FAQs - Click the relevant photo to find out more information

 · How do I request a service? When you have chosen a service, you can contact me with your name, email address and any specifics that I would need to know. Once I know all the details of the job I will let you know my availability. If this is appropriate for both parties I will send you an email finalising the price and requesting payment. As soon as it has been received, I will then begin the job.

· Which software are you able to use? Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Microsoft Excel (all MS are 2019), Google Sheets, Google Docs, Google Forms, Google Slides (all through Google Drive), Adobe Acrobat Reader DC, Windows Media Player and VLC Media Player.

· Which document formats do you cover? I am able to work with .txt, .docx, .doc, .pdf, .gdoc, .gslides, .gsheets, .gforms,  .ppt, .pptx, .xls, .xlsx, .rtf. Specifying the format during the initial job request would be very helpful when booking you in. Audio and video formats for transcription can be found below.

· How do you protect my privacy and confidentiality? According to the GDPR, and also from my own morals, I am accountable for the security of your data. In order to minimise the data I receive from a potential client, I do not require anyone to hold an account for my services, i.e. no registration forms to submit. All data that I receive will be kept within password-protected files. After 12 months of inactivity I will erase any information of yours that I hold, unless otherwise requested. Any original works that I receive will be deleted on successful completion of the task. For more information about your data please visit my Privacy Policy.

· What are your hours of operation? Do you have constant availability? I have no specific availability as I work flexible hours, hence having to confirm a job with a client before I take it on. I do not want to agree to more than I can handle but once a job is confirmed it is assured that I have taken any other obligations into consideration.

· What information do you need from me? I will need your name, the email address that I will be able to contact you with, the service required as well as any extra information, i.e. feedback format for beta reading.

· How long will each job take? The turnaround times can be found on the service page. Some jobs have specified times for each word-amount band, while others state a time per number of words. 

· Do you offer quicker turnaround times? Unfortunately not at this point, sorry.

· Which currency are your prices in? The prices on this website are in GBP and euros. I have PayPal accounts for these currencies. If you would like to pay in a different currency please contact me for the rate.

· What forms of payment do you accept? I take payment through PayPal, there is a link in the payment section which will take you to the PayPal site. I am also able to provide a Revolut link to your email address, if this would be a preferred method.

· The payment page doesn't have a price, how do I pay? As the price rates vary according to the length of the job, I have left this box blank. The link provides a shortcut to a PayPal form, in which you can enter the required payment.

· How will I know if you have received the payment? I will contact you as soon as I have received the payment. 

· Can you provide an invoice or a payment receipt? Yes, of course, I provide these on request.

· What if you are not able to finish a job in the agreed time frame? If, for some reason, I am not able to complete a job within the allotted time, I will return 100% of the money along with any work that I have completed. I will also offer you a 50% discount from your next booking.

· What if I am not happy with the outcome? If you are not satisfied with the work received, please tell me what the issue is. As long as time allows, we can work together to overcome the problem at no extra cost. If this is not possible, and we have considered all options, I will reimburse the original fee.

· What if I need to cancel a job that I have already paid for? If I have not yet started work on the document, perhaps due to the task being booked in for a later date, you will get a 100% refund. If you need to cancel within 48 hours of the job commencing then you will be charged 50% of the fee, the rest will be returned to you. If you cancel after I have started the work, you will receive a 0% refund and I will send you the work that I have completed. 

  · How can I send my document? You can either send this via email (50GB total space available), or through a shared folder with Google Drive (15GB) or Dropbox (2GB).

· What should I put as the subject when sending the document via email? Please enter your full name, the service requested and the word count.

· How will I know if you have received my document? I will contact you on receipt of the document.

· Will you provide updates? Please let me know if you would like to receive updates about my progress, whether every day or every other day.

· How will the feedback be given? This is up to you, as stated on the service page, I understand that some people would prefer to receive feedback chapter or chapter, while others would want the information according to each character. This is completely up to you.

· Will you make changes to my document? Unlike when proofreading, I will not be making any changes here. All notes and feedback will be entered onto a separate MS Word document, with references to the original. 

