Business & Executive English

English that performs under commercial pressure.

Duncan Maurice provides English language training to senior professionals, international students, postgraduate candidates and corporate teams. The work is built for people whose English is already functional and now has to deliver a result — in a boardroom, a negotiation, a viva or a scholarship panel.

Duncan Maurice
Who the work is for

Professionals assessed on how they speak.

Senior people and high-achieving candidates who already operate in English and need it to hold under pressure.

Executive leadership

Board-level communication and negotiation for senior management in international corporations.

Business and commerce

Managers, consultants, analysts and commercial teams working across borders and with international clients.

Engineering and technology

Technical leadership and product teams in construction, manufacturing and software, in distributed international organisations.

PhD and Masters candidates

Competing for funded international scholarships and overseas postgraduate places. Several placed successfully.

International students

University entrance, academic English and examination requirements for study abroad.

Legal and government

Cross-border practice, and officials operating in international forums and delegations.

Energy and infrastructure

Chief executives and senior technical staff in energy, utilities and the renewables transition.

Medical professionals

Clinicians presenting at conference, publishing, and working with international colleagues.

Approach

Three things that make the difference.

An established library, tailored to you

Hundreds of lessons across eight professional areas, calibrated A2 to C2, on The Maurice Method platform. Where it helps, lessons are also built around your own documents and situations.

Pitched at your expertise

Senior professionals should not be handed material designed for classrooms. The subject matter stays serious. Only the language is calibrated.

Delivery as well as accuracy

Precision matters, but so does authority. Structure, timing and composure under questioning are trained deliberately.

Sample material

Three lessons, open to anyone.

Complete lessons at three levels, no login and no sign-up. The full library is at The Maurice Method.

Experience

Seven years teaching full time, across every sector and five continents.

Private, public, international and online systems — from early years and international schools, through corporate executive programmes, to Masters-level university teaching and the training of other teachers. Students in Europe, Asia, the Americas, Africa and Oceania.

Business & Executive English2022 – present

An independent practice, working directly with companies and with private clients. Executives and professionals taught have included people at Mercedes-Benz, Google, Globant, Haskell and Learnship, among others.Online · France, Portugal, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, China

Sydney Opera House2018 – 2020

Teaching artist and trainer. Wrote and delivered State Education Department approved professional development to primary and secondary teachers across Sydney.Sydney, Australia

Australian College of Applied Psychology2017

Masters-level university teaching. Trained Masters of Social Work students to design and lead literacy programmes, supervising and assessing their professional placement.Sydney, Australia

Polyglot Language School2020

Adults, teenagers and children, in class and online. Curriculum development on the Cambridge system; trained and observed incoming teachers.Mexico City

Markham College2009 – 2010

British international school. Early Years English and special needs; curriculum design with the school psychologist; assessment team for all new enrolments.Lima, Peru

Shin Top English Academy2006 – 2007

ESL curriculum development and teaching across preschool, primary and secondary, including IELTS and TOEFL preparation. Trained and supervised new teachers.Seoul, South Korea

Queensland Arts Council2011

State Director of the largest arts-in-education touring programme in Australia. Directed 30+ teachers, artists and administrators delivering curriculum programmes into schools nationally.Australia

Credentials

Qualified, and appointed to train other teachers.

  • Advanced Certificate in TESOL — College of Teachers, England
  • Certificate in TEFL — English Business College
  • Teacher trainer — Sydney Opera House education programme, delivering State Education Department approved professional development
  • BA Writing, Media & Visual Arts — Southern Cross University, Australia
  • Native English speaker — Australian, neutral international accent following private elocution training
  • Spanish — intermediate, acquired in Latin America
Specialisms

What I am asked for, and the fields I teach it in.

01

Executive presence and authority

C1 – C2

Register, precision and controlled delivery. The distance between correct English and commanding English.

02

Strategic negotiation

C1 – C2

Framing a position, conceding without losing ground, and handling the moment a negotiation turns.

