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Trust me, I get it.
English can be a nightmare.
It's not that you're bad at it.
In fact, you're really good.
On paper. In theory. According to everyone around you.
But you wish you felt a lot more confident than you do - and you can’t understand how some people seem to be so bloody comfortable using English while you get yourself tied up in knots!
The problem isn’t really a linguistic one, not anymore.
You’re an Advanced user.
You’ve passed an exam, you've worked in a great job, you've lived in an English-speaking country for ages.
There really isn’t any reason why English should still take up so much space in your head.
But it does.
Maybe you’re avoiding applying for the job you really want.
Maybe you’ve gotten a new job and found yourself out of your depth and panicking.
Maybe your work isn’t a problem at all…it’s…everything else! Socialising, making friends, small talk at the corner shop...
My clients come to me with different problems.
Each of your lives is unique and English anxiety bubbles up in different ways and in different places.
But you all share something in common:
Your relationship with English is holding you back.
I work for a big corporation and I used to find it difficult to express myself during big meetings, especially with more senior leadership. I now feel that I've made a lot of progress and (almost!) don't care anymore if I make a mistake or my English doesn't sound perfect. It's definitely boosted my confidence.
I would recommend your program to anyone, especially to those like me who feel their English hasn't improved much in many years. Thank you for helping me get out of my comfort zone, it hasn't been easy but I'm so glad I eventually contacted you and started this journey!
Paola Fiorino, 1-1 Coaching Client
12-week package
I was searching for new ways to improve my English; 1-1 conversation apps like Cambly, some instagram accounts, podcasts, etc. I came across your instagram account and it looked different from the rest. You were talking about "mindset" and " fears" and this attracted my attention.
The sessions were like having a conversation with one of my friends who had known me for years and was so familiar with my troubles. You suggested very useful tactics which fitted into my busy schedule and they helped to increase my confidence. They were really practical, and I will continue to do them. I'm happy that I met such a great coach and worked with you.
Nilsu Basar, 1-1 Coaching Client
12-week package
1-1 Language Coaching removes the limits that English has put on your life.
It helps you let go of the anxiety and nervousness that comes with English once and for all.
You'll achieve the kind of progress that you haven’t been able to achieve in years of traditional language teaching.
Who is Coaching for?
1-1 Language Coaching with me is perfect for you if:
> you are worried about your English and feel that it’s holding you back.
> you are dissatisfied with traditional language teaching and don’t want to “go back to school” or study more language
> you are curious and open-minded about trying new techniques
> you are willing to ‘dive deep’ and be honest and open in our sessions
> you have felt stuck and frustrated for a long time and know that a change is needed
> are willing to put the techniques you learn intro practice in your life
> you have an Advanced level of English (C1 or C2)
What tools will you use to help me?
Coaching is very different to traditional language teaching and the tools we use in our sessions are probably unlike any you’re familiar with within a language context. Here is a a selection of the tools I will use to help you on your journey:
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> uncovering and un-layering
You will come to this coaching program with beliefs and fears about your English.
“I cannot understand native speakers.”
“People will judge me on my mistakes.”
“I need to expand my vocabulary to sound professional.”
Sometimes these beliefs will be so conscious that you’ll say them within moments of our meeting, in other cases they will be so hidden that they only make themselves known in our final sessions. Either way, they are the foundations upon which your whole relationship with English is built, and working out what they are is crucial.
Through questioning and reflection, I’ll encourage you to put words to these beliefs, to articulate them, and to hold them up to the light.
> debate, counterfactuals, theorising
Once we’ve established what beliefs you are holding onto, you can begin the work of deciding whether or not you actually agree with them! Often, we hold onto beliefs that are unhelpful or hurtful towards us. We don’t know they’re harmful, we simply think they’re true and that we are somehow failing to live up to them. This is almost never the case and another of my roles as a coach is to help you decide whether or not this belief is doing you good or bad.
This could be through a theoretical discussion. We will argue opposing view points, find logical reasons why this belief might not be true. There will be resistance here, and you’ll almost certainly need to come to the same conclusion over and over again before it feels true. That is how the process works.
> self-compassionate observation
In these moments of resistance, you may become frustrated with yourself (or me!) Or we may discuss moments in which you find using English particularly stressful. These emotions are not pleasant, but you will learn how to observe yourself with compassion.
You will tune into your body and mind in moments of stress or anxiety and be able to see what is happening at a slight remove. Able to witness without fully experiencing.
This is a powerful tool for all aspects of your life, not just English.
You will be able to say “Oh yes, here we go, I’m starting to feel anxious. My palms are sweaty and my chest is tight. It feels slightly harder to breathe and I have to concentrate to breathe deeply. I’m picking at the skin around my fingernails, and my brain is telling me “You can’t do this.””
You’ll notice that, in describing it, much of the sting is removed.
