James Porter
IELTS & exam-prep specialist — strategy-driven coaching to hit the band score you need.
Meet James
James is a Manchester-born, DELTA-qualified teacher who has spent fourteen years getting students the exam results that change their lives — university places, visas, dream jobs. He knows IELTS inside out, from the marking rubrics to the tiny habits that cost half a band.
At Lingua Nova he leads IELTS and general English exam preparation, turning anxious test-takers into calm, strategic ones. His students don't just improve their English — they learn exactly how the exam thinks.
Courses & specialities
Small groups of 8, on campus in Santa Monica or live online.
IELTS Preparation
Complete Academic and General IELTS coaching across all four skills, with real band-score strategy.
Cambridge & TOEFL Prep
Focused preparation for Cambridge (B2 First, C1 Advanced) and TOEFL, tuned to each exam's format.
Academic Writing
Task 1 and Task 2 writing coaching that fixes the exact issues holding your score back.
How James teaches
James teaches to the rubric. He shows you precisely how examiners award marks, drills the highest-impact techniques, and gives you honest, actionable feedback under real exam timing.
- Strategy first — learn how the exam is actually scored
- Timed practice under real exam conditions
- Targeted feedback on your weakest band descriptors
- A clear plan to reach your target score
Credentials & training
- Native English speaker (Manchester, UK)
- DELTA (Diploma in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages)
- Former official IELTS examiner
- 14 years teaching exam preparation
- Specialist in IELTS, Cambridge and TOEFL
In their words
“I was stuck at 6.0 for a year. Two months with James and I hit 7.5 — he knew exactly what was costing me marks. Got my university offer!”
Good to know
Book a Free Trial with James
Take a free trial lesson and see if James is the right fit. Ask the assistant for a slot.
Book Free Trial Lesson →This is a fictional demonstration page created by SLAtech to showcase the SLAtech Education AI assistant. “Lingua Nova” is not a real academy; the teacher, name, ratings and reviews shown here are illustrative only.