Private English classes

General information

In private classes it's the student who gives the orders. All content is prepared according to what the student wants, though I'll always be available to give advice.

Private classes are an alternative for those who need to improve their level of English for whatever reason. For example for a business trip, or in order to communicate during holidays abroad, to prepare and practise a presentation, or just for fun.

They're also a good idea for those who can't or don't want to attend classes in an academy because:

they don't want to study the normal syllabus generally followed on an English course, or

it's difficult to get to class at the same time on the same day every week, or

they need a course that begins outside the usual dates dictated by the academic year, or

one hour a week rather than two or three is enough .

A private class can be literally for one person, but it can also be for a group of friends, for example, or for the staff of a company.

Almost all my one-to-one classes are a mixture of work topics (that the student needs for work), vocabulary and essential phrases (in order to get by in most situations), and topics of general interest. The fact that we don't follow a book means we can do whatever we want.

Before starting a course all students have to take a test to establish their level of written and spoken English. In all cases this helps me to select class material and, should it be for a private class of two or more students, it also assures me that all the students in the same group have the same level.

Cambridge exams

People sometimes need to pass an English exam because the Human Resources Department tells them to.

The exams set by the University of Cambridge, England, are the most widely recognised throughout the world, whereas some others are only accepted within Spain. They're the most useful ones for anyone who wants to work or study outside Spain, or if you want to apply for a job with an international company.

The levels I have experience teaching are the following:

First Certificate
Advanced
Proficiency

For more information about the University of Cambridge exams, the easiest thing to do is visit their website, where you'll find everything you need. The site contains:

information about how the exams are structured;

downloads of examples for each part of the exams;

dates of the next exams;

statistics, and lots more

The first page is in English, but you can choose straight away between Spanish and Catalan. Or keep going with English.

Another useful site is Flo-Joe's Advanced and FCE Trainer, which includes practice tests, exam tips, vocabulary, etc. For more information go to the grammar page.

Prices and availability

English classes:

1-2 people: 28 euros an hour
3-6 people: 32 euros an hour
7-10 people: 36 euros an hour

These are the prices I invoice at the end of each month. Teaching isn't subject to VAT, and I don't charge for travel time. The price is per hour per class. In other words, if there are 4 students in a class, the 32 euros are divided by 4.

Classes that are cancelled with less than 24 hours notice are charged for.

Although it's always worth asking, please bear in mind that my timetable fills up quickly every year because most of my classes continue from the previous year. I'm self-employed and work alone, and therefore it's impossible for me to take on all the work Im offered.

Short courses, telephone classes and email back-up:

The prices for these services depend on the requirements of each situation.

The cost of short courses, for example, depends on the number of hours and number of students.

Telephone classes and email back-up are generally taken along with private classes, so the cost will depend on the services provided as a whole.

I also offer an ongoing consultory service for people who need to practise their English for meetings, presentations, conferences and so on. The cost of this will also depend on the requirements of each situation. Contact me for more information.