English public speaking coaching for non-native professionals
Do you want to improve your English public speaking skills and thrive in an international environment? Do you have an important presentation coming up? A job interview, promotion opportunity, sales pitch, or a high-stakes client conversation?
Whether you need to refine your pronunciation, enhance your fluency, structure your presentation, master storytelling and delivery, or build confidence and overcome speaking anxiety, you're in the right place. I've got you covered.
Find your voice, speak with confidence
Public speaking can be daunting, especially in a language that’s not your own. The fear of making mistakes, struggling with pronunciation, or losing track of your message can make even the most knowledgeable professionals feel uncertain. You might worry about how your audience perceives you, whether your words are coming across clearly, or if your accent is getting in the way of your message.
But don’t worry—I’m here to help. My coaching is designed specifically for non-native English speakers who want to refine their speaking skills and communicate with confidence. Whether you need to work on pronunciation, improve your fluency, structure your presentation for maximum impact, or tackle a job or promotion interview, I provide tailored guidance to help you succeed.
Why work with me?
Author of the book Finding Your English Voice: The Essential Public Speaking Guide for Non-Native Professionals
Native English speaker with a Master's in English language & literature
25+ years of experience in education and coaching
Tailored sessions to fit your specific goals and challenges
I go the extra mile for my clients, driven by a genuine passion for helping others reach their full potential
Excellent references and testimonials
I offer customised coaching
In today’s global world, professionals, entrepreneurs, and academics often need to deliver speeches, presentations, and pitches in English. But how do you ensure your message is clear, engaging, and persuasive?
Improve pronunciation, fluency, and intonation
Structure and refine your speech or presentation
Master storytelling and audience engagement
Build confidence and overcome speaking anxiety
Book
Private public speaking coaching can be incredibly powerful. Often, clients are surprised by how much progress they make in just a handful of sessions. Coaching offers something unique: immediate, personalised feedback focused entirely on you.
But not everyone has access to a skilled coach. Maybe you don’t have the time, the budget, or someone nearby who truly understands the challenges of speaking in a second (or third!) language. That’s why I wrote a book: to give you as much of that guidance and encouragement as possible.
The book brings together everything I’ve learned from years of working with people from different linguistic backgrounds. They all share the same goal: to find their voice in English and use it with confidence.
What others say
Nothing speaks louder than the experiences of those who have taken this journey before you. From professionals preparing for high-stakes presentations to entrepreneurs refining their pitch, my clients have transformed their confidence and communication skills.
Annemieke Verkerk
I reached out to Isabelle to help me prepare for an important English-language scientific presentation to a large audience. I needed assistance with the flow of my story, crafting concise and clear English sentences, practicing repeatedly, and building my confidence. Isabelle’s support was invaluable in helping me overcome my fear of being judged and to feel comfortable on stage.
-
Read more
Even though the content of my presentation wasn’t always in her specific area of expertise, Isabelle still offered expert advice on how to move forward with my talk. When I first approached her, my presentation was chaotic and lacked structure, but through our work together, we transformed it into an engaging, well-organized, and well-rehearsed story.
A friend recommended Isabelle to me as an English public speaking coach. After reading about her services on her website, I knew she was exactly what I needed. One feature that stood out was already her offer of a free 30-minute consultation, where we could discuss my needs and determine if we were a good fit to work together. I immediately felt at ease with Isabelle. She is incredibly warm, approachable, and an excellent listener. She is fully dedicated to her clients’ success, offering alternative English sentences until you're happy with the phrasing and they align with your own personality, ensuring every word is pronounced correctly.
She also gave me constructive feedback on what to keep in and what to cut, helping me 'kill my darlings' in the process to make the presentation more impactful and to the point.
Throughout our work together, Isabelle maintained a positive and supportive attitude, which was essential for helping me stay motivated and confident. She is reliable and dedicated, and genuinely believes in her clients and makes them feel heard and capable of overcoming any challenge.
Isabelle is fluent in both Dutch and English, and the fact that our meetings took place online made the process very convenient and practical.I highly recommend Isabelle to anyone looking for practical, positive, and effective coaching for public speaking. Her expertise, dedication, and approach made a real difference in my presentation, and I’m incredibly grateful for her support.
