Alex Hartman Adams
Linguistics and English Language Consulting
💡 Linguistics made clear
I’m a linguistics and English language consultant who has been supporting students, businesses, and lifelong learners since 2004.
We all use language every day, but the science of how language works can be a maze of arcane academic theory.
I help learners understand difficult technical concepts through clear examples and plain language (see Testimonials).
I provide teaching, consultation, and support in all areas of linguistics and the English language.
🔎 What can you help with?
- Linguistics tutoring for students and language learners
- English grammar and writing tutoring for academic writing and business communication
- English proofreading, editing, and advice for polished, professional documents
- Humanities tutoring in history, geography, anthropology, and philosophy (all subjects based in English writing)
- General academic tutoring in study skills, time management, and degree and career planning
- Linguistics consulting for business and personal name selection and language usage
- Creative and technical consulting for constructed languages (conlang)
- Training for IOL (International Linguistics Olympiad) and its regional events: NACLO (North America), UKLO (UK), and OzCLO (Australia)
🏅 Why choose AHA Linguistics?
- Advanced knowledge of linguistics, including phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, sociolinguistics, field linguistics, historical linguistics, psycholinguistics, and language acquisition
- Comprehensive knowledge of the English language, including grammar, vocabulary, etymology, word usage, register, and style
- Experience helping students with degree planning, organization, and time management
- A helpful teacher attitude, supporting clients in achieving their goals
- A love of learning and sharing a wide general knowledge of history, geography, culture, philosophy, and science
🏫 What is your experience?
- Online linguistics and English language consultant since 2014
- Professional proofreader for individuals and businesses since 2008, ensuring the highest standard of polished English writing
- Teaching English (ESL) since 2004, to students around the world ages 2 to 80
- Tutoring linguistics since 2004
- Has supported students in practical skills of organization, time management, and degree planning
- Has taught and graded university linguistics courses during M.A. program at the University of Toronto (Introduction to Linguistics, Psycholinguistics)
- Has worked as a naming consultant, providing linguistic context and advice for business names, baby names, and personal name changes
- My nonprofit project: 🌄Quest for a Meaningful Life
🎓 What is your education?
- 🎓M.A. Linguistics, University of Toronto (Thesis: Finding Phonemo: The Representation of Phonological Inventories)
- 🎓B.A. Linguistics, University of Toronto, with minors in Classical History and Music History
- 📜TESL/TEFL certification for English education, Oxford Seminars
📱 How do I book a meeting?
Click the Book a Meeting button to automatically arrange a session. Available times are displayed in your time zone.
Contact me at one of the links above if you would like to reserve a meeting within the next 12 hours.
Please provide at least 4 hours notice for cancellation, or the first ½ hour will be charged.
💻 How will we meet?
Meetings are online, through Zoom, Google Meet, Jitsi, Skype, or video call.
If you select Zoom or Google Meet, a link to the meeting room will be included in your confirmation email. Otherwise, I will confirm details by email.
⌚ What are your hours?
| 🇨🇦🇺🇸 Pacific (PST/PDT) | Tue Wed Thu 6am-3pm |
| 🇨🇦🇺🇸 Eastern (EST/EDT) | Tue Wed Thu 9am-6pm |
| 🇬🇧 UK (GMT/BST) | Tue Wed Thu 2-11pm |
| 🇦🇺 Australia (AEST/AEDT) | (Southern summer) Wed Thu Fri 1-10am (Southern winter) Wed Thu Fri 11pm-8am |
| 🇳🇿 New Zealand (NZST/NZDT) | (Southern summer) Wed Thu Fri 3am-12pm (Southern winter) Wed Thu Fri 1-10am |
We can always communicate using your time zone, and Book a Meeting will convert automatically.
💳 What are your rates?
| 🇨🇦 CAD | 🇺🇸 USD | 🇬🇧 GBP | 🇦🇺 AUD | 🇳🇿 NZD | |
| 1 hour | $75 | $55 | £42 | $80 | $88 |
| 5 hours | $350 | $260 | £195 | $375 | $410 |
| 10 hours | $650 | $485 | £360 | $700 | $765 |
The discount 5- and 10-hour packages are paid in advance and the hours may be used anytime.
