task 1 and Task 2 essays, both general and academic
- work emails, reports, presentations
- CVs, job applications
- online content - websites, LinkedIn profile, social media / video captions

THIS CLASS IS OFFLINE AND DOES NOT REQUIRE PHYSICAL ATTENDANCE
To book this service, please book the class then contact me to email the documents. 
As I have a busy schedule, please ensure you allow A MINIMUM of 48 hours to correct your work. 

You will receive:
An edited document showing any spelling mistakes, grammar mistakes and typos;
Changes and suggestions to improve clarity, coherence and cohesion, structure and readability;
Tracked revisions so you can see and review all the changes/suggestions that have been made; 
Formatting suggestions, if applicable; and
A brief analysis of how well your writing achieves the requirements set out in the Public Band Descriptors for IELTS, if applicable. 
**Please note that it is NOT allowed for teachers who are not accredited IELTS examiners to give band score predictions, therefore I cannot give you a band score**

PLEASE CHECK THE WORD COUNT OF YOUR DOCUMENT(S) BEFORE BOOKING. 
Time estimates are approximate and depend on the original quality of writing:
Up to 500 words - 30 Minutes
500 - 1000 words - 1 hour
1000 - 2000 words - 1.5 hours 
Please contact me for anything over 2,000 words so I can assess the difficulty and time required - I will set a bespoke lesson price for you.

Writing correction / proofreading

Do you want your kids to succeed in life? Of course you do!

Research shows that learning a language is easiest before the age of 18, due to the developing brain's natural elasticity. Giving your children the opportunity to learn English from a young age will make it much easier for them to become naturally fluent, which will in turn open up a world of opportunities for them as they get older. 

With a First Class Honours degree in Steiner Waldorf Education, I have a sound understanding of child development; my classes are delivered with genuine care and sensitivity to the unique learning needs and capabilities of your child. 

I am a dynamic, enthusiastic and energetic educator with a natural gift for engaging with children. My classes are fun whilst still being challenging, so your child will enjoy learning and make progress effortlessly! 

I will provide a brief feedback report to parents after each class, detailing what we covered during the lesson and how your child is doing.

Children learn best with structure, so after an initial lesson for me to assess your child's current level, I will select an appropriate curriculum for us to work from, which will provide your child with a solid foundation in English. Examples include:
- Cambridge Fun for Starters, Flyers and Movers 
- Oxford Discover
- Oxford Futures
- National Geographic
I am always open to suggestions, and if you have a particular textbook you would like me to use, feel free to ask! 

Although we will follow a carefully chosen curriculum, I always encourage natural, spontaneous communication throughout all my classes, so your child will have plenty of opportunities to practise their developing skills. I respond to your child's interests and incorporate them into whatever we are learning, so they stay engaged and enthusiastic. 

Please note - I do not teach absolute beginners, so your child should be at A2 level before taking classes with me.

Kids and Teens Love English - British Communication for young people (A2 and above)

Please do not book this class unless you have been invited by me to do so. 
These lessons and packages are for my existing loyal students only. 
Requests to book these lessons or packages from new students will be declined. 
Thanks for your understanding!

LEGACY STUDENTS ONLY

Illuminate Programme in Commercial Legal English

An in-depth, 120-hour course in Teaching English as a Second or Other Language.

A short course on how to teach Business English.

Cambridge Illuminate Programme in Commercial Legal English

A short training in how to help students prepare for the TOEIC exam.

120 hour course involving observed teaching of group classes and four assignments, one of which is a detailed learner profile, assessment and personalised plan

An essential English grammar course for international legal 
professionals which builds accuracy in legal writing and speaking skills.

A Deed Poll is a formal legal document which changes a person's name in court. I am including it to reassure my students that I am the same person as Michelle Groves!

A short course in how to help students prepare to take the IELTS exam.

A three month intensive course which involved creating a portfolio of accurate and correctly formatted legal documents to a high standard. 

Please note, this qualification was obtained before I changed my name in 2019 legally in court, by what is known in the UK as a Deed Poll - therefore, it is in my former name, but I am the same person!

First Class Honours 
Steiner Education is an alternative theory of education, which places importance on 'whole body' learning - engaging students artistically as well as academically, to facilitate a deeper learning experience. 

Please note that in 2019 I changed my name legally in court by what is known in the UK as a Deed Poll, so my degree certificate is in my old name - I am the same person!

For more than a decade I worked in a private bank and various law firms, assisting fee earners and lawyers as a PA or Legal Secretary, in tax, fiduciary, corporate/commercial, property, family/criminal and civil litigation law practices. I am familiar with British legal language, and general administrative tasks such as: email writing, telephone skills, formal business language, creating/amending legal documentation, presentations, bookkeeping, diary management etc.

At iTutorGroup I taught more than 3,000 lessons to more than 5,000 students and had an average client rating of 9.89. I taught general conversation lessons, as well as IELTS, TOEFL and TOEIC training for individual students.