Michael Lacey Freeman
A few words about me
Thank you for visiting my website. I hope you dig a little deeper so that you can get to know me and my work better. I want to share some of my stories, materials and ideas regarding teaching, and learning English.
I have been working in the field of English Language Teaching for 30 years, both as a teacher and ELT author. However, I am also a storyteller and have travelled extensively around Italy and other parts of the world to tell my stories, and spread the message that words are powerful.
I have also been involved in writing many course books and twelve of my graded readers have been published, five of which have won Extensive Reading Foundation Language Learner Literature Awards. In 2017 I was invited to be on the board of directors of the Extensive Reading Foundation.
Over recent years, together with my band, 'Eggheads', I have been experimenting with music and examining how songs can go hand in hand with stories to enhance the language learning process.
I set up this website because I wanted to establish a connection with teachers and students from all over the world. I will update the site, and the blog regularly so feel free to pop in whenever you can and keep in touch.
My work
I try to make connections between all the different things I do.
ELT Writer
Together with some wonderful co-authors I have written a number of course books for lower and upper secondary school and university for publishers like Oxford University Press, Pearson and ELI. I have also written twelve graded readers, five of which have won international awards. My most successful story is called ‘Egghead’, a true story about a young boy who is bullied at school. I have also contributed to journals such as Modern English Teacher and organisations like TESOL Italy.
Teacher
I've been teaching English to students of all levels for over 30 years. I've also had the privilege of visiting many schools around Italy from Monguelfo in the North to Palermo in the south. More often than not, I am invited to these schools to share stories with students of all ages, trying in my own small way to promote reading and get students to ask that magical question, ‘what happens next?’. I also run teacher training workshops on storytelling around Italy and around the world.
Singer Songwriter
I write and perform songs with my band, Eggheads which has been performing for over five years. I collaborate with Lorenzo Paoloni, friend, singer/song writer and immensely talented musician. The songs that we write and perform are connected to the stories I write. I am fascinated by the way that music and stories work together and help students to open up and enjoy language learning.
Presenter
I have presented in a variety of different conferences over the years as a keynote speaker at events like the Oxford National Conferences (2019, 2020, 2021, 2023). I have also toured around Italy to talk about the importance of reading as part of the Oxford read on project. Presenting online has given me an opportunity to connect with students and teachers around the world in countries as diverse as Japan, Mexico, Brazil, Indonesia and Mongolia.
Podcaster
In 2009 I made a podcast called tea at 5 in which I tell stories about my life in Italy. We decided from the outset that they had to be authentic stories. I told the stories without a script, and I only had one chance to tell them, just as it would be in real life. The podcasts have proved to be very popular, reaching the final stages of the prestigious ELTons Awards in 2020.
Storyteller
When writing stories for language learners you establish one of the most intimate relationships a writer can have with a reader. You extend a helping hand to assist her during her journey. You are always there, anticipating parts of the road where she might stumble or fall. However, your fellow travellers shouldn’t see the hand you are extending, so that she feels a sense of accomplishment at the end of the journey, a feeling that next time she can make it on her own.
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SCHOOLS VISITED29
PUBLICATIONS49
CONFERENCES/WEBINARS5
AWARDS WONFeatured Work
As Seen In
