Teaching is a calling

We live in a world where English has asserted itself as the international, leading vehicle of communication at all levels. This means that being able to use this language fruitfully has become an essential requirement for businesses, public institutions and even private individuals.

At a job-related level, if you entertain business relationships with foreign parties, you can no longer settle for just a patchy, general knowledge of English as satisfying the minimum requirement of “good working knowledge”. Therefore, to ensure that you will win the day – at least as far as communication goes – you need to acquire specific language skills such as to make you truly successful in your particular line of business.

Since 2003, I have specialised in vocational training courses of all sorts (mainly of English), in business English courses and, lately, also in Cambridge ESOL exams preparation.

Over the last 30 years, I have achieved a native level of English and French (C2). I have acquired communication, NLP, personal potential development, intuitive and emotional intelligence skills. Last but not least, I have gained broad experience in areas such as vocational and apprenticeship training, retail & office, business, food & beverage services, tourist reception & territory promotion services, technical English training for Police Forces and front & back office staff of public administrations.

Therefore, today I am confidently able to run intensive, targeted, highly technical English learning programmes, tailor made to meet the unique requirements of the most diverse business, public and private realities.

Since the very first lesson, I give my students such practical, technical tools as to make them autonomous and efficacious even with the simplest words and phrases.

By way of illustration, here are the most recurrent technical subjects I have dealt with:
▪ Managing a phone call: making contact, taking / leaving messages, making appointments, making reservations and orders, dealing with complaints.
▪ E-mails, commercial correspondence and transversal skills relating to manuals and technical & business procedures for different lines of business.
▪ Welcoming a foreign visitor; socialising and small talking.
▪ Travelling: booking hotel rooms and flights; eating out, dealing with airport procedure & transports; English on holiday, shopping abroad, street directions and tourist information.
▪ Describing the company and products; negotiating prices.
▪ Taking part in meetings.
▪ Welcoming & serving a customer in a shop; dealing with payments.
▪ Welcoming & serving a customer in a restaurant, bar or other food / beverage service; describing/presenting dishes and specialties, receiving reservations/orders and dealing with payments.
▪ Tourist & hotel reception; territory promotion.
▪ Asking for and giving street directions. Giving instructions.

My approach is highly empathic and the utmost care is given to each student. Along with this, my teaching method is built around some key benchmarks:
▪ my students are the key players – they are invited to take an active part in building up the course;
▪ large space for communication – everyone speaks English since the very beginning, helped to do so by a friendly, motivating class environment making everyone feel nurtured and supported;
▪ practical exercises and role plays revolving around down-to-earth situations of everyday business and private life;
▪ combined study of the four key language skills that are essential for effective communication: oral expression & oral comprehension (listening and speaking), written expression & written comprehension (writing and reading);
▪ grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation work in an easy, intuitive way that does not bore.
Each course programme is discussed in advance with the client or with the students and can be modified and/or supplemented during the progress of the course in order to best fit the unique demands of every business reality and satisfy the personal needs of each student.
(Elena Corini Solena ®, without AI assistance)