About the Author

Helen Stephenson first taught business English in the 1980s. She has written in-house training courses and a course for upper-secondary students. She teaches at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya. John Hughes has worked in ELT for twenty years as a teacher, teacher trainer and director of studies. Currently, he runs training courses, both face-to-face and online. He is also an author with over 20 ELT books. His books for Cengage Learning and National Geographic Learning include Spotlight on FCE, Practical Grammar, Total Business and the new six-level National Geographic course for adult learners called Life. My career in ELT began in Oxford in 1987, first as a teacher, then DoS, then Vice principal of Godmer House School of English. In 1996, I set up my own school teaching English to professionals which I ran for 10 years, giving it up in 2006 to concentrate on writing full-time. My interests have always centred around needs-based learning: from task-based learning for general English students through business English teaching to specialised ESP courses. As a teacher and a writer, my aim is to develop materials that are meaningful and thought-provoking - that offer more than just language learning. I seek out projects that offer this possibility. This was what led me to work with National Geographic on the adult series, LIFE. My publications include: Success with BEC (Summertown 2008), Energy English (Cengage 2010) and LIFE (National Geographic Learning (2012). I live in Oxford with my wife (and children when they come home). I love exercise (tennis, yoga, swimming, cycling and walking), reading and travel and I like to combine all three as often as I can.