The emotions are less scary and uncontrollable and much more predictable. You will be able to say, “Classic anxiety for me. I’ve been here before and it will pass.”
> calmness techniques + central nervous system hacks
And we’ll learn how to help it pass more quickly and smoothly.
You’ll practise techniques for regaining your calm and soothing your jangled nervous system. You’ll use these in moments of stress and report back on how they worked. We’ll tweak the system together to make it most effective for you.
I’ll share with you different ‘central nervous system hacks’ to significantly lower anxiety or stress as it comes up. Having these tools in your toolkit will allow you to take risks and enter situations you might otherwise shy away from because you’ll be confident in your ability to handle your own nerves.
> habit building techniques and experimentation
Finally, we’ll also use established habit building techniques to help you make permanent, sustainable changes to your routine. For some, this might be ways to incorporate more English tasks into your week, for others, this might be developing strategies for making stressful encounters run more smoothly or even building more mindfulness or meditation into your routine.
If there are unhelpful habits you want to minimise or helpful habits you want to incorporate, we’ll work together to make this endeavour as successful as possible.
I had the pleasure of working with Rhiannon as my English coach, and I cannot recommend her enough! She truly helped me overcome my fears and build my confidence in communicating in English. I used to feel embarrassed and self-conscious when speaking in English, but with Rhiannon's support and guidance, I was able to break through those barriers and improve my communication skills significantly.
Rhiannon's teaching style is patient, kind, encouraging and FUN - she always made me feel comfortable and supported, even when I was struggling. She provided me with personalized feedback and tailored exercises that helped me improve pronunciation. She also gave me plenty of opportunities to practice speaking, which was essential for building my confidence.
Thanks to Rhiannon's coaching, I now feel much more confident and comfortable communicating in English. I've noticed a significant improvement in my language skills, and I'm grateful for the progress I've made. I would highly recommend Rhiannon to anyone looking to polish their English - she's an excellent teacher and a wonderful person to work with! :)
So, how does your program work?
There are three packages to choose from.
Here is what's included in the 6-session and 12-session packages:
55-minute video call sessions
These are conversations. I’ll ask you questions and you’ll answer. As we move through the program, there will be themes we return to again and again as we slowly pick and unpick the beliefs and experiences you carry with you.
You can book these through my calendar at a time that suits you.
You’ll also receive a link to a Google Drive folder with the following documents:
Your coaching journal with tasks and reflections
This is the most important document. This is where we’ll be able to see the progress you’re making in black and white. This is simply a shared Google document and, each week, I’ll add a couple of tasks for you to complete. These might be activities to do and report back on, or they might be a reflection on an idea which has come up in our session.
Your responses to these questions will usually mark the starting off point for our following week’s discussion.
Language feedback document
As you’re speaking in our sessions, I will keep half an ear out for over-used vocabulary, missing expressions, or errors. I’ll make a note of some of these and we may spend the final 5-10 minutes of our call running through them. You’ll have access to these notes and corrections at all times.
I will not always update this. Sometimes, focussing on errors can run counter to the purpose of our session (confirming a negative belief you have about your own ability, for example.) I will judge this on a client-by-client basis.
Recordings of our sessions for reflection
All our sessions will be recorded and I’ll add them to the Google drive folder. You are free to use these as you wish. It can be useful to become familiar with your own spoken English as a way to work on particular linguistic features. Equally, you may wish to reflect on our conversation after a few days to remind yourself of the key points.
FAQs
What about language? What if I actually need to improve?
Where that’s a genuine issue, I probably won’t take you on as a client. I only accept clients with a C1 minimum.
Where that’s a smaller issue, we can examine how much of one it is, and design a program to help you build sustainable habits to keep working on your language.
But for the vast majority of my clients, this belief stems from a false understanding of what it is to be a fluent English speaker, as opposed to a genuine weakness on their part.
If that doesn’t feel true for you yet - that’s OK! These things take time and they play out slightly differently for everyone. All I ask is that you come to coaching with an open mind about language learning.
Are we just going to be doing deep breathing? I don’t understand how this is supposed to help!
Ha! No, not all the time. But don’t be surprised if I do start off some of the sessions with a couple of deep breaths. Our conversations will be personal, difficult, introspective, and sometimes emotional - starting our sessions with a moment of calm can be very effective in getting us both into the right frame of mind.
Coaching isn’t about changing where you are (your linguistic ability, say) but your perspective - things you saw as problems will no longer be problems. ‘Facts’ you saw as undeniable will be shown for what they are: limiting beliefs. Coaching helps you by showing you (over and over again if that’s what it takes!) exactly how capable you already are in English.
You said I need a C1 - what if I don’t have a certificate?
