Johnston Text & Training
Training / Coaching
By means of in-company workshops or one-on-one coaching, I help people substantially improve their writing and/or public-speaking skills in English. That involves making them aware of their problem areas, giving them the tools they need to improve their performance, and providing opportunities for supervised practice in using those tools. People who use English as a second language often have no idea of the mistakes they commonly make. Those can range from subtle but highly significant grammatical errors to structural problems in their pronunciation of English. Such pitfalls for non-native-speakers often form an obstacle to clear and efficient communication. Sometimes they can even lead to embarrassing misunderstandings. With over 20 years of experience in helping mainly Dutch speakers communicate more effectively in English, I am intimately familiar with the specific range of problems they typically face when using English in writing and/or speech. I am also keenly aware of the differences between English and other languages when it comes to the conventions of business and scientific writing. While the most of the people I serve are Dutch speakers, my English language workshops or individual coaching programs can accommodate people from any background. Participants in my workshops often represent a variety of nationalities from…
Why a course or coaching in Business English?
Customised workshops or coaching English
Are you ready to upgrade your English? I offer both individual coaching and in-company workshops to refresh and rapidly improve the participants’ command of English in writing and/or speaking. Depending on your needs, my training programs range in length from one day to several days spread out over a number of weeks or months. Are you struggling with something you need to write? I can help get you back on track, steer your writing process and give you tips for tightening up your use of English. Do you want to gain confidence and sound more natural when using English at meetings or on the telephone? I can teach you how to talk the talk in a variety of (business) situations with in-company workshops or individual coaching. This could also involve working on your accent. Do you need an assessment of your current level of written and/or spoken English? On the basis of recent documents you have written and/or a brief conversation, I can assess your command of the English language and then design a program specifically targeted to your needs.
My areas of expertise as a trainer / coach
I can help you: refresh your written and spoken English write effective and reader-friendly reports improve your business correspondence master the writing process fine-tuning your scientific / academic English lose your ‘foreign’ accent (Dutch, French, German, Italian, etc.) tweak your logic to make persuasive arguments create content for printed and online media present information in a cross-cultural context
My background as a trainer / coach
For the past ten years I have been helping organizations and individuals in both the public and private sectors learn to get their message across more successfully and, in that way, to enhance their performance as professionals who need to write and speak English. As a writer [see Publications], I am well aware of the challenges my clients face in selecting the most relevant information, structuring it in a logical way and choosing the right tone to communicate with their readers. Having presented the results of my PhD research at numerous conferences and meetings, I am also familiar with the daunting task of giving lively and effective presentations. A three-month “Train the Trainer” program (KSG Berenschot, 2000) and a workshop on Presentation Techniques (Het Consulaat, 2003) provided me with the necessary tools and skills to help others communicate more effectively. In the meantime, my ten years of hands-on experience in giving workshops and courses have provided me with ample opportunity to use and further develop those skills. In addition to giving workshops as a trainer, I also teach the eight-week course “Writing in English for the Media” at Hogeschool Utrecht (since 2006). For three years while I was working on my PhD,…
My clients as a trainer / coach
Banking / Financial Services ABN-AMRO Bank (Equity Research), Amsterdam ABN-AMRO Bank (Market Intelligence), Amsterdam Finance in Motion, Frankfurt am Main, Germany NIBC Bank, The Hague TMF Financial Services, Amsterdam Academics / Science Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Labour Studies (AIAS) (University of Amsterdam), Amsterdam Faculty of Media, Internet u0026amp; Communication (University of Amsterdam), Amsterdam Faculty of Technology, Policyu2028u0026amp; Management (Delft University of Technology), Delft Institute for Atomic and Molecular Physics (AMOLF), Amsterdam Hogeschool van Amsterdam – University of Applied Sciences, Amsterdam National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven Netherlands Cancer Research Institute, Amsterdam Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), Amsterdam Business (misc.) Centocor, Leiden HMSHost Schiphol Airport, Schiphol KLM Cityhopper, Schiphol Liberty Global Europe, Schiphol Rijk Mokveld Valves, Gouda Nidera, Rotterdam TNT Post Group (TPG Treasury), Hoofddorp Unilever, Rotterdam Vitatron, Arnhem Consulting / Management Berenschot Groep, Utrecht Ernst u0026amp; Young, Rotterdam Netherlands Standardisation Institute (NEN), Delft PNO Consultants, Arnhem Protiviti, Amsterdam NGOs Artsen Zonder Grenzen / Médicins San Frontières, Amsterdam LEISA (Centre for Information on Low External Input and Sustainable Agriculture), Amersfoort Communication / Training Boertien Training, Naarden Centre for Language and Culture, Utrecht Centrum voor Communicatie u0026amp; Journalistiek, Utrecht GoedBloed…