AHA Linguistics is a fully independent service with no agency commissions.
You may pay through email transfer, Paypal, Stripe, or Wise to ax.adams@gmail.com. Email invoice available upon request.
💬 What do past clients say?
“Alex was an excellent English tutor! The personalized lessons were adjustable to my learning needs and he did a great job of explaining topics that I had trouble grasping. Not only is he very committed with his work, thanks to his dedicated and unique teaching methods, I definitely learned a lot more in English. I would highly recommend Alex for students who would like to improve their English!”
Andrea C.
“I definitely recommend AHA as a tutor! He is genuinely passionate about language and its usage and is knowledgeable in various areas of linguistics.”
Anna K.
“I had a fantastic lesson with Alex! The sessions were always engaging and tailored to my learning needs, making complex topics easy to understand. The flexibility in scheduling was a huge plus, and the tutor’s patience and encouragement helped me build my confidence. Highly recommend to anyone looking for personalized and effective learning!”
Jamie L.
“He is very knowledgeable and very helpful. Will continue to learn with him.”
Sherry Z.
“Very knowledgeable, understanding and great at explaining difficult concepts”
Louise B.
“Alex is extremely knowledgeable, approachable, and thorough. Would highly recommend!”
Emily C.
“Alex’s strengths: adaptability to student requirements, deep knowledge of subject, enthusiastic about teaching and great communicator”
Jag S.
“I am a third year student Speech and Language Therapist and was struggling with my phonetics and linguistics module and had an exam in the upcoming months. Alex went through all my lecture materials and resources with me and simplified everything, he made things that seemed so confusing so simple!! He was so understanding and his teaching is amazing, he is amazing. I passed my exam so that says everything to me!”
Maisy B.
“I had the pleasure of learning under the guidance of an exceptional linguistic tutor whose command of the language is both inspiring and extensive. His expansive experience and deep understanding of complex phonology data sets helped my learning experience immensely.
Alex’s flexibility in scheduling has allowed me to learn without feeling pressured, which was essential for my stressing times while studying. I’m grateful for his help which has shown a positive impact on my linguistic journey. I highly recommend his services to anyone needing extra help with linguistics.”
Lucy P.
“I have had the privilege of being tutored by Alex Hartman for the past three years, and I can confidently say that he is an exceptional educator. Alex possesses extensive knowledge in linguistics and his commitment to ensuring his students understand the content is truly commendable. His patience is evident in every session, and he goes the extra mile to make sure that I grasp the material thoroughly. Thanks to Alex’s guidance, I have performed exceptionally well in my courses. His teaching style, coupled with his deep understanding of linguistics, has been instrumental in my academic success. I am grateful for his dedication to my learning journey, and I highly recommend Alex Hartman as a tutor.”
Asia M.
“Alex Hartman is extremely cultivated in every aspect of linguistics and beyond. Subjects he can teach range from ancient history, to psycholinguistics, to grammar… He acknowledges my interests and caters the lessons accordingly with a structured methodology that not only creates a foundation for my learning and understanding of linguistics, but also rejuvenates my interests with multifaceted approaches, answering precise questions with extreme insight and understanding. I can not ask for a better tutor to guide me in my study of linguistics; I am extremely grateful.”
Yara M.
“I am writing to recommend Mr. Alex Hartman Adams as an exceptional Linguistics and English language expert. Mr. Adams provided invaluable assistance during my undergraduate dissertation, demonstrating a remarkable depth of knowledge and expertise. His guidance greatly improved the quality and clarity of my work, and he patiently clarified any queries and provided constructive feedback, aiding me in refining my ideas and enhancing the overall quality of my dissertation.
Mr. Adams maintains a professional and approachable demeanor, fostering a comfortable learning environment that encouraged open dialogue and productive discussions.
I wholeheartedly recommend Mr. Alex Hartman Adams to anyone seeking assistance in the field of Linguistics and English language.”
Divya S.
“Really enjoyable sessions with Alex. He is very knowledgable and responsive to going into more detail on areas where I am lacking. I am already gaining confidence and improving my skills.”
Louise S.