03

Presentation, conference and publication

C1 – C2

Board-level presentation, adversarial questioning, conference delivery and writing for international publication.

04

Scholarship, postgraduate and university entrance

B2 – C2

Funded international places and study abroad. Application, research proposal, viva and interview.

05

Examination preparation

A2 – C2

IELTS, Cambridge English and TOEFL, prepared strategically rather than drilled.

06

Core business communication

B1 – B2

Meetings, email, reporting and client-facing conversation.

Taught inside the field: finance and banking · medicine and clinical practice · engineering and construction · energy and environment · law and governance · technology · academic research · marketing and communications.

Examinations

Admission, migration and progression.

IELTS

Two years' validity

Highly prestigious for university admission and immigration. Academic for study, General Training for work or migration.

Cambridge English

Valid for life

A2 Key to C2 Proficiency. Certification never expires, making it the strongest long-term investment for career and academic progression.

TOEFL

Recognised worldwide

Primarily for admission to universities in the United States and Canada, and accepted internationally.

Individuals and organisations

Supply your material; it becomes the course.

Most clients already hold the content — the pitch deck, the compliance documents, the research proposal, the case notes. What is missing is someone who can turn it into language training worth a senior person's time.

Your content

Your documents and scenarios become the teaching material, whether that is a board pack or a doctoral thesis.

Individuals or cohorts

One-to-one programmes, or small groups from a single team. Online, across time zones.

Measured

Diagnostic assessment at intake, agreed targets, and written progress reporting.

The platform

The Maurice Method.

A purpose-built teaching platform holding the full lesson library across eight content areas, calibrated from A2 to C2.

For organisations, the platform can be deployed privately — your branding, your content, your cohort — so that staff work through material written for your business rather than a generic syllabus.

Eight content areas
  • Business & Finance
  • Leadership & Management
  • Global Affairs
  • Science, Tech & Environment
  • Arts, Culture & Media
  • Lifestyle & Behaviour
  • Career Pathways Medicine, law, engineering, finance, technology
  • Interview & Presentation
Method

How programmes run.

Diagnostic first

Assessment across speaking, listening and writing at intake, so the level and the target are agreed rather than assumed.

Written for the client

Material built around the industry, the documents and the situations in question. Nothing recycled between clients.

Measured throughout

Written feedback and periodic reassessment, so progress is demonstrable.

Arts & Media

Twenty-four years across television, film, theatre and live events.

Duncan Maurice has worked as a director, producer, writer, designer, art director, dramaturge, stage manager and performer across television, film, immersive theatre, national festivals, opera, musicals and large-scale live events — in Australia, Asia, and North and South America.

Television and film. Senior Producer at Dirty Work Media in Guadalajara, delivering two documentary series, television pilots, a short film and online content. Assistant Art Director on ABC TV's daily children's programme Giggle and Hoot. Production Designer on a short film selected for the Cannes International Film Festival. Director of independent short films and documentaries.

Immersive and brand. Directed the immersive theatre element of Foxtel's national launch of Game of Thrones, winning a Golden Lion at the Cannes Industry Craft Lions. Directed immersive brand theatre for Jack Daniel's across four cities. Founded Mongrel Mouth in 2014, directing four critically acclaimed site-specific productions and headlining the Sydney Fringe Festival.

Institutions and scale. State Director of Australia's largest arts-in-education touring programme, leading 30+ staff and 16 productions. Education and Creative Director at the Sydney Festival. Stage and production management at the Sydney Opera House, Darling Harbour and the Museum of Contemporary Art. Props for Opera Australia. Costume on Moulin Rouge and the English National Ballet stadium tour.

Awards

Selected recognition.

