Business English
Make your point in meetings, write clearer emails and feel more comfortable speaking with colleagues and clients.
- Meetings & presentations
- Emails & telephone calls
- Small talk & professional tone
Online English. Real-world confidence.
Good English.
For your real life.
The meeting. The email. The conversation you want to join. Practical English lessons built around you and the way you work.
For German-speaking learners · A1–C1 materials · Individuals & company teams
A little practice. A lot to say.
ENGLISH, IN ACTION
“I know what I want to say…”
Let’s find the words.
01 / THE REAL WORLD
Your next meeting
is a good place to start.
Useful words. Your own voice.
Serious about learning.
Room for a laugh.
Room for a laugh.
English you can actually useWorkplace situationsClear explanationsA sense of humour
01 / THE LESSONS
Start with what
you need to say.
Useful English starts with your world. Choose a focus, then shape the lessons around your goals, your level and your day-to-day situations.
English for your job
Practise the situations and vocabulary that come with your role, from explaining a software bug to organising a crew change.
- Software testing & insurance
- Technical roles & apprenticeships
- Crew management & operations
Confidence & conversation
Turn “I understand it” into “I can say it.” Build fluency through interesting topics, practical situations and plenty of speaking.
- Everyday conversations
- Travel & social situations
- Vocabulary & pronunciation
One-to-one coachingYour goals. Your pace. Focused feedback.
Online company groupsShared workplace situations. More chances to communicate.
Let’s discuss the right formatMATERIALS FROM A1 TO C1
Your level. Your next step.
From first steps to advanced English, we’ll choose materials that suit your current English and what you want to do with it.
- A1First steps
- A2Foundations
- B1Building confidence
- B2Greater independence
- C1Advanced expression
02 / A TASTE OF A LESSON
Less abstract.
More “I need this.”
Realistic role plays, useful phrases and clear feedback. Here’s the kind of English we can put to work together.
Illustrative lesson samples · Choose a situation →
YOUR SITUATIONYou need to disagree.
You need to disagree.
Without starting a war.
A colleague suggests a deadline you can’t meet. Explain the problem and suggest a realistic alternative.
A useful starting point
“I see your point. Could we look at another option?”
„Ich verstehe deinen Punkt. Könnten wir eine andere Möglichkeit prüfen?“Try saying it: Give one reason, then suggest a new deadline.
YOUR SITUATIONIt worked yesterday.
It worked yesterday.
Now explain the bug.
The actual result differs from the expected result. Give a developer the information needed to reproduce the problem.
A useful starting point
“The issue occurs when I submit the application.”
„Das Problem tritt auf, wenn ich den Antrag absende.“Try saying it: Describe the steps, the expected result and what actually happens.
YOUR SITUATIONA flight is delayed.
A flight is delayed.
The plan needs changing.
A crew member will arrive late. Contact the agent, explain the change and check the new arrangements.
A useful starting point
“Could you confirm the revised arrival time?”
„Könnten Sie die geänderte Ankunftszeit bestätigen?“Try saying it: Explain the delay and ask whether the transfer can be rearranged.
03 / FIND YOUR STARTING POINT
What would you
like to do better?
Three quick questions. A useful lesson suggestion. No level test or perfect answers required.
You bring the situation.
We’ll work on the English.
We’ll work on the English.
A GOOD PLACE TO START
Your first lesson could include
Email Ian about this lesson A starting suggestion, not a level assessment. We’ll agree the details together.
Your answers stay in this page. Email opens a draft in your own email app.
Meet your teacherIan Bennett
04 / HELLO, I’M IAN
English teaching.
With a human side.
I’m Ian Bennett, an English teacher and language consultant from Wigan, based in Hamburg. I’m a native English speaker, fluent in German.
My EFL teaching experience dates back to 1998. I’ve taught English in German companies and at the University of Hamburg, and German in British secondary schools.
I take learning seriously and bring good humour and a relaxed, professional atmosphere to my lessons. We practise useful phrases and word combinations, then put them to work in realistic situations. Expect active discussion, clear goals and the feedback, guidance and materials to help you progress.
PGCE · Modern Foreign Languages · Edge HillEFL Teaching Certificate · Hamburg School of EnglishBA (Hons) German Studies · University of Manchester
A background in language.
A focus on communication.
Experience across company training, university seminars and British schools.
- SINCE 2005
Freelance English trainer
HamburgIndividual and group lessons, intensive courses, presentation training, needs analysis and language assessment.
- 2012–2017
University of Hamburg
Language CentreB2–C2 seminars covering academic and formal writing, TOEFL and IELTS preparation, body language and humour.
- 2003–2005
Hayward High School
Bolton, UKTeaching German to 11–16-year-olds in British secondary education, including leading the German Club.
A little more about Ian
I play guitar in a band and enjoy reading, gardening and making films. I also co-produced and directed a documentary about the global impact of Lancashire wrestling. Music, stories, culture and humour give us plenty to talk about.
DIFFERENT SECTORS. REAL EXPERIENCE.
Your working world.
In English.
My professional experience spans a wide range of sectors. Alongside work with software, insurance and crew-management learners, this gives me different working worlds to draw on.
A selection of organisations I’ve worked with — past professional experience, grouped by sector
- Media & publishing
- ZDF · RTL · Gruner + Jahr
- Engineering & technology
- Siemens · SICK · Körber · Bosch · Stelter
- Aviation
- Airbus
- Automotive
- Audi · VW
- Banking & finance
- HypoVereinsbank (HVB) · VWFS
- Software & insurance
- MSG Nexinsure
- Energy & utilities
- Vattenfall · E.ON
- Shipping & logistics
- Kühne + Nagel · Glomm Logistik · Laiesz · Atlantic Lloyd
WHAT LEARNERS SAY
What it feels like
to learn with Ian.
30 selected comments, in English and German. Here’s how learners describe the lessons, in their own words.
Read all testimonialsScroll or swipe to read the comments. Keyboard users can focus this region and use the left and right arrow keys. The controls can pause automatic scrolling or show all 30 comments together. In the static view, filter by English or German.
Read feedback in
30 selected excerpts from my original learner feedback. Wording is unchanged; comments were anonymous in the source.
A FEW PRACTICAL DETAILS
Good to know.
Do I need to know my English level?
No. Tell me what you can already do and what you find difficult. I have experience designing needs analyses and level assessments, so we can establish a suitable starting point together. My teaching materials cover A1 to C1, from beginners to advanced learners.
Can lessons focus on our company’s work?
Yes. We can use realistic situations from your working day, such as explaining a process, updating a colleague or dealing with a change of plan. Please use anonymised examples when discussing work.
Is there support for German-speaking learners?
Yes. I’m fluent in German and have taught German in British schools. English–German vocabulary, clear examples and explanations of differences in meaning can help you make sense of new language. The aim is to put it into practice in English.
What about times, lesson length and fees?
Email me with your goals and whether you’re looking for individual or company lessons. We can discuss scheduling, lesson length and fees before agreeing on a course.
LET’S PUT YOUR ENGLISH TO WORK
What would you
like to talk about?
Tell me a little about your work, your English and what you’d like to achieve. German or English is fine.