Professional English

Nicholas's English Toolbox

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English for Diplomacy

Communicate with clarity, judgement and purpose.

Practise careful professional English for proposals, briefings, formal meetings, correspondence and international cooperation.

Who it is for

For professionals whose English needs to carry their expertise.

Designed for professionals working across embassies, ministries, international organisations, development programmes and cross-border partnerships who need to communicate clearly in English.

Proposals and negotiation

Recommending, qualifying a position, exploring alternatives and moving towards agreement.

Briefings and meetings

Framing the issue, contributing with judgement, clarifying meaning and confirming next steps.

Formal correspondence

Writing concise notes, requests, responses and follow-up messages in an appropriate tone.

Public-facing communication

Explaining requests, procedures and next steps clearly and respectfully.

Missions and events

Coordinating programmes, visits, timings, introductions and changes.

International cooperation

Adapting tone, checking shared understanding and reducing avoidable ambiguity.

Practical outcomes

Make careful contributions easier to understand and act on.

Practice stays focused on the English needed to present a position, respond constructively and keep international work moving.

Present a clear proposal

State the purpose, reasoning and requested action without losing the necessary nuance.

Contribute with judgement

Practise entering a discussion, qualifying a position, disagreeing carefully and testing an alternative.

Write for action and record

Turn complex discussion into concise correspondence, a clear summary and confirmed next steps.

Try the five-minute sample

A short public demonstration

Write your answer before you open the example.

No sign-up is needed. Type a short response below, use the checklist, then compare it with one possible answer. This is a demonstration, not an assessment.

1 · Your prompt

In three sentences, recommend another look at a proposal whose objectives are sound but whose schedule allows too little time for partner consultation. Suggest extending the consultation phase by two weeks and finish with a constructive question.

2 · Your answer

Your draft is not sent to Nicholas or saved by this website. Do not enter names, personal information or confidential workplace details.

3 · Self-check
  • Open with a clear but measured recommendation.
  • Separate support for the objectives from concern about the schedule.
  • Offer a specific alternative rather than only criticising.
  • End by inviting a practical next step.
4 · Compare with one possible answer

I suggest taking another look at the proposal. Its objectives are sound, but the schedule leaves too little time for partner consultation. Could we retain the objectives and extend the consultation phase by two weeks before confirming the next step?

This example shows one clear approach; your answer may be different.

This is a fictional language-practice example, not official, policy, legal or consular advice. This short, fictional demonstration is separate from Nicholas’s proprietary course materials and preliminary lesson plans, which remain private and may be reviewed during the introductory Zoom conversation.

How lessons work

Practise the communication, not just the vocabulary.

Lessons rehearse the English needed for careful professional communication, with direct feedback on clarity, tone and structure. The training develops language skills; it does not provide diplomatic, policy, legal or consular advice.

Every programme follows the English Toolbox Method: diagnose the real need, design the focus, rehearse the work and track what is improving.

Selected proprietary materials and a preliminary lesson plan can be reviewed privately during the introductory Zoom conversation. They are not published on this website.

  • Live practice and immediate feedback
  • Materials adapted to your role and short audio models
  • Between-session practice with an answer key
  • Progress notes and practical next steps
  • Participation certificate after completion

Specialist programme formats

Choose the depth that matches your priorities.

Learn privately one to one or as one private team of two to six from the same organisation. Each scheduled 60-minute live contact hour is USD 110; optional focused writing feedback is priced separately for each learner.

10 hoursFocused Priority20 hoursApplied Practice30 hoursRole-Specific Communication

Compare programme fees, scope and inclusions

Bring greater clarity to the conversation.

The consultation is free. Submitting a request does not book a lesson or require payment.