Henk
I had the pleasure of working with Isabelle van den Heuvel at English That Inspires, and I can say that it has been an incredibly valuable experience. Isabelle’s personalized approach to accent training has helped me significantly improve my pronunciation and clarity, which has made a noticeable difference in my professional interactions.
-
Read more
Her deep understanding of language nuances and her tailored exercises allowed me to refine my accent in a way that feels natural and authentic. Thanks to her guidance, I now feel much more confident when speaking with clients, ensuring that my message is delivered clearly and effectively.
Beyond just accent improvement, Isabelle creates a supportive and engaging learning environment, making each session enjoyable and productive. I highly recommend her services to anyone looking to enhance their English communication skills, especially professionals who want to make a strong impression in client conversations.
Thank you, Isabelle, for your dedication and expertise!
Melisa Rivas
I approached Isabelle to improve my English pronunciation. Although I have a good understanding of the language and a broad vocabulary, I hadn’t learned proper pronunciation and phonetics. When I moved from South America to the Netherlands for work, I realized that people had trouble understanding me, and I felt insecure about speaking because I wasn’t confident in my pronunciation.
-
Read more
Regarding the learning process, the book we used was very helpful, and the exercises to learn to hear the differences between my pronunciation and that of native speakers, especially the vowels, were particularly useful. Some concrete results were that I significantly improved my pronunciation over a period of six months, which has given me more confidence to speak in a professional setting and give presentations. Of course, constant practice and speaking up are also important for progress.
Isabelle is a very kind, flexible, and empathetic person, which makes it comfortable to talk to her and share frustrations and achievements. She always finds ways to adapt to specific needs and requests. I highly recommend taking classes with her.
Taya Stapelfeldt
I loved getting clarity on my story and being able to fully be myself in the process with Isabelle. She really sees you and always has amazing feedback and edits to make things more tangible and be more on point. Writing your one story is an emotional project. We want to trust the ones who we share a new version or angle of our story with fully. Isabelle is the one for me, who I can trust and experience my stories with. Most valuable, I feel I created a great base for my signature stories and confidence to be able to weave them naturally into any context.
Dilan Cakir
Isabelle helped me to improve my self-confidence and self-expression during job interviews. After the first session, she motivated me positively, encouraging more eye contact with interviewers and enabling me to express myself comfortably. She supported me a lot during this process, helping to clear all the question marks in my head. I thank her for her support on this path. I am very lucky to have crossed paths with her. If you are looking for a good coach, I would definitely recommend her. It's not over yet, and I'm sure I'll have the opportunity to work with her again.
R. Mathieson
Isabelle van den Heuvel is my turn-to guru when it comes to expertise in the English language. Words that I believe define Isabelle are ‘expert’, ‘results-driven’ and ‘warm’.
I have always admired her fluent, easy-to-read and easy-to-understand style. It is a joy to observe the effortless way in which her sentences flow. It is generally recognised that bi-lingual speakers often have a preferential language; this is not so in Isabelle’s case.
-
Read more
I know that in Dutch circles, Isabelle is highly revered for her outstanding command of the Dutch language; equally, as a British native speaker myself, I can vouch for her mastery of the English language.
Isabelle has, in my opinion, a flair for being able to employ exactly the right style for her audience.
Isabelle shows a tireless determination to work on texts until they are perfect. She is driven by a desire for flawlessness. Moreover, I have seen the way in which she inspires speakers to perform at their best. Her calm, encouraging manner instils a confidence that simply works.
After a 25 year working relationship with Isabelle van den Heuvel, I can say that it was a pleasure and a privilege.
Marc Luitjens
sabelle develops English practice tests for ToetsMij, a platform for secondary school students, and I can warmly recommend her work. From my position as founder and CEO of the platform, I have worked with at least 150 authors, and Isabelle stands out within that group - not only because of the quality of her work, but also because it is exceptionally pleasant to collaborate with her. She helps us with a set of writing and reading tests for senior high school students. This results in comprehensible and educational practice tests full of clear explanations and useful tips.
-
Read more
Isabelle is a delightful sparring partner and brings out the best in our collaboration. Furthermore, we have been able to fully rely on her extensive educational experience to ensure that the tests align optimally with the learning objectives. I sincerely hope that Isabelle will continue to make her expertise and knowledge available to us for a long time to come!
