About Werner

From South Africa to Taiwan — with a lot of English in between

I grew up in South Africa, a country of eleven official languages, where navigating between cultures and registers is simply part of daily life. English was always my compass — the language that connected people across difference. That early experience of language as a bridge, not just a subject, has shaped everything I do as a teacher.

"Language is not just grammar rules and vocabulary lists. It is how people make meaning, build trust, and cross distances — geographic and cultural."

After more than two decades of teaching — from secondary classrooms to university lecture halls, from IELTS preparation to academic writing — I arrived in Taichung, Taiwan, where I completed my Master's degree in English and American Literature at Tunghai University. Teaching here confirmed something I had long suspected: the world's students are hungry for English that feels real, not English that feels like a test.

A scholar who still loves the classroom

My MA thesis explored how young adult fairy-tale retellings help adolescents navigate identity formation — linking Campbell's Hero's Journey, cognitive linguistics, and narrative therapy into a framework I developed called the Archetypal Narrative of Storied Transformation. It sounds academic — because it is — but the core insight is simple: the stories we tell ourselves shape who we become. I believe the same is true of language learning.

I am currently pursuing doctoral studies in English Literature and TEFL, continuing to explore how narrative, culture, and identity intersect in language education.

• 2000 — Present
  23+ years teaching EFL, IELTS/TOEFL preparation, Business English, and academic writing across secondary and university levels.
• Tunghai University
  MA in English and American Literature — thesis on YA fairy-tale retellings, identity formation, and narrative therapy.
• Doctoral Studies
  Currently applying to PhD programmes in English Literature and TESOL at Taiwan's leading research universities.
• Werner English Studio
  Launched to bring a less formal, more current, and deeply human approach to IELTS, TOEFL, and English education worldwide.

No textbooks from 2009. No elephants in the streets.

My approach is built on one conviction: if the content is boring, the learning won't stick. So instead of scripted dialogues about holiday bookings, I teach IELTS Listening skills through real news stories. Instead of hypothetical business emails, I use real situations. And for the South Africa content — I tackle the myths head-on, with humour and genuine pride.

23 Years in the Classroom — Across 3 Cultures