Testimonials: Training / Coaching
Editing / Translation
Dutch-to-English Translations and English Editing With well over 20 years of experience in both translating and editing, I have a solid reputation for quality, speed and accuracy. You can be confident that your text is in good hands! Customized translation and editing services My background as a translator / editor My clients as a translator / editor Sample translation / editing projects My areas of expertise as a translator / editor What I most often translate / edit Testimonials: Translation Testimonials: Editing
Customised editing and translation services
As a translator and editor I offer well-considered, creative and flexible solutions in contemporary standard English. Depending on your preference – and that of your readers – that can be in US, UK or ‘Mid-Atlantic’ English. The audience you want to reach will find your text enjoyable and easy to read. With great attention to detail, I make sure your text will be everything you meant it to be, with the original information conveyed in a natural, consistent, unambiguous and engaging style. Your text will read as though you had a native command of English yourself. Translations Editingu2028
Customised services: Editing
I can edit your texts on different levels, depending on your specific needs. 1. Light editing (copy-editing)u2028At this level, I focus on essential things like spelling, proper verb tense and other grammatical matters, the correct usage of words and phrases, and punctuation. I look out for major inconsistencies in style, tone and register but give no feedback on the content or overall structure. u2028u2028It is always a good idea to have your text copy-edited if you are planning to submit it for publication (e.g. in a peer-reviewed journal). 2. Medium editing (editing for flow)u2028At this level, I concentrate on the general readability of your text and the flow of ideas. I weigh the complexity of your sentences, turn unnecessary passive constructions into active ones and keep an eye out for a clear and logical development of arguments within paragraphs. With your specific target audience in mind, I evaluate your use of technical terms and the general accessibility of any visual materials. Checking sources for accuracy can also take place at this level. Before a text can be edited for readability, it first needs to have been copy-edited. 3. Heavy editing (substantive editing)u2028This is the most comprehensive level, since it deals with…
Customised services: Translations
My aim is to turn your Dutch text into one that reads as if a literate native speaker of English had written it. My translations are thought-for-thought rather than word-for-word. As an independent translator, I always have the benefit of direct contact with my customers. If I am not entirely sure what a particular passage in your text intends to say, I will consult with you to make certain my translation hits the nail on the head. The same holds if I find any errors in the Dutch that might need attention if that version will also be published. Several of my customers have even come to rely on my careful reading and correction of their Dutch texts while I am translating them into English.
My background as an editor and translator
I am a native speaker of English with an excellent (near-native) command of Dutch. I have university degrees from both the United States and the Netherlands. Thanks to my work experience in a variety of professional environments and my wide-ranging personal interests, I am familiar with the terminology of a broad spectrum of sectors. My most rigorous training in the art of translation was without doubt my PhD research (1992-1998) on the 15th-century Low Saxon translations of the Old Frisian legal texts found in a late-medieval Dutch manuscript. After carefully analyzing the various mistakes made by the early 15th-century translator and the scribes who subsequently copied his work, I was able to draw firm conclusions about both the content and form of the original Old Frisian versions of those texts, only one of which has survived as such. In addition to a critical, annotated edition of these medieval translations, I also provided a translation of each text in modern English. Five years (1998-2003) of working as an in-house translator and English editor at the renowned Dutch management-consulting firm Berenschot B.V. provided invaluable experience in dealing with contemporary commercial and technical texts including project reports, tenders, company brochures, psychological assessments, presentations,…
Testimonials: Editing
Aidsfonds, Amsterdam Amsterdam Village Company, Amsterdam Axis Media-ontwerpers BV, Enschede Berenschot, Utrecht Boertien, Naarden Bos Theaterproducties, Amsterdam BuroDijkstra, Rotterdam Butt Magazine, Amsterdam Can Solivera, Forallac (Girona), Spain Castrum Peregrini, Amsterdam Design Academy, Eindhoven Ediction BV, Maarssen European Centre for the Experience Economy (Universiteitu2028 van Amsterdam, PrimaVera Research Program), Bilthoven European Cultural Foundation (ECF), Amsterdam European League of Institutes of the Arts (ELIA), Amsterdam u2028 Fantastic Man Magazine, Amsterdam Flowz, Amsterdam FOAM Fotografiemuseum, Amsterdam FOAM Magazine, Amsterdam Gemeente Amsterdam, Dienst Persoons- en Geo-informatie (DPG) Gemeente Amsterdam, Dienst Ruimetelijke Ordening (DRO) Gemeente Amsterdam, Ontwikkelingsbedrijf Municipal Health Department (GGD), Amsterdam Municipal