Dr. Hans Rookmaaker
Isabelle was an English teacher at the Christelijk Gymnasium Sorghvliet in The Hague for about a decade, during the time I was rector there. She contributed to the development of a new and successful exam program. In addition, the Cambridge candidates she taught achieved excellent results in the Cambridge Advanced exam. Isabelle was an expert teacher, with the particularity of being bilingual in Dutch and English. This naturally makes her highly qualified to guide clients in delivering presentations in natural and convincing English. Isabelle is friendly and engaging in her approach: she will not only be a dedicated and knowledgeable coach, but also a pleasant one.
Swen Zuiderwijk, MA
During my time as rector at Sorghvliet, Isabelle was an English teacher there. Driven by her interest in students of all ages, she taught both lower and upper school classes. I came to know her as a teacher with integrity: she cares about her students and motivates them to work hard for the subject. As a result, our students excelled in English.
In her classes, Isabelle allows students to develop to their fullest potential. All aspects of English are covered, from reading Shakespeare to delivering passionate speeches on current topics.
-
Read more
Making mistakes is encouraged, as they enhance the learning process.
Isabelle is strict but fair, and she takes her students very seriously. She led a team of passionate teachers who truly made the most of teaching English. In short, she is a dedicated and inspiring colleague!
Anky Mulders
Isabelle is an excellent writer of literary reviews. She knows how to thoroughly grasp a book, extract its essence, and write a clear review about it, giving the interested reader a good understanding of the book. In addition to writing thoughtfully, Isabelle also reads and interprets meticulously. Due to the consistent quality of her texts, she is a highly esteemed reviewer. The collaboration with her is always pleasant.
L. Jesko
If you're hesitating about hiring Isabelle as your teacher or coach, let me tell you: don't hesitate. I fondly remember my English lessons with Isabelle. She is clear, calm, helpful, and patient. Of course, she is linguistically proficient, but what I find most important is that she is very approachable. Making mistakes is natural, and that's how it feels with Isabelle too. Your confidence grows, also because she genuinely celebrates your achievements. If I ever need to practice for a big presentation in English in the future or require a crash course, I know who to turn to.
Adriana
After relocating from Colombia to Europe, I realized my English skills, especially fluency, intonation, and pronunciation, were a bit rusty. While searching, I came across Isabelle’s profile on LinkedIn. Her background and experience immediately resonated with what I was looking for.
Working with Isabelle has been a truly positive experience. From the beginning, she created a warm, professional, and supportive environment that helped me overcome my shyness and build confidence. She was flexible with scheduling and always tailored our sessions to my specific needs as a Spanish speaker, focusing on relevant vocabulary and communication strategies.
-
Read more
What stood out most was Isabelle’s dedication. Each week, she prepared personalized exercises specifically designed to target my pronunciation challenges. I especially appreciated the practical techniques we used, such as learning how to shape sounds with the tongue and mouth, which made a real difference. I personally found it very helpful to repeat each exercise until I felt comfortable, which is something I specifically requested because it helped me internalize the changes and build confidence.
Thanks to our sessions, I’ve gained noticeable confidence in speaking English. My colleagues and friends have also observed the improvement. I’ve learned to slow down and focus on the distinct sounds of English, rather than defaulting to Spanish pronunciation patterns.
I fully recommend Isabelle to anyone looking to enhance their English communication skills. Whether you're a professional, a non-native speaker, or someone preparing for a specific role, Isabelle’s approach is adaptable and effective.
I look forward to continuing my learning journey with her.
Mihaela
I reached out to Isabelle on LinkedIn to seek advice about interviewing.
From the start, the experience was smooth, warm and professional. Isabelle has a natural talent for building connections and offering support. Her communication has been prompt and insightful throughout the process.
What I appreciated most about our sessions was Isabelle’s genuine interest in my professional needs and her wealth of knowledge to help me level up.
-
Read more
Working with Isabelle had a powerful impact on me. Our sessions helped me build trust in myself, develop a deeper sense of confidence, and feel more secure in who I am as a professional. Isabelle created a safe, supportive space where I felt truly heard and understood. Her insights and guidance helped me gain clarity, make decisions with more certainty, and move forward with greater purpose. I came away from each session feeling empowered and equipped with practical tools to grow, both personally and professionally.