  • Golden Lion, Cannes Industry Craft Lions — 2019, Immersive Theatre Director, live launch of Game of Thrones
  • Official Selection, Cannes International Film Festival — 2001, Production Designer, Martin Four
  • Official Selection, Troia International Film Festival and London Australian Film FestivalMartin Four
  • Touring Award, San Diego International Fringe — 2018, Director and Co-Producer
  • World Tour Ready Award, Sydney Fringe — 2018, Director and Co-Producer
  • Children's Event Award, Perth Fringe — 2019, Director and Co-Producer
Selected work

Television, film, theatre and live events.

Arts CV

Full credits.

Television & film

  • Senior Producer, Dirty Work Media Documentary series, TV pilots, short film, online content · Guadalajara, 2021–22
  • Assistant Art Director, ABC TV 'Giggle and Hoot' · Sydney, 2018–19
  • Production Designer, 'Martin Four' Short film · Cannes Official Selection · Melbourne, 2000
  • Director Independent short films and documentaries · Australia, 2000–05
  • Assistant Documentarian Amazonian International Leaders Conference · Iquitos, Peru, 2009
  • Costume, 'Moulin Rouge' Feature film · 1996–2000
  • Multimedia Director, 'The Frocks' Mullumbimby, 2005

Immersive, brand & corporate

  • Immersive Theatre Director, Foxtel 'Game of Thrones' national launch · Golden Lion, Cannes · 2019
  • Director, Designer, Co-Writer, Jack Daniel's Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth · 2016
  • Director, Co-Writer, 'Tasmanian Feast of Winter' Corporate tourism event · Sydney, 2018
  • Installation Designer, GetUp National Symposium Outdoor interactive sculpture · Sydney, 2017
  • Designer, 'Equity Fest' NSW Health Department conference · 2017
  • Director and Performer, 'Gale and Valance' Event entertainment · Sydney, 2013–17

Festivals & events

  • Education & Creative Director, Sydney Festival 200+ participants, public parade · 2019
  • Co-Producer, Co-Director, Tropical Fruits NYE Festival 3,500 people, 250 volunteers, film festival · Lismore, 2003–06
  • Creator and Director, 'Flamboyance Fundraiser' Cabaret · Sydney, 2017
  • Creator and Director, 'Higgledy Piggledy' Street theatre, Greenpeace, Peoples Climate March · 2014
  • Performer, Woodford Folk Festival 'Fly Cycle' · 2013

Theatre — direction

  • Founder & Director, Mongrel Mouth Immersive site-specific theatre company · Sydney, 2014–17
  • 'Undertaking' Director, Co-Writer, Co-Producer · Headlining Sydney Fringe, 2017
  • 'The Bee and the Tree' Director, Co-Writer, Co-Producer · 2016
  • 'Like Me' Director, Co-Writer, Co-Producer · The Rocks, 2015
  • 'The Age of Entitlement' Director, Co-Writer, Co-Producer · 2014
  • 'The Silence Came' Director, Co-Writer, Co-Producer · 2014
  • 'The Phobicos' Director, Co-Writer, Producer, Designer · Amnesty International, 2013
  • 'Mr Gorski' Director, Co-Producer · Sydney & Perth Fringe, regional tour, 2018–19
  • 'Two Rooms' Director, Designer · Sydney, 2013
  • Dramaturge, 'Medea' Site-specific · Merida, Mexico, 2019

Design, performance & production

  • Theatre Designer, 'Roomba Nation' Sydney, 2018
  • Co-Writer, 'Colours' Roundabout Theatre, NSW Regional Arts Conference, 2018
  • Performer, 'La Pocha Nostra' Mexican performance art collective · Merida, 2017
  • Designer & Co-Creator, 'The Green House' Touring educational theatre and film · 2005
  • Performer, roving theatre 'The Backpackers', 'The Clouds', 'The Slow Show' · 2005–13
  • Costume Designer, 'Bin Ya' But Sea Creatures' Byron Bay, 2003
  • Stage & Production Management Sydney Opera House, Darling Harbour, MCA, major performing arts centres, national tours · 1996–2019
  • Props Maker, Buyer and Props On Stage, Opera Australia 2009–18
  • Costumes English National Ballet stadium tour, Nickelodeon, Cameron Mackintosh, The Really Useful Theatre Company · 1996–2000