· If I resubmit my work to you at a later date will I have to pay the full amount again? In this case it is highly unlikely that you will have to submit your whole document, as you may have only edited certain parts. If this is the case, and as I will be familiar with your work, you need only send me the other portions that you wish for me to read over. Work out the word count of all of these sections and, if they amount to more than 1,500 words, you will receive 20% off the fee stated on the services page. 

· How can I send my document? You can either send this via email (50GB total space available), or through a shared folder with Google Drive (15GB) or Dropbox (2GB).

· Is there a certain layout and format that the document should be in, ready to be proofread? Prior to proofreading please put your document into Times New Roman font, 12pt font size, and double-spaced layout.

· What should I put as the subject when sending the document via email? Please enter your full name, the service requested and the word count into the subject bar.

· How will I know if you have received my document? I will inform you as soon as I have received your document.

· Will you make changes to my document? On MS Word I will be using Track Changes. Using this I am able to annotate and add comments to your document. On receipt of the completed work, and through using Track Changes, you will be able to see the parts that I have added or moved and also be able to access the original. When working on a PDF, I will also be using an editing tool which allows for comment boxes, insert symbols, strikethroughs, etc. All of the annotations will be in a different colour to the original text so that the differences are clear for you. In case you are unsure of how Track Changes on MS Word works, I will send you two copies of the finalised work: one with the Track Changes comments, strikethroughs, annotations, etc. and the other will be a neat copy with all of the changes integrated into the document. I will be sending two copies for most formats, except for PDF where I will only send the copy with the annotations.

· Will you be using proofreading marks? If I work on printed material then yes, I would be using them. For work online, however, I will be most likely using Track Changes or an editing tool (see above).

· Do you check references? I can check that the references are in the correct form as long as you provide me with the reference style. Please note, I will not be checking the credibility of the reference source. 

· Will you provide updates? I can provide updates if you wish, these can either be daily or every two days. 

· Will you send me my document when as soon as it is ready? Yes, as soon as I have finished the job I will send it straight back to you.

· Why is editing an add-on service? As I am just starting to offer these services, I am taking the time to gauge the industry and see what demand is like. As I gain more experience as a service provider, and find out more from the requests of potential clients, I can then go on to adapt my work. 

· Do you offer proofreading in US-English as well as UK-English? Yes, this is available on request.

· If I resubmit my work to you at a later date will I have to pay the full amount again? In this case it is highly unlikely that you will have to submit your whole document, as you may have only edited certain parts. If this is the case, and as I will be familiar with your work, you need only send me the other portions that you wish for me to read over. Work out the word count of all of these sections and, if they amount to more than 1,500 words, you will receive 20% off the fee stated on the services page. 

· Can I submit part of my document for the first proofreading? Of course, if you feel that only part of your work would benefit then this is absolutely fine. In order for me to understand your work better, a summary of the writing leading up to this section would be very helpful, just so that I can get some context within which I can work. 

· Do you edit school or university work? As a personal rule, I do not believe it is right to edit a student's academic work, as this not only falls as a potential breach of plagiarism but also affects the student's voice that comes through the work. Proofreading, however, as long as your academic institution allows it, is a great service that can be used to increase the clarity of what is already being stated on the page.

· What is involved in the edit suggestions service that isn't included in the proofreading? Where proofreading covers items such as spelling, capitalisation, punctuation, etc., editing is more to do with looking at issues such as: awkward phrasing, repetitiveness, sentence structure, sentences that are too wordy, and so on. I will look at the flow of a paragraph: are the sentences in the correct order? Do they all make sense together and transition well? All feedback will be in the form of prompts and suggested reworks, indicating the point of the document that is being referred to.

· Can I book the editing service without the proofreading service? No, unfortunately not, editing can only be booked alongside proofreading.   

· How can I send my document? You can either send this via email (50GB total space available), or through a shared folder with Google Drive (15GB) or Dropbox (2GB).

· What should I put as the subject when sending the document via email? Please enter your full name, the service requested and the word count.

· How will I know if you have received my document? I will contact you on receipt of the document.

· Will you provide updates? Please let me know if you would like to receive updates about my progress, whether every day or every other day.

· How will the feedback be given? This is up to you, as stated on the service page, I understand that some people would prefer to receive feedback chapter or chapter, while others would want the information according to each character. This is completely up to you.

