These valued clients trust us to deliver consistent results, we enjoy exceeding their expectations.
Add your business to our list of valued clients, and join the ever-growing group of companies that we’ve helped to excel.
Rita Baker is a director and founder of LEC
I’ve been working in the field of language communication since 1970.
I graduated in French and Spanish (Exeter University), trained as a specialist EFL teacher (London University Institute of Education ) and did a course in managing dyslexia (Aston University). I have taught, and trained teachers in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. My learners have ranged in age from 4 to 86! Since 1985 I have specialised in teaching English for Business and have run trainer courses for the Cert. IBET.
As a founder and director of this small training centre I am involved in every part of the operation, but my main passion is training innovation and development.
I have a particular interest in the psychology of language learning, individual learning styles, intercultural issues, pronunciation and accelerated learning techniques. I love to share this with other members of the profession through workshops and presentations at international conferences. I am the creator of the GlobalApproach™.
My interests, when I am not teaching, training or hosting our resident ‘students’, are singing, drama, and clothes design. I am a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and I do some sailing and motor biking with Duncan. We both enjoy our family, especially our grandchildren.
If you have any questions about training or the origin of the GlobalApproach™ you can contact me on: rita.baker@lydbury.co.uk
Duncan Baker is a director and founder of LEC
Working as a member of a small team means that I have several roles. My responsibility as administration Director also includes IT and financial management, and property and vehicle maintenance.
My first career was as a submarine officer in the Royal Navy. In 1976 I joined the Diplomatic Service. I worked in Chancery in the British High Commision in Nairobi, Kenya, after which I studied Arabic before serving as Chargé d’Affaires for the British Embassy in Sana’a in the Yemen Arab Republic. I have a Master’s Degree (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) from the London University Institute of Education (1998). I am a Fellow of the RSA.
Rita and I founded Lydbury English Centre in 1985 and it has been our home ever since. We have 4 adult children and 4 grandchildren.
As well as being your hosts at Lydbury English Centre we are also members of the Lydbury training team. We both give regular workshops at professional conferences, and I am on the committee of BESIG, an international specialist group of Business English trainers.
I have lots of interests. I love sailing and have certificates in ocean navigation and maritime bridge watching. I also love my motorbike. I enjoy playing my bassoon in our local orchestra and have recently become interested in bird watching. My other hobby is cooking – so I prepare breakfast each morning!
Please contact me on duncan.baker@lydbury.co.uk
Julie Humble is the Training Manager at LEC
I’m Julie Humble. I’ve been a key member of the training team since 1992. I coordinate the work of our trainers and plan the delivery of our full range of training programmes.
For most of my time I’m delivering training sessions myself, but it is also my responsibility to ensure that every course is adapted to the personal learning style and individual language needs of each person who comes here for training.
My qualifications include a BSc (Hons) in Linguistic and International Studies (French, with German and Economics), a Diploma in TESOL, a Certificate in Teaching English for Business and a Certificate in Further Education Teaching. I am also a member of both the Institute of Linguists and the Institute for Learning.
I enjoy my job because it is very stimulating to work with people from so many different linguistic, corporate and cultural backgrounds. Above all I love helping learners to become more effective and confident communicators in English.
I am also a member of the Trinity International ESOL Examiner Panel and an occasional Visiting Lecturer at the University of Wolverhampton.
I’m especially interested in helping people to use English to lead international workshops and training sessions. I’m also researching the implications of assumptions in teaching and learning, and looking at the importance of English in international sport.
If you would like to discuss any of these areas, please contact me: julie.humble@lydbury.co.uk
Kate King is a Director and Trainer at LEC
I’m Kate King (previously Baker) and I am a Civil and Structural Engineer who has specialised in teaching English. I have been helping people to communicate across all sectors, levels and media in technical and non-technical roles for small national and large international organisations for over 10 years. I have a Master’s Degree in Civil and Structural Engineering with Architecture, and qualified for my CELTA in 2010.
I love connecting ideas and helping others to do the same. The best part of working at LEC is learning from our highly experienced clients and being able to share new thinking and ideas as well as delivering accelerated language learning. I’m always learning too.
I’ve grown up at LEC since I was four and I adore having an ‘international family’. I now live in Shropshire with my husband and I’m very glad to be involved in LEC in my work.
When I’m not helping people to excel in their job in English, I love supporting community and education projects and helping conversations between the public and voluntary sectors. Even English speakers need help communicating in English!
If you’d like to know more about how we can help you to develop your specialist or ‘technical’ English, feel free to contact me on kate.king@lydbury.co.uk.
Margaret Hay-Campbell is a regular member of the freelance team at LEC
I was born in New Zealand but have lived and worked in the UK and abroad since 1972. I have a Masters degree in English Language Teaching from the University of Manchester (1998) and also hold the Diploma in Teaching English as a Foreign Language to Adults. For the past thirty years I have taught English both in the UK and abroad in Egypt, Zimbabwe, Congo, Russia and Norway. I have also had considerable experience of training English Language teachers and helped to create and pilot the Pitmans ACE certificate in ELT, an initial training certificate for those teaching English abroad. I have been a free lance trainer at Lydbury since 2005 and specialise particularly in developing students communicative skills in business and cross-cultural areas.
I have been very impressed with the effectiveness of the training programme at Lydbury. Students really seem to progress in their understanding and use of English while they are with us.
