Biographical data

Having spent over 30 years as an educator, trainer and technical translator, I have done quite a lot of thinking on a range of issues relating to languages, language teaching and second language acquisition and strive to pass on my knowledge and insights to others through my writings and occasional workshops.

Born 1951 in Halifax, UK, which makes me a Yorkshireman by birth and by inclination but having lived, worked and studied in London for many years, I like to think that my horizons are somewhat wider. Since 1981 I have been based mainly in Germany although I have always maintained close links to the UK and have travelled quite a bit around Europe and the USA in addition to making frequent visits to China. More recently, family ties have made Bulgaria a favoured destination.

My professional life is divided between running LinguaServe - a private language school and translation service jointly owned by my wife Ann and myself and employing 20 or so freelance teachers and translators - and a number of other activities such as corporate language training, lecturing in Business English and Technical English at various universities, materials development, examining (as a Cambridge ESOL Speaking Examiner) and test administration (TOEFL-ITP, TOEIC). I am also active in a number of professional associations and have been a frequent speaker at international conferences for many years.

Increasingly, the focus is shifting from language services to publishing and since LinguaBooks is now based in Halifax, you might say that things have come full circle.

My current base is the city of Pforzheim, situated on the edge of the Black Forest and famous for its jewellery and watch making industry.

Click here for a more detailed CV

Passing it on

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