How to Effortlessly Teach Yourself English – Christopher Hanson

Born and raised in one of the busiest cities in the world, I was exposed to a diverse bustling crowd of people every day and I loved it! London is a city that rarely stops moving (much like me!) and is filled with people from all over the world, speaking over 300 languages. It came to no surprise that I wanted to travel the world and immerse myself in culture and the best way to do that is through language! What better way to connect with people.

I received my degree in Linguistics and Phonetics from the University of Leeds which made this more than just a hobby. I really wanted to understand how languages work and how this can help us all learn languages properly, without it being too boring! I have learnt 2 languages (Spanish and Portuguese) and plan to learn more in the near future.
So, with my degree in my hand, I started jetting off around the world and settling in places I dreamt of. Cities included Barcelona in Spain; São Paulo in Brazil, Phuket in Thailand, Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. In Barcelona, I really had a chance to increase my fluency in Spanish and use my language day to day, whether that be in the supermarket or outside in the sun with a few local friends.

One of the best ways I’ve increased my fluency in Spanish and Portuguese is through martial arts. I like to learn my martial arts closest to the source, these include Taekwondo, Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. By learning an activity in the country of origin, you can learn about culture, tradition and even boost your accent.

I have over 6 years of teaching English under my belt and to people of all ages and backgrounds. Most of my experience with teaching adults has been with Spanish, Portuguese and Chinese speakers and I also have experience with teaching children and young adults from China. Each group presents different challenges which force me to grow and innovate as both a person and a teacher.

I’ve been in the same position of learning a language from scratch and it is a daunting but exciting experience. The worst thing to do is become bored with conventional textbooks that rarely work in the real world. All of my experiences, both professional and personal, have combined to give me a deep insight into the language learning process and many of the challenges people face when having to adapt to and live in a foreign country. I prefer a more holistic approach that aims to produce students who are confident and capable English users and who can live productively in English speaking countries.

The language skills themselves are only 50% of the equation. You need to be able to navigate confidently, build friendships, maintain relationships and adapt effectively.

My method, my mantra, to successfully learning a language is to:
connect, understand your motivation, what you’re interested in and understand how you learn. I then deliver lessons in an energetic, engaging and passion filled way.

In summary, if you want to learn practical English that you can use every day in a fun and lively way where you can leave every class with a smile on your face, I am your guy.