Steph Glasbergen is the Marketing and Finance Manager
I started working for Lydbury English Centre in 2006 as administration and marketing manager, however since the birth of my daughter in 2011 I am now responsible for marketing and finance. In my new role I do anything from researching synergies with new companies who might benefit from our services, working with agents and HR managers to invoicing and reporting.
Besides Duncan and Rita (who live on site) I have a very short commute to work as I live just a 5 minute walk away. My husband is a horse riding instructor and we live at our riding stables. This is great news for students who love horses or have never tried riding before!
Born and bred in Australia, I feel very luck to live in such a beautiful rural area and still have contact with a wide range of international people (even though it means missing out on the sunny Australian climate!). Please contact me on: steph.glasbergen@lydbury.co.uk
Clare Russell is the Administration Manager at LEC
I work as the Administration Manager at Lydbury English Centre. I organise your bookings from your initial enquiry, helping you to book the right course for your training needs, through to arranging the taxi to pick you up at the airport.
I really enjoy the satisfaction of helping you to feel confident and excited about your experience here.
Before I came here I managed another adult residential training centre and previously worked in London in commercial television. I love living in Shropshire now, I enjoy walking the hills with my three children and wild swimming. Please contact me on: clare.russell@lydbury.co.uk
What we do: we specialise in intensive training for adult professionals who need to be able to communicate internationally in English in the shortest possible time.
In order to be able to deliver our promise through our unique, tailored approach, we limit our numbers to a maximum of 8 resident participants each week.
Who we work with: we work with a range of companies from very large to very small, mainly with middle to senior managers. As well as manufacturing, engineering and service industries we also work with financial institutions and banks. Our individual clients include lawyers, doctors, politicians and diplomats. The age range is typically 30-55. The absolute minimum age is 23.
Why we started LEC: we set up the business in 1985 because as well-travelled linguists we realised there must be a better way of learning to speak another language than by the usual, traditional methods. It is our passion to help people break down barriers by being able to communicate across borders. Shropshire seemed to be the perfect place. It is a place of unspoilt beauty, the home of friendly welcoming people with a gentle, pleasing accent. Best of all, there are very few language schools here, so with very few other non-native speakers of English we can offer immersion in a genuine, 360° native English speaking environment.
What we brought to it: Duncan brought to it his experience of management in the military as well communicating internationally in his former role as a diplomat, with a good deal of responsibility, often in delicate situations. He was frustrated with the way he had been taught Arabic and wanted to create the kind of ideal environment in which he would have liked to learn.
Rita had already been a teacher of English for 15 years and a teacher-trainer for 5 years. She had extended her expertise and become a dyslexia specialist and advisor for both native and non-native speakers of English. Her experience included working with pre-school learners up to mature adults, in Africa, Europe and the Middle East.
How we have developed: it is important to us to maintain a leading edge team of trainers. We also try to drive up standards in the rest of the industry.
Our team: we have a uniquely qualified, permanent team of trainers with genuine business backgrounds – including engineering, systems thinking (and quality processes), consumer electronics, and communications. We invest generously in the training of our team. This includes how to give you the tools of our GlobalApproach™ system which we have pioneered and developed since 1985, and how to recognise and respond to your personal style. Our team attends key industry-leading events. We also collaborate with leaders in other fields to ensure that we can deliver a high level of training in related soft skills in combination with our advanced language training system.
Pictures of Lydbury English Centre
Pictures of Ludlow
Our on-site accommodation is the most popular. We also have some excellent host families in the village. These are all within 2 minutes’ walk of the centre. All rooms have private bathrooms. You also have 24/7 access to our student lounge and self-study material. Tea and coffee is available at all times, free of charge.
The food at LEC is excellent! Our house-keeper creates weekly menus including international cuisine using fresh organic produce as much as possible. If you have any specific dietary requirements (religious, vegetarian/vegan, coeliac, lactose intolerant etc.) please contact us in advance so that we can make the necessary arrangements for you.
During the week we provide all meals up to Friday lunchtime, and self-service breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays. We also offer free Sunday lunch at the village pub, and we can organise food for you on the day of your arrival (normally Friday or Sunday evening).
After your course we will send you a personalised English language profile based on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) with an overall departure level, a breakdown of this level into different components and a future target level for each component. We will also advise you on future study and liaise with your language trainer at home if you wish.
Weekly courses start every Monday except for 3 weeks over the Christmas and New Year period. (You need to arrive on Sunday evening). We also offer weekend courses throughout the year. (For these you need to arrive on Friday evening). Providing we have vacancies you can book up to 7 working days before your arrival.
Contact us to see if your preferred date is available.
As part of our quality assurance process we have a system of daily feedback. All our training programmes are dynamic; we can respond immediately to your needs and make any changes that our necessary. You can talk freely to any of the trainers or directors. We value your end of course feedback and appreciate your constructive suggestions. These give us the input we need to help us adapt and keep our training up-to-date.
As an external measure for quality assurance we are regularly inspected under the British Council Accreditation Scheme. If you have any cause for complaint about Lydbury English Centre, please contact: AccreditationUK at the British Council
Current we use a computer translation of the site. We hope this is helpful for you. We are gradually trying to improve the quality of the translation and would be grateful for your feedback.