Helping Professionals Express Their Ideas with Precision and Confidence
Hi. I am Maksym Achkasov, a Business English Trainer and TESOL educator. I work with adult professionals who want to use English more effectively at work, particularly when they need to explain complex ideas, structure an argument, participate in discussions, present their expertise, or simply communicate with greater confidence. Based in Graz, I work both locally in-person and online with professionals who use English in international business settings (e.g., meetings, presentations, negotiations, telephoning, and correspondence).
I have been teaching Business English for many years. And as an educator, I enjoy language. I love words, grammar, lexical structures, and those little details and small differences that can completely change the meaning of what we say. Yet, over the years, I have become increasingly interested in something beyond language itself. I am also drawn to the questions of how people form their thoughts, how they organise their ideas, and to what extent their language knowledge allows them to convey what they actually want or intend to say.
This is especially important when we use English at work. It can be frustrating when you find yourself unable to get your ideas across clearly to a business partner or client. You may know your subject quite well, have years of professional experience, genuinely be an expert in your field, and have a valuable idea to contribute, but still find it difficult to explain it clearly, develop an argument, or express your position with confidence and precision.
That is exactly the part of English teaching that I find most interesting.
How I became an English teacher
My professional path has not always been limited to language teaching. I studied theology at the University of Manchester and later taught Systematic Theology and other subjects at a theological seminary in Ukraine. I also worked as an educational research analyst.
Over the years, I came to the conclusion that the true value of education is about change; I mean whether or not a person is at least to some degree different at the end of a course or programme.
I believe this change happens through encouraging learners and creating an environment where they can not only understand something, but also take the ownership of it - think it through, form and opinion and find their own way of expressing it. Thus, English became the field in which I could bring these interests together.
I started teaching English professionally in the early 2000s and have continued developing as an educator ever since. Over the years, I have taught adults at different levels, worked both online and face-to-face, taught groups and one-to-one, developed courses and assessments, and worked with learners from many different backgrounds.
In 2007, I started English4real Language Studio and developed materials for the school's website, www.english4real.com. What began as a way of supporting learners gradually grew into an educational platform with a large collection of lessons and learning resources.
Since then, I have continued to teach, create materials, and explore better ways of helping adults use English in meaningful contexts.
What I enjoy most about teaching
I particularly enjoy the moment of insight, when something that was previously for me rather complicated or challenging all of a sudden becomes clear and understandable. Sometimes I feel the desire or “urge” to share what I have learned, and I especially enjoy seeing others understand something new and how they then become able to use it in their lives.
I also love helping learners tackle challenging questions; specifically those where they need to demonstrate that they understand the question, think through an answer, choose the position they want to defend, and structure their argument so that the answer becomes clear, coherent, logical and complete.
Another thing I find particularly rewarding is helping learners find the words and structures that enable them to express exactly what they think, feel or know. Sometimes a learner is pretty sure what they want to say, but they may find that the words do not come up easily. Sometimes the problem is not so much related to vocabulary or grammar. Very often it is the ideas themselves that need to be organised.
So I try to help them clarify:
- What is the main point I want to get across?
- What exactly is the question I need to answer?
- What should come first in my argument?
- What is the evidence, and how relevant is it?
- How are the different points connected and brought into a coherent structure?
- What should the listener understand, be informed about, or persuaded of?
I enjoy working through these questions together. That is what makes Business English teaching particularly and rather fascinating to me: helping professionals take the knowledge, experience and ideas they already have and put them into practice with English as a second language.
For me, a good lesson is not simply time in which we practise English. It is rather a process built around dialogue and meaningful conversation, in which we think, organise, express, listen, reconsider, reevaluate, improve and try again.
This is why I am keen on argument structure and persuasive communication. I like helping people build an answer step by step, develop a coherent argument, and communicate their reasoning in a way that other people can understand and take seriously. Actually, this reflects the central approach that I try to use in my work: communication develops through structured thinking, linguistic precision, dialogue and conscious practical application.
From knowing to using English
Many non-beginner English learners realise that there is a significant difference between knowing English and being able to use it effectively when they need to communicate. The thing is that you may understand practically everything that is being said in a meeting and yet hesitate when it is your turn to speak. You may have an opinion but not be sure how to structure your answer. Or you may know exactly what you want to say in your first language but feel that your English makes you sound less precise, less grounded or less confident than you really are.
This is the gap I focus on when working with the students. In my work, I try to help learners see how they can bring their already existing knowledge, experience and professional expertise into English. Our goal here is not to sound impressive, but to sound coherent and convincing. Our aim is to seek ways in which your English may reflect the quality of your thinking and your professional knowledge.
I like listening
This is perhaps one of the most important things I have learned through the years as a teacher which is that good learning process begins with the educator’s good listening. I genuinely enjoy meaningful and constructive conversations about various subjects and different areas of life. I like to hear people, listen to their stories, how they think, what they have experienced, what interests them, and what questions they are trying to answer. This actually makes every learner different and practically every class unique and original.
Partially, this is why I believe a lesson does not always have to strictly follow the textbook topic. Sometimes a conversation can lead somewhere unexpected, and at times that is where the most useful and relevant learning takes place. My role here is not simply to speak and explain. I listen, ask questions, help organise ideas, notice patterns and provide feedback.
I am still a learner myself
Besides teaching, I also pretty much enjoy learning. I find pleasure in thinking, reflecting, discovering something I did not understand before, finding connections between ideas, and gaining new insights. I am fascinated by people who are capable of seeing something, feeling something, and finding the right words to describe what they notice or experience. There is a certain kind of pleasure and satisfaction in that moment when something becomes clear. This is one reason I continue to study myself. My professional development has included TESOL, Business English, language assessment, adult education, emotional intelligence, and other areas of teaching and learning. More recently, I have also been learning German in Austria. Being a learner myself reminds me that learning is not always straightforward. It requires patience, attention, curiosity, and a willingness to allow myself to make mistakes.Why English4real?
I started www.english4real.com shortly after I began working as an entrepreneur and running TESOL courses. I felt a rather immediate need to have something that would support the learners I was working with. I wanted to give them additional tasks and exercises to accompany the in-person classes. Thus, I launched the website that is now being used by more than 10k daily.
For me, language development is a process, not an event. We start with a real context. We identify what needs to be communicated. We look at the language, but also at the structure of the message. We practise. We receive feedback. We reflect. Then we try again. Over time, the aim is to move from knowledge to application, from hesitation to clearer expression, and from rather fragmented language skills to communication that is coherent and purposeful. That is why my approach is dialogue-driven, structured and closely connected to real communication. The overall framework behind English4real can be described as a movement from content to structure, application, reflection and consistent development.
What I hope my learners gain
Of course, I want the learners I work with to develop a good knowledge of English grammar and lexis. But I also want something more specific. I want them to reach the point where they can genuinely say:
- “I know what I want to say.”
- “I know how to structure it.”
- “I can explain it clearly.”
- “I can justify my point of view and provide valid reasoning for it.”
- “I can participate in this conversation.”
And, perhaps most importantly:
- “My English represents me more precisely and accurately.”
Basically, that is what makes teaching Business English interesting to me. Not simply learning another language, but helping someone take the knowledge, experience and ideas they already have and put them into life in English.
