Poznań Native English Speaker

📍 Do you really come to homes throughout Sołacz?

Yes! I serve the entire Sołacz district. Whether you live along al. Wielkopolska, on ul. Maltańska or ul. Podgórska, near Park Sołacki, around Port Sołacz, in the Nad Wierzbakiem area, or anywhere else in Sołacz – I come to you. About 90% of my Sołacz students prefer home lessons because it saves time, eliminates commuting, and is especially convenient for families with children. I bring all materials, and we can start lessons within a week of your first contact.

☕ Which cafés in Sołacz do you recommend for lessons?

I regularly teach at several Sołacz spots: Petit Paris on Aleja Wielkopolska 40a has excellent coffee and a quiet atmosphere perfect for conversation practice. Milano Trattoria offers a relaxed Italian ambiance. Francuski Łącznik is another cozy option. We can also meet at cafés near Park Sołacki entrances or any café you already frequent in Sołacz. Meeting at a café works great for conversational English practice and creates a natural, relaxed learning environment. Just note that café meetings work best for intermediate and advanced students – beginners usually prefer the privacy of home lessons.

🌳 Can we really do lessons while walking in Park Sołacki?

Absolutely! Park Sołacki walk-and-talk lessons are popular from April through October. Walking while practicing English actually helps many students feel more relaxed and natural. The park's tree-lined paths provide a peaceful environment, and the physical activity helps reduce the nervousness some people feel when learning a language. We can walk around Stary Sołackie lake or along the main paths. This format works brilliantly for conversational English, pronunciation practice, and interview preparation. For grammar-intensive lessons or exam prep with materials, home lessons or café meetings work better.

💰 What are your prices for Sołacz lessons?

Pricing is transparent and the same regardless of where we meet in Sołacz:

Individual (1-on-1): 120 PLN per hour – fully personalized attention
Pair (2 people): 180 PLN total (90 PLN each per hour) – great for couples, friends, or colleagues
Small Group (3): 210 PLN total (70 PLN each per hour) – dynamic interaction
Group (4+): 60 PLN per person per hour – most economical for teams or families

These rates apply whether I come to your home on ul. Maltańska, we meet at Petit Paris, walk through Park Sołacki, you visit my office in Grunwald, or we meet online. Payment by cash, bank transfer, or BLIK after each lesson or in packages.

🎯 Why choose a native speaker over a Polish teacher?

As an Australian native speaker, I provide something Polish teachers can't: authentic pronunciation, natural idioms, cultural context, and real-world English as it's actually spoken in Australia, the UK, and the US. When you learn from a native speaker, you develop an ear for correct pronunciation from day one. You learn how English speakers really communicate, not just textbook English. This matters enormously for Business English (international meetings, presentations), exam preparation (Cambridge examiners reward natural English), and if you're planning to move abroad. Many Sołacz professionals who work with international clients specifically seek native speakers because accent and cultural nuances determine business success. For children, starting with a native speaker means they develop correct pronunciation naturally, not habits that need correcting later.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Do you teach children? What ages?

Yes! I teach children from age 8 and up, teenagers, and adults. For younger children (8-12), lessons are game-based, interactive, and shorter duration (typically 45-60 minutes). I use stories, flashcards, activities, and movement to keep them engaged. For teenagers (13-18), we focus on school support, exam preparation (matura, Cambridge), conversation practice, and building confidence. Having a native speaker work with your children in your Sołacz home means they develop authentic pronunciation from the start. Many parents on ul. Podgórska and around Park Sołacki appreciate that home lessons eliminate the stress of transporting children across Poznań, especially for younger kids. Family lessons (parent + children together) are also popular and cost-effective.

🕐 How long are lessons and how often should we meet?

Standard lessons are 60 minutes (1 hour), though some students prefer 90-minute sessions for deeper focus, especially for Business English or intensive exam prep. For children under 12, I recommend 45-60 minute lessons as their attention span is shorter. As for frequency, most students meet once or twice per week – once weekly for maintenance and steady progress, twice weekly for faster improvement or exam preparation with tight deadlines. We can also do intensive courses (4-5 times per week) if you're preparing for an interview, presentation, or moving abroad soon. Sołacz professionals with busy schedules often prefer consistent weekly lessons at their home on al. Wielkopolska or at Milano Trattoria during lunch breaks.

📅 How flexible is scheduling?

Very flexible! I serve Sołacz throughout the day – mornings before work, afternoons, evenings after work, and Saturdays. If you work from your home near Park Sołacki, we can schedule during your lunch break. Parents on ul. Maltańska often schedule right when children come home from school. Need to reschedule? Just let me know 24 hours in advance and we'll find another time. The beauty of mobile service is that I adapt to your schedule, not the other way around. Busy week? We can switch to a quick online lesson. Beautiful Saturday morning? Let's walk through Park Sołacki. It's your English education, on your terms.

🌍 As an Australian, can you teach American or British English too?

Absolutely! This is actually one of my unique strengths. While I'm a native Australian English speaker, I've lived and worked extensively in the United States, throughout Europe, and in the United Kingdom. This international business experience means I understand not just the accent differences, but the crucial contextual and cultural nuances between English variants.