· Will you make changes to my document? Unlike when proofreading, I will not be making any changes here. All notes and feedback will be entered onto a separate MS Word document, with references to the original. 

· If I resubmit my work to you at a later date will I have to pay the full amount again? In this case it is highly unlikely that you will have to submit your whole document, as you may have only edited certain parts. If this is the case, and as I will be familiar with your work, you need only send me the other portions that you wish for me to read over. Work out the word count of all of these sections and, if they amount to more than 1,500 words, you will receive 20% off the fee stated on the services page. 

· How can I send you the file? You can either send it via email (50GB of total space available), or through a shared folder with Google Drive (15GB) or Dropbox (2GB). Links to websites can also be sent via email.

· Do you work with YouTube videos? Yes, just send me the link and, if necessary, tell me which section you would like to be transcribed.

· Can I give you a website link to some audio? Yes, that would be fine.

· Which formats do you accept? I have both Windows Media Player and VLC Media Player and so I am able to access a wide variety of audio and video file formats, some of the most common being: .mp3, .mp4, .m4a, .m4v, .mp4v, .wmv, .wma, .asf, .avi, .mov, .wav, .mpg, .mpeg, .aac, .mid, .mpa.

· Can you work with multiple speakers? Yes, I work with up to 3 speakers. This will be written in the format of "speaker 1" and "speaker 2", unless this proves difficult in which case I will indicate whether the speaker is male or female.

· Do you offer medical transcription? No, sorry.

· Do you offer transcription services in other languages? Unfortunately not. I know some French and German but not to a standard where I could transcribe.

· Will you be using timestamps? I can certainly add timestamps in. This could be for all speech, at regular intervals or only when the speech is inaudible. Let me know which you would prefer when contacting me. 

· Will it be a problem if the audio quality is not very good? Yes, I'm sorry to say it would be. Please use only clear, good quality audio.

· Most of the audio is clear but there are a couple of short gaps where the speech is muffled, can you still work with this? Yes, as long as you inform me beforehand that this is the case. For the section where nothing can be heard I will enter the beginning and end time on the transcript and mark it as "inaudible".

· Do you write the transcript as is, or can you also do verbatim without the filler words? That is entirely up to you, I can work either way.

· In what format will I receive the finalised transcript? The transcript will be a MS Word document.

· Will I need to convert my files to something smaller? At any one time I am able to hold 2GB in my Dropbox account, and 15GB in my Google Drive account (10GB is the maximum for an individual file with GD). If your file size exceeds this, for example video files can be quite large, please look into using some free software online to compress it to a more manageable size. 

· What levels of English are you able to teach? As a native speaker, I am able to teach all levels from A1 (beginner) to C2 (advanced). Any level is gladly received. Although, if you are already at C2 you probably don't need me! Some people, for example, may be at a high level with reading or writing, but may lack confidence when it comes to speaking. If you are believe that you're one such person, I'm here to help fill in the gaps. 

· Do you have a specific age range for teaching? I have no preference when it comes to age. I welcome younger learners as well as older, having completed a TEYL (Teaching English to Young Learners) course alongside my TEFL studies. 

· What are your teaching qualifications? As mentioned above, I have completed a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) 180-hour course, as well as a TEYL (Teaching English to Young Learners) 60-hour course.  I am also qualified in teaching English online. After finishing school, I chose to study Education and received a 2:1 qualification from Canterbury Christ Church. I have since completed a level 5 diploma in proofreading and editing. 

· Is there anything I need to do before we start our lessons? Before the lessons, unless you are an absolute beginner, I would like you to test your English level. I will send you a link to a quick test. Please send me the results when you have finished. We will then have our consultation, and I will be able to see which areas you need more help in, or what you would like to focus on. Before we have the consultation please think about how I can help you. 

· Can you teach my child? Of course, I am very happy to teach them! Before we start I would need to know their age and currently level of English. There is an English test they are able to complete in the resources section.