Arts leadership & education

  • State Director, Queensland Arts Council Australia's largest arts-in-education touring programme · 30+ staff, 16 productions · 2011
  • Director, multi-arts residency 150 secondary students, 12 teachers · Brisbane, 2011
  • Teacher & Artist in Residence, Argot Ciudad del Carmen, Mexico, 2017
  • Translator and English Editor, '9 Vital Stories' Book and documentary on Latin American refugees · 2013
  • Creative Consultant, Young People and The Arts Australia Brisbane, 2008
Press

Reviews, interviews and coverage.

Online

  • Suzy Goes See'Undertaking', Sydney Fringe Festival, 2017 — “Unforgettable.” Read
  • Lisa Thatcher'Undertaking', 2017 — “a marvelous, beautiful production”. Read
  • The DrumFoxtel's Game of Thrones national launch, 2019. Read

Selected quotes

  • The Daily TelegraphChris Hook, 2014 — “Mongrel Mouth Rocks The Rocks.”
  • The BragHannah Warren on 'The Silence Came', 2014 — four and a half stars, and “the best kind of theatre”.
  • Absolute TheatreEmily Richardson on 'Like Me', 2015 — “The theatrical marvel that is Like Me.”
  • Stage WhispersMaryann Wright, 2014 — “This show is sold out for good reason.”
  • Sydney Weekend Notes2014 — “I was blown out of the water by this production.”
  • Aussie TheatreJeannette Delamoir on 'Like Me', 2015 — “moving and deeply human”.
  • The MusicSam Baran on 'Like Me', 2015 — four and a half stars.
  • Sydney Arts GuideJudith Greenaway on 'The Age of Entitlement', 2014 — “You really, really have to see this show!”
  • Upstage ReviewsEmily Richardson on 'Undertaking', 2017 — a dark, thriller-style experience.
  • What's On SydneyGeorgia Cassimatis on 'Undertaking', 2017 — “A must-experience, unique theatrical performance.”
  • Weekend NotesErica Enriquez on 'Undertaking', 2017 — “Enjoyable, enticing and fascinating.”
  • Theatre PeopleTim Garratt on 'Undertaking', 2017 — fascinating to watch how audiences respond.
  • Theatre UnzippedOn 'The Age of Entitlement', 2014 — “a fantastic hybrid exploration” of audience, actor and story.
  • Sydney Arts GuideOn 'The Bee and the Tree', 2016 — a shining reputation for creating experiential work.

Interviews and broadcast

  • The Sydney Morning HeraldElissa Blake, 2014 — feature interview on immersive theatre and audience agency.
  • ABC Radio National'Theatre Out Of Control', Books and Arts Daily with Michael Cathcart, 2015.
  • The AU ReviewKat Czornij, 2015 — director interview on immersive theatre and unpredictable audiences.
  • The BragDavid Molloy, 2015 — director interview on anarchic form in 'Like Me'.
  • 2SER 107.3 FMInterviews, April and November 2014.
  • Broadway World · Concrete Playground · Alt Media · City Hub · North Shore TimesSeason coverage and listings, 2014–17.

Print clippings and full articles available on request.

Enquiries

Get in touch.

Individual tuition, corporate programmes, examination and scholarship preparation, and in-house content delivery.

Contact

Duncan Maurice · Mexico City

duncan@duncanmaurice.com Every programme begins with a diagnostic assessment.
Practical detail

The essentials.

  • Based in Mexico City — teaching worldwide, online
  • Instruction in English — native speaker; Spanish spoken
  • Individual and small group — corporate cohorts by arrangement
  • Levels B1 to C2 — most work at C1 and above
  • References — available on request