I was born in Colchester, England, and now live in Yokohama, Japan. I'm fascinated by the differences and similarities between East and West, and have spent over three decades living in and learning about Japan.

 

I'm also passionate about aviation, and in 2006 I was a founding member of the aviation programme at J. F. Oberlin University in Tokyo, Japan. Since then I've taught thousands of students how to use English effectively as pilots, cabin crew, air traffic controllers and airport staff.

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I've published a set of textbooks that help non-native speakers of English learn how to communicate effectively in international airlines and airports. The links at the top of this page have information about the textbooks and extra resources.

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My research aims to improve aviation safety by studying the causes of accidents that involve communication problems. I'm particularly interested in airline accidents involving communication problems between native speakers of English and non-native speakers.

 

You can use the links at the top of this page to see some of my research, my textbooks, and information about aviation English. If you have similar interests, please contact me. Thank you and fly safely!