Frequently asked questions
Ten questions I am asked most often, answered properly. If yours is not here, send it — I reply to every message myself, usually within a working day.
Lessons run on Zoom or Google Meet — whichever you already use. You get a link that stays the same for every lesson, so there is nothing new to set up each week. Materials are shared on screen and sent to you as a PDF afterwards, together with the corrections I noted during the class.
A laptop, tablet or phone with a camera, a reasonably stable internet connection and a quiet corner. Headphones with a microphone make a noticeable difference to pronunciation work, but they are not essential. No paid software is required.
The first 30-minute session is an introductory consultation at no charge: we talk about your goals, I assess your current level informally, and you decide whether the style suits you. A full-length trial lesson is offered at half the normal rate.
Take the short placement quiz on this page for a rough estimate, then confirm it in the free introductory session. Levels are described using the CEFR scale (A1 to C2), which is the same scale used by IELTS, Cambridge and most European employers.
Please cancel or reschedule at least 48 hours in advance to avoid being charged. Emergencies happen, and a first late cancellation is never charged — after that the lesson fee applies. If I need to cancel, you receive a free replacement lesson.
I teach from Chennai (IST, UTC+5:30) and regularly hold lessons for students in Europe, the Gulf, East Asia and Australia. Early-morning and late-evening IST slots are reserved for students far from my time zone. Send me your city and I will send back the slots that work.
Twice a week is the sweet spot for most learners: frequent enough to build momentum, spaced enough to review between lessons. Once a week works if you study independently in between. Exam candidates on a deadline often take three.
Yes. For pre-readers we start with sounds, songs and picture vocabulary in 30-minute lessons. Reading and writing are introduced once the child recognises the sounds confidently, usually after eight to twelve weeks.
Every student has a shared progress document: goals, the vocabulary sets covered, recurring errors and dated notes. Exam students also receive a band estimate after each mock test. Parents of young learners get a short written report each month.
Bank transfer, PayPal and Wise. Lessons are billed in blocks of five or ten, in advance. Unused lessons in a block stay valid for six months.
Where are you on the CEFR scale?
Six multiple-choice questions covering the grammar and register that most reliably separate the levels. It takes about two minutes and gives a rough band, not a certificate.
Question 1 of 6
One useful word, every day
Question still unanswered?
Send it over. There is no such thing as a question too basic — the basic ones are usually the ones worth answering.