That’s OK - I’m not a huge fan of language exams so I’m not fussed if you don’t have a certificate. I will, however, need you to be of a level high enough to benefit from the techniques I use. I do very, very little language-work and, if you still have significant progress to make linguistically, this may not be the right option for you at this time.
If you’re not sure of your level, a simple option is to take an online level test. Cambridge has a relatively reliable one. It will give us a rough indication of where you are.
I will also meet you before agreeing to take you on as a client (more information below). This allows me to establish whether the problems you’re dealing with might be best addressed by coaching and whether you’re open to the coaching process. I will also, during this conversation, be assessing whether I believe your level sufficient for the program.
But how can I improve my language if we don’t focus on language?
You’re not trying to improve your language. You’re improving your relationship with English so that you can go out and do all the things you care about without feeling trapped or worried.
(Funny thing is, when you are confident enough to go out and use English, you’ll find yourself improving anyway!)
OK, sure, but I *want* to improve my grammar
Interesting. Why? And how will improving your grammar get you closer to your wider goals?
It’s not my role as a coach to tell you “I know best - grammar is bad.” Grammar isn’t bad (nor is vocabulary, nor is pronunciation). But it is my job to help you examine these beliefs. How is your drive to improve your grammar helping you? How is it hurting you? Where does it come from? What do you believe will come about as a result of an improved grammar?
This sounds like a fruitful line of questioning to me…
I’ve heard that coaching isn’t really a thing and ‘English coaches’ are just English teachers who charge more money…
I appreciate your candor. I used to think the same thing.
I have been an English teacher, I was trained in the traditional way, receiving my Certificate (CELTA) in 2013 and my Diploma (Delta) in 2018 from Cambridge.
Coaching is not teaching.
The techniques I use have a lot more in common with talking therapy or cognitive behavioural therapy (although I emphasise this: I am NOT a trained therapist!) than with traditional English teaching.
Where my teaching experience is invaluable to my role as a coach is in the experiences I had around the edges of teaching - the frustrations I had with students progressing slowly along traditional routes, the anger I felt towards a system which taught learners to prioritise accuracy and fear mistakes, the countless stories (and not infrequent tears) from learners who felt trapped by their language skills.
My coaching work stems from this belief: you already have everything you need. You just haven’t worked out how best to use it yet.
When I got in touch with you, I needed help to speak English without judgement. I had to learn how to trust what I had, and not let my mistakes become a barrier to go out and talk to people. I wanted to stop feeling bad when speaking English imperfectly. I was just looking to speak in a relaxed way.
I think that the in-depth analysis in the sessions of the different situations in which the language appeared, allowed me to discover what the real blocks were and what tools I had to unlock them. With your guidance and your help I found a positive way to reach my goals.
In moments of communication, I began to observe myself; recognize, analyze, reflect on thoughts, feelings, sensations. With this, I began to work in a kinder way with my English and to value it more.
Thank you for understanding my needs and for showing me a positive way. I always felt very comfortable and contained. I feel happy with my English and it is what I wanted from the beginning. As we say in Argentina 'Sos lo mas!' See you around!
Anahí Cormack, 1-1 Coaching Client 2023
My promise to you:
Coaching is powerful, and it will change you.
I can’t promise you’ll be “finished” (what does that even mean?) but you’ll be ready to take the next steps by yourself.
You’re no doubt used to language schools who want to hook you in for life - maintaining a sense of “you’re not done yet” in order to encourage you to sign up again next year. That’s the opposite of what I want.
If I were to hear a client say, on week 12, “I really need a 13th session,” then I would consider that a failure on my part.
I will get you to a stage where the problems you came in with no longer seem like problems. By the end of our time together, you will already have seen how much has changed, how much better you’re feeling, and how much more you’ve been able to do with your English. And you’ll be crystal clear on how to maintain that forward motion.
Packages and Prices
12
12 sessions
£684
(You can pay in 3 instalments of £228)
12x 55-minute calls to be completed within 4 months of the first session.
My most popular package and ideal for people who are new to coaching.
Over a period of 3-4 months, we'll work to give you relief from your primary worries regarding English. We'll see emotional and behavioural change take place.
Before purchasing this package, you'll be required to complete an enquiry form and participate in a free consultation call.
6
6 sessions
£366
6x 55-minute calls to be completed within 6 months of the first session.
A less-intensive package and perfect for returning clients or people who already have some coaching tools under their belt.
Over a period of 4-6 months, we'll meet 6 times for accountability and check ins.
Before purchasing this package, you'll be required to complete an enquiry form and participate in a free consultation call.
1
1 session
£95
1x 90-minute call plus emailed feedback and further reflections
This package contains one 90-minute coaching call where we'll address a particular challenge you're facing with English.
There is no consultation required to participate in this option and you can purchase and book your session right away. You'll receive a form to complete beforehand detailing what you'd like to focus on in the call.