I'm a qualified English teacher and language coach, trained by the British Council to teach IELTS. I was born and educated in England and have a standard British accent. I retired from my IT job and started teaching on italki in 2012. Since then I've helped over 500 students increase their IELTS band score to emigrate or study in English-speaking countries. I've also helped students improve their business English, especially those working in IT which is an industry I have expertise in. I love teaching, especially speaking and writing. I can teach you to style your answers correctly to gain the maximum amount of marks in IELTS, or to make the right impression in a business setting. For hobbies, I do art, creative writing and an currently learning Chinese. It is my ambition to be able to discuss an ancient book, the I Ching in Chinese and also to improve as a teacher through my own language learning. I live in Gloucester, England with my partner and two beautiful black cats. :)