I would absolutely recommend Isabelle. Her coaching brings real value, fosters trust and builds confidence. Isabelle has a unique ability to make the process supportive and transformative. Businesses, entrepreneurs, leaders or individuals navigating change, growth, leadership transitions or cultural shifts would benefit from what she offers. Her ability to support both personal and professional development makes Isabelle a powerful asset for any organization committed to meaningful progress.
Working with Isabelle gave me the confidence and clarity I needed during a crucial moment in my career. Her support helped me feel secure in myself while preparing for important international interviews. Isabelle has a grounded, insightful approach that brings out the best in you. I’m truly grateful for our work together and would highly recommend her to any individual or business looking to grow with purpose and authenticity.
Pooria
I started working with Isabelle because I wanted to feel more confident in my day-to-day conversations in English. She is a thoughtful and structured teacher who genuinely cares about her students. Isabelle created a personalized roadmap with practical feedback and tips tailored to my needs. She has been a wonderful teacher and a great person to work with, flexible, supportive, and encouraging throughout. I learned a lot from her and I’m truly grateful for her guidance and feedback.
Annemieke Verkerk
I reached out to Isabelle to help me prepare for an important English-language scientific presentation to a large audience. I needed assistance with the flow of my story, crafting concise and clear English sentences, practicing repeatedly, and building my confidence. Isabelle’s support was invaluable in helping me overcome my fear of being judged and to feel comfortable on stage.
-
Read more
Even though the content of my presentation wasn’t always in her specific area of expertise, Isabelle still offered expert advice on how to move forward with my talk. When I first approached her, my presentation was chaotic and lacked structure, but through our work together, we transformed it into an engaging, well-organized, and well-rehearsed story.
A friend recommended Isabelle to me as an English public speaking coach. After reading about her services on her website, I knew she was exactly what I needed. One feature that stood out was already her offer of a free 30-minute consultation, where we could discuss my needs and determine if we were a good fit to work together. I immediately felt at ease with Isabelle. She is incredibly warm, approachable, and an excellent listener. She is fully dedicated to her clients’ success, offering alternative English sentences until you're happy with the phrasing and they align with your own personality, ensuring every word is pronounced correctly.
She also gave me constructive feedback on what to keep in and what to cut, helping me 'kill my darlings' in the process to make the presentation more impactful and to the point.
Throughout our work together, Isabelle maintained a positive and supportive attitude, which was essential for helping me stay motivated and confident. She is reliable and dedicated, and genuinely believes in her clients and makes them feel heard and capable of overcoming any challenge.
Isabelle is fluent in both Dutch and English, and the fact that our meetings took place online made the process very convenient and practical.I highly recommend Isabelle to anyone looking for practical, positive, and effective coaching for public speaking. Her expertise, dedication, and approach made a real difference in my presentation, and I’m incredibly grateful for her support.
Henk
I had the pleasure of working with Isabelle van den Heuvel at English That Inspires, and I can say that it has been an incredibly valuable experience. Isabelle’s personalised approach to accent training has helped me significantly improve my pronunciation and clarity, which has made a noticeable difference in my professional interactions.
-
Read more
Her deep understanding of language nuances and her tailored exercises allowed me to refine my accent in a way that feels natural and authentic. Thanks to her guidance, I now feel much more confident when speaking with clients, ensuring that my message is delivered clearly and effectively.
Beyond just accent improvement, Isabelle creates a supportive and engaging learning environment, making each session enjoyable and productive. I highly recommend her services to anyone looking to enhance their English communication skills, especially professionals who want to make a strong impression in client conversations.
Thank you, Isabelle, for your dedication and expertise!
Melisa Rivas
I approached Isabelle to improve my English pronunciation. Although I have a good understanding of the language and a broad vocabulary, I hadn’t learned proper pronunciation and phonetics. When I moved from South America to the Netherlands for work, I realized that people had trouble understanding me, and I felt insecure about speaking because I wasn’t confident in my pronunciation.
-
Read more
Regarding the learning process, the book we used was very helpful, and the exercises to learn to hear the differences between my pronunciation and that of native speakers, especially the vowels, were particularly useful. Some concrete results were that I significantly improved my pronunciation over a period of six months, which has given me more confidence to speak in a professional setting and give presentations. Of course, constant practice and speaking up are also important for progress.
