Read a great short story, or a real moment from history — or step straight into a conversation you're going to have anyway. Learn the words that unlock it. Then do the one thing that actually builds fluency — talk about it. Every lesson is a story worth telling, at your level.
Two flagship libraries, each lesson a complete speaking class at two levels — a great text, its key words, a grammar focus, and real talk.
Thirty-eight tales that turn on their final line — O. Henry, Poe, Chekhov, Maupassant, Chopin, Doyle and more. Read closely, then mine each for words, grammar and conversation. Every story at two levels.
Explore the stories →Eighty-six real events — Pompeii, Cleopatra, the Berlin Wall, the Suffragettes, Alcatraz, the Mary Celeste — each a full speaking lesson at two levels, with a grammar focus and the real podcast as listening.
Explore the history →The same simple shape every time — built so that you do almost all the talking.
A great short story, or a true moment from history — something you actually want to talk about.
The key vocabulary first, in context, so the text (and the grammar in it) suddenly makes sense.
Read it in parts, with a light grammar focus drawn from the text itself — never a dry rule.
The heart of it: timed speaking tasks that turn the story into real, confident conversation.
Story is how people actually learn and remember language — so the approach reaches well beyond the two series, into work and exams too.
The story method for professionals — frame a narrative, reframe an argument, and move the room.
For exams · IELTS30+ lessonsEvery true story becomes a ready-made Task 2 example and Speaking material — sequenced by theme, matched to the exact exam question.
For exams · IELTSIELTS built from genuinely interesting texts — the reading, writing and speaking grow out of each story.
For business18 lessonsReal workplace scenarios told as scenes you step into — from first handshake to signed contract.
And 2,850+ moreGrammar, pronunciation, business, exam skills — every need covered. Not all story-shaped, all free and interactive.
Most of the site is built for confident speakers — but if you're just starting out, there's a story-led path in, with review built in so the words actually stick.
Not a text this time — a situation. You're dropped into one real conversation, taught the exact phrases that make it work, then you play both sides of it. Forty-five situations, and the phrases come out with you.
Everyday conversations as story role plays — a museum, a doctor's, a market — each carrying a small echo of a moment from history. Now at two levels: B2/C1 and an easier A2/B1.
B2 / C115 role playsSpeaking role plays for the conversations the modern world actually throws at us — group chats, screen-time, an honest review, a one-star reply, the house guest who stayed, a friend to make, and the drink you're not having tonight.
B2 / C130 role playsCarry your expertise into English — meetings, negotiating, the pay rise, the sales call, the front desk, training the new person, letting someone go, and keeping the client who asked for "a native speaker".
🔎 Search every role play — by the situation, or by the words you need →
Same philosophy, different angles — all built to get you saying more, and saying it better.
The six conversations everyone has every week — and the grammar that makes each one run. You talk your way through all of it.
A2 → C1any topicYou bring any topic; the page builds it up with you, from a single word to two fluent minutes.
B1 → C114 lessonsTen remarkable thinkers — Rumi, Arendt, Curie, Camus, Ibn Khaldun — each with one big, arguable idea.
B2 / C110 lessonsSunlight through leaves — conversation on the quiet borderlands of psychology and everyday life.
B1+Discussion-based lessons on philosophy, ethics and ideas.
B1+More discussion lessons exploring ideas and ethics.
B1+Fluency and natural expression — sounding like yourself in English.
A2 → C175 lessonsVocabulary, readings and discussion prep, built step by step into real fluency.
B2+A full course built from the way people actually talk.
C1 → C2Conversation mastery — nuance, spontaneity and real-time control.
B1+The moves and phrases that keep any conversation flowing.
A2 → C148 games48 game-based speaking lessons — courtroom interrogations, investor pitches, conspiracy theories.
"I've been learning English for many years, and Malcolm is by far the best teacher I've ever had — professional, genuinely interested, and also funny. He's very well-read, so we can discuss a wide range of topics. I always look forward to our classes, and I can see real progress."
"Malcolm is a great teacher and a really nice person. In just 8 classes, he helped me improve my IELTS speaking from 6 to 7. It was a pleasure learning from him, and I highly recommend him!"
"My English has significantly improved since I started lessons with him. He always observes your English and gives feedback, adjusting the lesson to your needs. The atmosphere is always positive, funny and without any pressure."
Every course and dashboard, organised. Nothing hidden — jump to what you need.