Vocabulary differences I teach:

• Walking surfaces: American "sidewalk" vs British "pavement" vs Australian "footpath"
• Buildings: US "apartment/elevator" vs UK "flat/lift" vs AU "unit/lift"
• Vehicles: US "trunk/hood" vs UK "boot/bonnet" vs AU "boot/bonnet"
• Business terms: Different meeting culture, email formality, presentation styles

Why this matters for Sołacz professionals: If you're working with American tech companies, you need to understand American directness in communication. If you're dealing with British clients, you need to recognize their more indirect, polite communication style. If you're preparing for IELTS (British-based) vs TOEFL (American-based), the examiners expect different things. Having worked in business contexts across all three regions, I can prepare you for the real-world English you'll actually encounter, not just textbook differences.

Many Sołacz students specifically seek me out because they need US English for tech/business or UK English for academic/professional contexts, but they value that I can teach the nuances of all variants. Whether you're relocating to New York, London, or Sydney, preparing for international meetings, or studying at a UK/US university – I've lived that experience and can guide you through the cultural and linguistic differences that matter.

🎓 What qualifications and experience do you have?

I'm a native English speaker from Australia with years of experience teaching English to Polish students. I specialize in Business English (presentations, negotiations, meetings, emails), exam preparation (Cambridge FCE/CAE/CPE, IELTS, TOEFL), pronunciation coaching, and conversation practice. What sets me apart isn't just being a native speaker – it's understanding the specific challenges Polish speakers face: articles (a/an/the), verb tenses, pronunciation issues like "th" sounds and "v" vs "w". I've worked with everyone from children preparing for their first English lessons to executives at major companies preparing for international presentations. Many of my Sołacz students are professionals, families who value quality education, and students preparing to study abroad.

🆓 Do you offer a free trial lesson?

I offer a free 15-minute consultation – either by phone, video call, or in person at a Sołacz café like Petit Paris. This gives us a chance to discuss your goals, current level, and learning style. You can ask questions, hear my accent, and see if we're a good fit. It's completely no-pressure – if you decide lessons aren't right for you, absolutely no problem. After the consultation, if you'd like to proceed, we schedule a regular paid lesson. Many Sołacz students appreciate this approach because it eliminates uncertainty. You can meet me at Francuski Łącznik over coffee, or I can stop by your home near Port Sołacz for a quick chat. No commitment, just conversation.

🚗 What if I prefer to come to your office instead?

You're welcome to! My professional teaching space is at ul. Sierotki Marysi 19 in Grunwald (about 10-15 minutes from Sołacz by car, 20 minutes by bike). The office has whiteboards, all teaching materials, a quiet professional environment, and free street parking nearby. However, most Sołacz students prefer I come to them because it saves 20-40 minutes of commute time. If you enjoy the structure of coming to a dedicated learning space, my office is great. If you value convenience and flexibility, home lessons or café meetings in Sołacz typically work better. We can also mix both – some students do home lessons on al. Wielkopolska during the week and come to my office for intensive Saturday sessions.

💻 Are online lessons as effective as in-person?

Online lessons via Zoom or Skype are surprisingly effective – you get the same native speaker quality, personalized attention, and materials, just through a screen. Many Sołacz professionals actually prefer online for consistency: bad weather? No problem. Traveling for work? Continue lessons. Working late at your home office on ul. Podgórska? We can do a 7pm lesson without you leaving your desk. That said, in-person lessons offer unique benefits: body language, physical materials, the energy of face-to-face conversation, and for children, the interactivity of games and activities works better in person. Most students use a hybrid approach – in-person when convenient (home lessons, Park Sołacki walks, café at Milano Trattoria), online when life gets busy. Maximum flexibility.

📚 Do I need to buy textbooks or materials?

No! I provide all materials as part of my lessons. I bring everything we need – whether it's business English materials for your presentation, exam prep materials for Cambridge or IELTS, conversation prompts, pronunciation exercises, or activities for children. That said, for serious students who want to accelerate progress, I can recommend specific resources to supplement our lessons – textbooks, apps, podcasts, YouTube channels. But the core lesson materials? I've got you covered. This is another advantage of home lessons: I arrive at your place on ul. Maltańska or near Park Sołacki with everything ready to go. You don't need to buy, carry, or organize anything.

❓ What if I'm a complete beginner? Can you teach basics in Polish?

Absolute beginners are welcome! While I teach in English to maximize immersion (this accelerates learning), I do speak some Polish and can explain difficult concepts or grammar rules in Polish when needed, especially for beginners. However, you'll be amazed how much English you can learn through gestures, visuals, repetition, and context even as a beginner. That's actually how children learn languages naturally. For complete beginners, we start with practical, useful English – greetings, introductions, numbers, colors, basic questions – and build from there. Many Sołacz parents have me work with their children starting from zero English, and it's incredible how quickly kids pick it up from a native speaker. For adult beginners, home lessons on al. Wielkopolska or at a quiet café like Francuski Łącznik work best because there's no pressure or embarrassment.