Isabelle is a very kind, flexible, and empathetic person, which makes it comfortable to talk to her and share frustrations and achievements. She always finds ways to adapt to specific needs and requests. I highly recommend taking classes with her.
Taya Stapelfeldt
I loved getting clarity on my story and being able to fully be myself in the process with Isabelle. She really sees you and always has amazing feedback and edits to make things more tangible and be more on point. Writing your one story is an emotional project. We want to trust the ones who we share a new version or angle of our story with fully. Isabelle is the one for me, who I can trust and experience my stories with. Most valuable, I feel I created a great base for my signature stories and confidence to be able to weave them naturally into any context.
Dilan Cakir
Isabelle helped me to improve my self-confidence and self-expression during job interviews. After the first session, she motivated me positively, encouraging more eye contact with interviewers and enabling me to express myself comfortably. She supported me a lot during this process, helping to clear all the question marks in my head. I thank her for her support on this path. I am very lucky to have crossed paths with her. If you are looking for a good coach, I would definitely recommend her. It's not over yet, and I'm sure I'll have the opportunity to work with her again.
R. Mathieson
Isabelle van den Heuvel is my turn-to guru when it comes to expertise in the English language. Words that I believe define Isabelle are ‘expert’, ‘results-driven’ and ‘warm’.
I have always admired her fluent, easy-to-read and easy-to-understand style. It is a joy to observe the effortless way in which her sentences flow. It is generally recognised that bi-lingual speakers often have a preferential language; this is not so in Isabelle’s case.
-
Read more
I know that in Dutch circles, Isabelle is highly revered for her outstanding command of the Dutch language; equally, as a British native speaker myself, I can vouch for her mastery of the English language.
Isabelle has, in my opinion, a flair for being able to employ exactly the right style for her audience.
Isabelle shows a tireless determination to work on texts until they are perfect. She is driven by a desire for flawlessness. Moreover, I have seen the way in which she inspires speakers to perform at their best. Her calm, encouraging manner instils a confidence that simply works.
After a 25 year working relationship with Isabelle van den Heuvel, I can say that it was a pleasure and a privilege.
Marc Luitjens
Isabelle develops English practice tests for ToetsMij, a platform for secondary school students, and I can warmly recommend her work. From my position as founder and CEO of the platform, I have worked with at least 150 authors, and Isabelle stands out within that group - not only because of the quality of her work, but also because it is exceptionally pleasant to collaborate with her. She helps us with a set of writing and reading tests for senior high school students. This results in comprehensible and educational practice tests full of clear explanations and useful tips.
-
Read more
Isabelle is a delightful sparring partner and brings out the best in our collaboration. Furthermore, we have been able to fully rely on her extensive educational experience to ensure that the tests align optimally with the learning objectives. I sincerely hope that Isabelle will continue to make her expertise and knowledge available to us for a long time to come!
Dr. Hans Rookmaaker
Isabelle was an English teacher at the Christelijk Gymnasium Sorghvliet in The Hague for about a decade, during the time I was rector there. She contributed to the development of a new and successful exam program. In addition, the Cambridge candidates she taught achieved excellent results in the Cambridge Advanced exam. Isabelle was an expert teacher, with the particularity of being bilingual in Dutch and English. This naturally makes her highly qualified to guide clients in delivering presentations in natural and convincing English. Isabelle is friendly and engaging in her approach: she will not only be a dedicated and knowledgeable coach, but also a pleasant one.
Swen Zuiderwijk, MA
During my time as rector at Sorghvliet, Isabelle was an English teacher there. Driven by her interest in students of all ages, she taught both lower and upper school classes. I came to know her as a teacher with integrity: she cares about her students and motivates them to work hard for the subject. As a result, our students excelled in English.
In her classes, Isabelle allows students to develop to their fullest potential. All aspects of English are covered, from reading Shakespeare to delivering passionate speeches on current topics.
-
Read more
Making mistakes is encouraged, as they enhance the learning process.
Isabelle is strict but fair, and she takes her students very seriously. She led a team of passionate teachers who truly made the most of teaching English. In short, she is a dedicated and inspiring colleague!
