I'm Steve Ellis, a British English teacher and teacher trainer with 24 years' experience in English language teaching.

I've taught English in both Italy and Turkey, working in private and public schools with learners from a wide range of backgrounds. I've also worked as a teacher trainer for the British Council, in Malaysia and Thailand and as both a Centre Manager and Academic Manager at summer schools in the UK.

These days, I specialise particularly in helping upper-intermediate and advanced learners develop the language they need to communicate more naturally, accurately and confidently in English.

A major focus of my teaching is vocabulary — but not vocabulary as lists of individual words to memorise. Fluent speakers rely heavily on familiar combinations of words and patterns. That's why I place particular emphasis on phrasal verbs, collocations, idiomatic expressions and lexical chunks.

I've also worked extensively with learners preparing for the Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE) and C2 Proficiency (CPE) examinations, particularly in developing the vocabulary, speaking and writing skills required at these levels.

My teaching style is practical and conversational. I want learners to understand not only what an expression means, but how it's actually used, what other words it commonly combines with, when it sounds natural — and when it doesn't.

Through High Flyer English, I've created a wide range of courses, videos and learning resources for advanced English learners, and I've taught students online from many different countries.

My aim is simple: to help you develop an English vocabulary that you can actually use, rather than one that exists only in a vocabulary notebook.

If you already have a good command of English but want to take it further, I'd be delighted to help you do that.