Health Department (GGD), Rotterdam Municipal Health Department (GGD), Utrecht GlaxoSmithKlein, Zeist GoedBloed u0026amp; Partners, Amsterdam Hiv-Vereniging Nederland, Amsterdam International Child Support (ICS), Nunspeet International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR), Alkmaar International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD), The Hague Jules’ BV, Amsterdam Kennisinstituut Bier, Wageningen Kiek Holthuizen u0026amp; Ton Vorstenbosch, Amsterdam Koch Studios, Amstelhoek Lernert u0026amp; Sander, Amsterdam Maruboshi, Amsterdam Mosse Foundation, Madison, Wisconsin, USA Müller Van Tol, Amsterdam Museum Plantin-Moretus, Antwerp, Belgium Nationaal Comité 4 en 5 mei, Amsterdam Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), The Hague Netherlands Standardisation Institute (NEN), Delft Olaf Mooij, Rotterdam Omrop Fryslân, Ljouwert/Leeuwarden Optics11, Amsterdam PICNIC, Amsterdam PlusPulse, Amsterdam PNO, Arnhem…
Testimonials: Translation
Consulting
My clients as a style consultant
Testimonials: Consulting on language and style
Testimonials
TRAINING “Tom came to Frankfurt in February to hold a half day course on ‘Writing Concise Memos’ in front of about 60 employees of our specialist development-fund management firm, who had gathered from our 8 offices across Southeastern Europe. In the short time given, he managed to address both the very general principles of writing and the very concrete level: how to lay out a basic structure to be followed when making an argument, as well as highlighting common mistakes by way of anonymised examples taken from the working documents we had sent to him for his preparation. His course was very well received; people listened very attentively and want him back!” – Florian Meister, Managing Director, Finance in Motion GmbH, Frankfurt am Main (June 2010) EDITING “Echt super super super bedankt. De manier waarop jij stukken sterker maakt vind ik echt ongekend. Je stopt er zoveel meer energie in dan alleen een check op correct Engels, je denkt echt mee en komt met praktische oplossingen. Echt heel erg bedankt, we houden je op de hoogte hoe dit voorstel afloopt en ik kijk uit naar het volgende moment van samenwerking. – Bram Langen, Senior Program Officer, International Projects, Schorer …
Testimonials: Training / Coaching
“Tom came to Frankfurt in February to hold a half day course on ‘Writing Concise Memos’ in front of about 60 employees of our specialist development-fund management firm, who had gathered from our 8 offices across Southeastern Europe. In the short time given, he managed to address both the very general principles of writing and the very concrete level: how to lay out a basic structure to be followed when making an argument, as well as highlighting common mistakes by way of anonymised examples taken from the working documents we had sent to him for his preparation. His course was very well received; people listened very attentively and want him back!” – Florian Meister, Managing Director, Finance in Motion GmbH, Frankfurt am Main (June 2010)
Testimonials: Editing
“Echt super super super bedankt. De manier waarop jij stukken sterker maakt vind ik echt ongekend. Je stopt er zoveel meer energie in dan alleen een check op correct Engels, je denkt echt mee en komt met praktische oplossingen. Echt heel erg bedankt, we houden je op de hoogte hoe dit voorstel afloopt en ik kijk uit naar het volgende moment van samenwerking.” – Bram Langen, Senior Program Officer, International Projects, Schorer (December 2010)
Testimonials: Translation
“Tom is an excellent translator who is not only a language expert with a good eye for detail but Tom also communicates well with his client. He is keen to ensure that the meaning of a text remains intact. I highly recommend him.” – Karen Kraan, Flowz (May 2010) “I am very happy with Tom’s translations. His work is very precise and he always manages to maintain the spirit of the original text. It is always a pleasure to work with him.” – André Witbreuk, Rederij La Bohème (May 2010)
Testimonials: Consulting on language and style
About
Education
Publications
Old Frisian Law Manuscripts and Law Texts (§54),’ in Handbuch des Friesischen / Handbook of Frisian Studies. Tübingen: Niemeyer, 2002, pp. 571–587. ‘The Middle Low German Translations of Old Frisian Legal Texts (§55),’ in Handbuch des Friesischen / Handbook of Frisian Studies. Tübingen: Niemeyer, 2002, pp. 587–594. ‘Het “Fivelgoër erfrecht” en de Nedersaksische Ommelander Fon lawm-traditie,’ in M. Vliegen u0026amp; J. van Maren (red.), ‘Uten Schatschrine des Herten.’ Vriendenboek voor Henk Meijering bij zijn afscheid. Amsterdam: VU Uitgeverij, 1998, pp. 63–69. ‘Text and Manuscript Composition as an Ideological Device: The Marketing of Old Frisian Law,’ in R.H. Bremmer Jr, T.S.B. Johnston, u0026amp; O. Vries (eds.), Approaches to Old Frisian Philology (Amsterdamer Beiträge zur Älteren Germanistik, Band 49), Amsterdam/Atlanta: Rodopi, 1998, pp. 179–214. Codex Hummercensis (Groningen, UB, PEIP 12). An Old Frisian Legal Manuscript in Low Saxon Guise. Leeuwarden: Fryske Akademy, 1998 (626 pp.). Click here for reviews of this book (Pdf). “Ene zie borch tho bouwenn”: A new look at the Pan-Frisian Dike Law in light of a Low German Ommeland version,’ in Us Wurk, 44 (1995) 1-37 ‘The Hunsingoer Statutes of 1252 in the Reddieboeck,’ in Philologia Frisica anno 1993. Ljouwert, 1994. pp. 140-155. ‘Hoe hat it no winliks…
Contact
For information on rates and availability, please contact me via the form, e-mail link or telephone number. Name: E-mail: Subject: Message: Or you can call me on +31 (0) 628 737 536.
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