L. Jesko
If you're hesitating about hiring Isabelle as your teacher or coach, let me tell you: don't hesitate. I fondly remember my English lessons with Isabelle. She is clear, calm, helpful, and patient. Of course, she is linguistically proficient, but what I find most important is that she is very approachable. Making mistakes is natural, and that's how it feels with Isabelle too. Your confidence grows, also because she genuinely celebrates your achievements. If I ever need to practice for a big presentation in English in the future or require a crash course, I know who to turn to.
Anky Mulders
Isabelle is an excellent writer of literary reviews. She knows how to thoroughly grasp a book, extract its essence, and write a clear review about it, giving the interested reader a good understanding of the book. In addition to writing thoughtfully, Isabelle also reads and interprets meticulously. Due to the consistent quality of her texts, she is a highly esteemed reviewer. The collaboration with her is always pleasant.
Adriana
After relocating from Colombia to Europe, I realized my English skills, especially fluency, intonation, and pronunciation, were a bit rusty. While searching, I came across Isabelle’s profile on LinkedIn. Her background and experience immediately resonated with what I was looking for.
Working with Isabelle has been a truly positive experience. From the beginning, she created a warm, professional, and supportive environment that helped me overcome my shyness and build confidence. She was flexible with scheduling and always tailored our sessions to my specific needs as a Spanish speaker, focusing on relevant vocabulary and communication strategies.
-
Read more
What stood out most was Isabelle’s dedication. Each week, she prepared personalized exercises specifically designed to target my pronunciation challenges. I especially appreciated the practical techniques we used, such as learning how to shape sounds with the tongue and mouth, which made a real difference. I personally found it very helpful to repeat each exercise until I felt comfortable, which is something I specifically requested because it helped me internalize the changes and build confidence.
Thanks to our sessions, I’ve gained noticeable confidence in speaking English. My colleagues and friends have also observed the improvement. I’ve learned to slow down and focus on the distinct sounds of English, rather than defaulting to Spanish pronunciation patterns.
I fully recommend Isabelle to anyone looking to enhance their English communication skills. Whether you're a professional, a non-native speaker, or someone preparing for a specific role, Isabelle’s approach is adaptable and effective.
I look forward to continuing my learning journey with her.
Mihaela
I reached out to Isabelle on LinkedIn to seek advice about interviewing.
From the start, the experience was smooth, warm and professional. Isabelle has a natural talent for building connections and offering support. Her communication has been prompt and insightful throughout the process.
What I appreciated most about our sessions was Isabelle’s genuine interest in my professional needs and her wealth of knowledge to help me level up.
-
Read more
Working with Isabelle had a powerful impact on me. Our sessions helped me build trust in myself, develop a deeper sense of confidence, and feel more secure in who I am as a professional. Isabelle created a safe, supportive space where I felt truly heard and understood. Her insights and guidance helped me gain clarity, make decisions with more certainty, and move forward with greater purpose. I came away from each session feeling empowered and equipped with practical tools to grow, both personally and professionally.
I would absolutely recommend Isabelle. Her coaching brings real value, fosters trust and builds confidence. Isabelle has a unique ability to make the process supportive and transformative. Businesses, entrepreneurs, leaders or individuals navigating change, growth, leadership transitions or cultural shifts would benefit from what she offers. Her ability to support both personal and professional development makes Isabelle a powerful asset for any organization committed to meaningful progress.
Working with Isabelle gave me the confidence and clarity I needed during a crucial moment in my career. Her support helped me feel secure in myself while preparing for important international interviews. Isabelle has a grounded, insightful approach that brings out the best in you. I’m truly grateful for our work together and would highly recommend her to any individual or business looking to grow with purpose and authenticity.
Pooria
I started working with Isabelle because I wanted to feel more confident in my day-to-day conversations in English. She is a thoughtful and structured teacher who genuinely cares about her students. Isabelle created a personalized roadmap with practical feedback and tips tailored to my needs. She has been a wonderful teacher and a great person to work with, flexible, supportive, and encouraging throughout. I learned a lot from her and I’m truly grateful for her guidance and feedback.
Pricing & Packages
Public speaking coaching is a personal journey, and your needs are unique. Book a free 30-minute consultation, and I’ll create a tailored plan to help you grow into a confident and impactful speaker.
Contact me
Get in touch with English That Inspires for expert public speaking coaching in English. Contact Isabelle by email or book a free consultation and start improving today.