It’s time you were
.
The English I teach isn’t the textbook English you learned at school — the one that doesn’t work. It’s the real English people actually use, every day, all over the world. More useful, better sounding — and it’s gonna take your English to a whole new level.
JamesEnglish teacher · 12 years350,000 subscribers · risingStudents in 50+ countries
Forty-four sounds. I’ll show you every one.
See all 44 sounds →/θ/
think
Tongue between the teeth. Air through the gap. No voice.
/æ/
cat
Push your tongue forward, drop your jaw, and smile.
/uː/
moon
Lips rounded and pushed forward. Hold it. It’s long.
/ɜː/
bird
The middle of the mouth. Nothing moves. Long and lazy.
/əʊ/
go
Start in the middle, then round the lips as you go back.
Nobody talks like a textbook. So I teach the English people actually say.
What are you doing?
What you up to?
/wɒt jʊ ˈʌp tuː/
I am going to get a coffee.
Gonna grab a coffee.
/ˈɡənə ɡræb ə ˈkɒfi/
I do not know yet.
Dunno yet.
/dəˈnəʊ jet/
Thank you very much.
Cheers!
/tʃɪəz/
The textbook version is correct. Nobody says it.
What students say. In their own words.
“Mình thực sự rất thích cách James dạy. Mình cảm thấy tự tin hơn rất nhiều khi giao tiếp bằng tiếng Anh.”“I love the way James teaches. I feel far more confident speaking English.”
“Honestly one of the best teachers I’ve ever had. Lessons feel like real conversation, not grammar drills.”
«Зовсім не схожі на звичайні уроки англійської. Я не боюся робити помилки.»“Nothing like ordinary lessons. I’m never afraid of making mistakes.”
“James hears the small mistakes other teachers miss — and I’m never afraid to try.”
“James के lessons मुझे सबसे ज्यादा useful लगे। अब मुझे कहीं ज्यादा confidence महसूस होता है।”“James’s lessons are the most useful I’ve had. I speak with far more confidence now.”
“He pushes you to say complicated things — without ever making it stressful.”
“بدأت أشعر أن لغتي الإنجليزية أصبحت أكثر طبيعية.”“My English simply became more natural.”
“Professional, but genuinely funny. He explains why something sounds natural.”
“Now speaking is automatic, because we learn how people actually use the words.”
“James always finds me a better, more natural way to say it.”
“Textbook English isn’t real English. My speaking is the proof.”
Eleven students. Four wrote in languages James’s other students are still learning. Be the twelfth →
Lights off · Meet James
MEET JAMES.
An English teacher from the West Midlands, UK. Twelve years in, with 350,000 of you on YouTube and rising.
“If you know 2,000 words but pronounce 1,000 of them wrongly, people still won’t understand you.”
Did you know. Six things about me, and twenty-one more where they came from.
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Thai tones still defeat me
I teach pronunciation for a living and I still can’t land a Thai tone reliably. Classes start next week, so I’m about to be the worst student in the room. Whatever you’re struggling with, I promise I’m struggling with something too.
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I once filmed a whole hour with the microphone unplugged
Sixty minutes of me talking, nicely lit, absolutely silent. I had to film every second of it again. I now check that microphone about nine times before I start, and I still don’t trust it.
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My students started the channel, not me
They kept telling me I should film the lessons. Eventually I ran out of reasons not to, and now there are 350,000 of you.
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I eat cereal without milk
Not because I’ve run out. On purpose, with a glass of milk beside it. I love cereal and I love milk, and I refuse to ruin either one by combining them.
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Storms are half the reason I live here
I came to Thailand for the people and the food, and stayed a bit for the weather. Watching a proper storm roll in from my balcony is one of my favourite things in the world.
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I learned a backflip on purpose
Brown belt in Ju Jitsu, then a year of Shaolin Kung Fu. If I’m honest, I mostly wanted the backflip. I got the backflip.
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Cats are king
Dogs are lovely. Cats are king. That’s the whole position and I’m not moving off it.
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I’m much quieter than the videos suggest
I love people and I love a quiet room, and those two things argue with each other constantly.
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I’m still a language student
A bit of Spanish every day. German’s gone rusty and my French is worse. I know exactly what it feels like to open your mouth and find nothing there.
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I fall asleep to podcasts I’ve already heard
It only works if I’ve heard it before, because then it’s boring enough to send me off. To any podcaster reading this: I mean it as a compliment.
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Ocarina of Time is the greatest game ever made
Not up for debate, sorry. I still catch myself humming Saria’s Song at my desk, twenty-odd years later.
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Newcastle United, for my sins
Supporting them has taught me patience, hope and how to take disappointment on the chin. Useful skills for learning a language, now I think about it.
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Quesadillas, if I could only keep one food
Which surprised me too. Apologies to the roast dinner and the full English, both of which I would still fight for.
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Wifi that cuts out is my nemesis
That, rude people, and anyone who doesn’t like animals. Short list. I’m otherwise extremely relaxed.
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Tea. Obviously.
I’m English. There was never any doubt about this one.
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I’m oddly good at guessing what people are thinking
Extremely handy in a lesson, because I usually know which word you’re avoiding before you avoid it. Considerably less popular at home.
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I lived in Vietnam for years
Ho Chi Minh City, with Cambodia and Thailand whenever I could get away. Asia got hold of me early and never really let go.
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Jackie Chan started it
At fifteen I wanted to do stunts like him and fight like Jet Li. That is genuinely why I ended up in a Kung Fu class.
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I’ve watched The Lord of the Rings more than any other film
Extended editions, obviously. I would start them again tonight if anybody suggested it.
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My favourite word is “diabolical”
No idea why. It has just always sounded brilliant to me. Say it out loud once and you’ll see what I mean.
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Currently replaying Morrowind and Majora’s Mask
Two of the strangest games ever made, both at the same time. There’s a game of Civ on the go as well, which has never once ended at one more turn.
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Pool most weeks, snooker when I find a table
Ronnie O’Sullivan is the best there has ever been at anything, and I will happily lose an evening arguing about it.
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Japan, New Zealand, Egypt
The three places I most want to see. Japan first, if anybody’s offering.
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I work to film scores
Stargate, Elder Scrolls, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter. Words in the music are a distraction when you’re trying to write.
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I played saxophone until I was fourteen
Haven’t touched one since. I’m having a go at piano these days and I’m not going to pretend I’m any good.
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A walk, or a game and some snacks
That’s how a day ends. Either my head gets cleared on foot, or I’m curled up with Civ and something I probably shouldn’t be eating.
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George Carlin and Bill Hicks
Those two, plus whatever daft thing the internet made this week. Life is at its funniest when it’s going badly, and you may as well laugh.
Fancy a cuppa?= would you like a cup of tea?
James. Teacher. Not actually in space.
PICK YOUR SEAT.
Start free. Stay if it works.
All prices in USD. All lessons in English. Obviously.
You will be
UNDERSTOOD.
The calendar is loading. If it doesn’t appear, the link below always works.
Or book directly: calendly.com/jtempleton23No card. No test. Just talking.
FIN.BEGIN.