- Do you read and write English every day but wish that you had more opportunities to speak it?
- Would you like to feel more confident when you have to take part in spontaneous conversations in English, especially when they are about topics related to your business?
- Do you stay quiet and not share your ideas sometimes?
- Do you wish that you could be yourself more when you’re speaking English so that people get to know the real you?
I’m a language learner as well as an English language trainer (German, Romanian, and European Portuguese are my main additional languages and I’ve had experience learning several others). I’ve always found that speaking is one of the hardest skills to develop, mainly due to my lack of confidence at the beginning and my frustration at not being able to say everything I want to in the way that I’d usually say it.
I know that it’s important to spend time improving our speaking skills if we want to get to know other people and communicate effectively in the other language.
I’ve found that the best way to do this is in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, where you’re not surrounded by peers or colleagues. That’s why I’ve set up the conversation club meetings – to provide a welcoming space for freelancers who work with English as an additional language to practise their spoken English. They have me to provide support and are joined by others in the same position.
How does it work?
“It makes a big difference if you know you’re meeting others who are in the same situation as you!”
That’s what one of our conversation club members said about our monthly meetings.
At my open networking meetings, you never know who’s going to be there! This is great for meeting new people, but there are some things that you don’t want to share with a room full of strangers!
It becomes easier when you get to know the same people over a period of time in a closed environment and can start to trust one another more – whether that’s sharing more about yourself and your business, or coming out of your shell and saying more in your additional language.
The conversation club is my paid monthly membership for freelance professionals who are working with English as an additional language and who are looking for more opportunities to speak. We have a business-related topic each time and I lead the conversation so that everyone has the chance to participate. I’ll answer any questions or help out if people need it – but this isn’t a course. It’s a chance to use English in a meaningful way to talk about issues around work, customers, marketing, selfcare – and much more!
Each session lasts 60 minutes and I limit the places to six participants in each group so that we have enough time for everyone to bring in their ideas.
Also, if you decide to stay, you’ll get to know the other people in your group each month. Over time we can celebrate the wins together, share tips, and support each other on both our language and our business journeys.
How much does it cost?
As a visitor, you can attend a session for free to decide whether the club is right for you. Members pay £10 per session or they do something that will support the club. So in addition to buying sessions, you can
- Invite relevant friends – for every time a friend attends their first meeting, a free participation will be added to your account.
- Offer to do a short presentation for the group (maximum 10 minutes, topic to be agreed, no more than twice a year).
The next meeting
We’re meeting on Thursday 23rd April at 12:30 London/Lisbon, 13:30 Cet.
- We’ll discuss a topic connected with running your own business. This.
- You’ll have the chance to ask questions, share your experiences, and learn from the other participants.
- You’ll be able to expand your business vocabulary and use it in a real situation.
Would you like to join us?
If you’d like to get to know us and come along to a conversation club meeting, , fill in the registration form to reserve your place. Places are limited, so be sure to reserve yours before the event fills up!
The first session is free. After that, you can pay by bank transfer, credit card (stripe), or Paypal in exceptional cases if you can’t use the first two options.
I look forward to meeting you at one of my events soon!
If you want to ask me anything about the meetings, or you’re unsure whether they’ll be right for you, send me an email and we can talk about it!
Listen to what our members are saying
Some of the club members spoke with me on my podcast about why they joined the club and how it helps them. Here are some short sound clips!
Patricia from Portugal
Marta from Barcelona
Maria from Portugal
Lieselotte from Germany
Here is the full podcast episode.
These events are for you if
- You sometimes feel nervous when you speak with new people in English.
- You are looking for opportunities to speak English about topics specifically related to developing your business, marketing your services, and taking care of yourself as a small business owner.
- You want to meet with other people who have English as an additional language so that you can develop your communication skills together.
- You want to feel more confident about taking part in spontaneous conversations.
- You are looking for somewhere where it’s ok, and even encouraged to make language mistakes – because that’s how we learn.
They are not for you if
- You are looking for an English language course (have a look at my home page for the range of courses that I offer, but this is a conversation meeting).
- English is your first language and you want opportunities to keep your speaking skills up-to-date because you aren’t using them regularly – check out the language meet-up instead
- You aren’t willing to listen to others and learn along with them.
It’s been wonderful to see how these groups grow and develop – we are building our second group at the moment! Come and join us if you think this may be a place where you can learn and develop your speaking skills too!