Learn from zero by following Mia's story — a few words each lesson, with review built in so they stick.
A1 → A250 lessonsFrom absolute beginner to A2, step by step.
A2 → C150 lessonsThe next step — interactive lessons from elementary upwards.
A1 → C150 gamesFun vocabulary games to build your first words fast.
Complete grammar hub — every point across all six levels, with lessons.
A2 → C150 lessonsInteractive lessons from elementary to advanced.
A1 → A250 lessonsFrom absolute beginner to A2, step by step.
A1 → C2Find your gaps with six games, one per level.
A2 → C2500 lessonsPick any topic that interests you — grammar and speaking built in.
A bank of real Task 2 examples and Speaking material — sequenced by theme, each tied to a real question.
B2 → C1Full IELTS workouts built from genuinely interesting texts.
Reading10 testsFull timed tests, every question type, instant scoring.
All skillsThe complete course index — writing, reading, speaking, listening.
Charts, graphs, maps and process diagrams.
Task 1 · B29 lessonsTrends, comparisons and overview structure — the complete Band-7 toolkit.
Timed practice for every essay type, with model answers and self-check.
Task 28 lessonsFrom sentences to essays with a Bestiary memory system.
B2 → C17 workshopsInteractive workshops for every Task 2 type — plus Task 1 graphs.
Interactive listening lessons — pre-listening, vocabulary and comprehension. Ideal prep for the IELTS listening test.
Run a full mock speaking test on your own — timed Part 1, 2 and 3 prompts, anytime.
Part 1The opening questions — build confident, natural answers.
Band 7+The Band 7+ structures that lift your speaking score.
Vocabulary games across all 10 IELTS topic areas.
Use of English, reading, writing, speaking and listening.
C1 · CAE5 essaysGuided Writing Part 1 essays with model answers and examiner notes.
C1 → C230 lessonsFascinating passages with Cambridge-style tasks and discussion.
IB DP · Paper 16 lessonsFrom Band 5 to Band 7 — one paragraph shape, one self-mark protocol.
IB DP · Companion6 lessonsPoe, Gogol, Bierce, Chopin, Saki — spot the technique, name the effect.
273 professional scenarios mapped by industry and function.
B1+Business English and workplace communication.
B1Leading and taking part in professional meetings.
B2 → C18 lessonsPitching, negotiation, leadership and business acumen.
A2 → C118 lessonsFrom first handshake to signed contract.
C1+12 lessonsFrame stories, reframe narratives, and move rooms.
PhD · C1+5 streamsFor researchers working in English — reading, writing, argumentation.
Hedging, argument structure, speculation, high-stakes speaking.
C25 lessonsAnalogy, calibrated certainty, persuasion, reading the room.
C26 lessonsWhen excellent English isn't enough — register and pragmatics.
C1 → C26 lessons30 advanced expressions locked into memory with the Bestiary system.
C2 · Teens6 lessonsUniversity-level discourse for ages 15–18 — AI, climate, philosophy.
Rhythm, vowels, connected speech, intonation and shadowing.
B1 → C19 lessonsPre-listening, vocabulary and comprehension activities.
B2 → C1A structured course in clear, well-organised academic writing.
B2 → C16 lessonsFrom the blank page to a finished, performable poem.
Master the ancient techniques of the memory champions.
20 lessonsA history of Britain in Marshall's beautiful prose.
50 lessonsFrom Thales to the present — 2,600 years of thought.
30 lessonsFrom the Garden to Gassendi — Epicurean philosophy.
970 items970 facts mapped to the Dewey Decimal System.
200+ creaturesA mnemonic system for encoding names.
22 books22 key annotated texts on the art of memory.
KS3 foundations, AQA GCSE and A-Level. The master hub for all years.
Year 7 · KS3The foundation year — what worldviews are and how to explore them.
Year 8 · KS3Drawing links and contrasts across traditions and ideas.
Year 9 · KS3Building the evaluation skills the GCSE demands.
Year 10 · GCSEBeliefs, teachings and practices — the AQA GCSE course begins.
Year 11 · GCSEThemes, ethics and exam technique — the final GCSE year.
Every lesson on this site is free — for students to learn from and teachers to use in class. If you'd like a real teacher to bring them to life, book a trial with me on Preply.
Book a trial lesson on Preply →
Why story is the fastest way in — the thinking behind the method
The research behind how I design every lesson