· I have two children, can they be taught together? It is certainly possible, but it depends on the age difference between them and their levels of English. Twins with the same level of skill would be perfect! But seriously, this would have to be judged according to the children. If they are, for example, 6 and 7 years old and they have only basic knowledge in English then this would be fine. I will only provide joint lessons up to the age of 12. After this point the learning should be individual due to how their desire to learn differs and they may prefer different teaching methods. 

· Do you provided training towards any specific language certificates, i.e. IELTS? My classes are not specifically geared towards passing a particular examination, however lesson plans can be made according to the topics or levels that the examination covers. This is something you should mention in the initial consultation, and then we can focus on reaching that straight away. 

· Do you teach business English? Yes, this is something that I offer. When we have our initial consultation you should tell me that you would like business English to be our focus, and then I can base our lessons around that. 

· Do you provide face-to-face lessons? No, not at this moment in time. Due to the pandemic this is unwise. Perhaps at some point in the future this could be a possibility.

· Are the lessons individual? Yes, I believe this will enable us to work to your goals more efficiently.

· Do you offer group lessons? No, unfortunately not.

· How do I pay for lessons? When you have booked a lesson, you will need to pay for it using my website. After booking your chosen time, the completed booking page will say 'Yay! Your booking has been confirmed. An email has been sent to...' Under this there will be two buttons: one green and one purple. The purple one will say 'Thank you! If required, click here to pay'. It will take you back to my website where you can pay for the lesson via PayPal. Alternatively, you can go to:  https://english-language-services.com/payment. You will need to enter the amount yourself.

· What kind of resources will we be using? I will find resources on the internet and I will make some myself. We can use YouTube for listening exercises, and it is a great resource for homework. We will use worksheets, flashcards, and props in the home. I can also share my screen to use when practising reading skills. The internet offers many helpful (and free!) options. 

· Do you set homework? Yes, I think it is a good idea to use homework as a way of structuring your work outside of the lesson time. It is especially helpful if we are only able to have one lesson per week. Of course, if you are unable to complete homework (whether this be for a holiday or personal commitments, for example) then this is perfectly fine and will be taken into account. 

· How long is each lesson? Each lesson is 30 minutes. The same goes for the initial consultation.

· Can I book two lessons together? This is certainly possible. On my website I have blocked off one hour for every 30-minute lesson, in case of delays and then so that I have time to prepare for the next student. As long as the following lesson is not booked then this will be fine. You will not be able to book two lesson together on the website, however. You will have to contact me to see if it is possible at your chosen time. 

· How do I check your availability? On the website, click 'LEARN ENGLISH' on the toolbar, and then 'ENGLISH LESSONS'. Scroll to the bottom of the page, where you will see a button that says 'BOOK A CONSULTATION/LESSON'. Clicking that will open a new page. There you can choose whether you want a consultation or lesson. Select which you would like, choose 'Emily' (me!) as your team member, and from there you will be able to see the availability. 

· Can I have daily lessons? Due to my current working schedule this would be too difficult to try to organise. My hours are flexible so, depending on your time zone, it could get quite messy. After a few lessons, though, I may be able to offer you short notice slots of availability. These would be on an ad hoc basis. 

· Which languages do you speak? I speak some French and German. My level of French is, I believe, A2 and German is currently at B1. 

· What software can we use for the lesson? We can use either Skype, Zoom or Google Meets.

· What if I have to cancel a lesson? Please alert me as soon as possible if you need to cancel a lesson. You can cancel for free any time up to 48 hours before the arranged lesson time. Between 24-48 hours before, you will receive 50% of the fee back. If you wish to cancel after this you will not receive a refund. When cancelling, please tell me the original booking time and the new booking time. To cancel please email me at: emily@english-language-services.com

· What if you need to cancel a lesson? If this is the case then I shall inform you as soon as I can. You will receive a complete refund and a discount of 50% on a lesson at a later date. 

· Can I reschedule? Much like with cancelling a lesson, you can reschedule for free up to 48 hours before the chosen lesson time. Between 24-48 hours before, you will receive 50% of the fee back. If you wish to reschedule after this you will not receive a refund. When rescheduling, please tell me the original booking time and the new booking time. To reschedule please email me at: emily@english-language-services.com

· Do I need anything for the lessons? A pen, some paper, your homework (if necessary), and a desire to improve your English!