“Alex was super helpful with my first year English class. He was always willing to help with various types of assignments and his expertise and knowledge eased the stress of taking such a rigorous class. I’d recommend Alex to anyone who wants to excel in their university English courses!”
Keshvi
“Alex was the most helpful and informed person ever on Phonology! He helped me so much with a university assignment and was lovely and friendly too!”
Ava S.
“He was a brilliant tutor he helped me immensely with my phonology assignment and was very open to explaining topics in as much detail as I needed. Definitely worth every penny!”
Anna M.
“Alex is clear in his teaching and patient in explaining concepts. He has good knowledge of linguistics concepts.”
P. R.
“Alex knows how to explain complex concepts of writing to students who struggle to understand how proper essays need to be approached. Great tutor!”
Adina M.
“Amazing tutor, explains everything really well so you are able to grasp the concepts.”
Julia D.
“Alex explains everything thoroughly and helps me understand linguistics better.”
Rania C.
“Great tutor!!!”
Shaharazad B.
“Great knowledge on subject”
Markus K.
“Alex is a great tutor! He helped me to understand topics that I previously struggled with and explained things really clearly. He is very nice and friendly as well – 5 stars”
Zoe F.
“Great Teacher”
Vikram R.
“I enjoyed my first class with Alex, and my questions were answered!”
Abdulaziz A.
“Nice professor with clear explanations to questions.”
Linda P.
“Alex is friendly, patient, and knowledgeable. It is a pleasure to work with him.”
Valeria
“Alex does a great job of explaining things clearly and simply. He always is willing to go over things until you understand.”
Lauren V.
“I learned many new facts throughout the class. Thank you so much!”
Christine J.
“I enjoyed working with Alex. He is very down to earth and friendly. Very knowledgeable and gives very detailed explanations.”
Nick B.
“I have been working with Alex to improve my vocabulary by studying The Economist articles. Alex always gives excellent explanations for words I ask about by covering their origins as well as appropriate contexts/ways to use. That’s why I’ve been happy to work with him for many months.”
Jay S.
“I’m a ‘notorious perfectionist’ LOL, so to search for THE ‘perfect’ tutor, I spent half a month going through hundreds of tutor profiles across multiple sites. I ended up choosing Alex as THE tutor, and I have never regretted my choice since then. I needed a tutor with a strong academic background and formal training in language studies, so Alex’s graduate and undergraduate degrees in Linguistics from the University of Toronto are a big plus to me. I was also looking for a tutor who truly enjoys teaching languages, as opposed to someone who chooses to become a tutor solely because they need some extra cash. Throughout my interactions with Alex, I can certainly feel that not only does Alex have a strong passion for language studies, but he also treats teaching as his calling in life — Alex is always willing to go above and beyond to help as much as he can. As a geek, nerd, PLUS perfectionist, I could spend God-knows-how-long debating with myself over a most-likely-insignificant word choice, yet Alex is always happy to discuss with me in as much detail as I would like, showing zero impatience even in a three-hour-long session that overlapped with lunchtime. Being a terrible procrastinator, I often ran into the situation that I needed some last-minute help before my essay was due; still, Alex was always able to find a time to schedule a session for me. Simply put, words are not enough to describe how much I appreciate how great a tutor Alex has been. I hope this review can serve as a thank-you to Alex and can help bring more students to Alex so that he can never feel lonely in his journey of pursuing his passion for sharing his knowledge in languages!”
Epsilon W.
“Alex has been the most helpful linguistic teacher I’ve met. He’s not only knowledgeable on the subject, but also effective on giving constructive feedback. I also find him very helpful in helping me to restructuring my essays. I would highly recommend him to anyone needs help for professional and academic writing.”
Fiona L.
“Alex is a fantastic teacher. He helped me improve my academic writing efficiency, showing me how to quickly apply time-saving strategies. His guidance was clear and sensible. He was also patient and supportive in his approach. My improved writing skills are a testament to his quality teaching.”
Jesse B.
“Alex is my tutor, and I have been studying with him since the beginning of my university. The way of his teaching is easy to understand. Especially for a student whose native language is not English. He knows language structure very well, and that’s why he knows how to explain things for me in the most easy and efficient way.”
Xipei S.
“Mr. Hartman is a fantastic tutor. He explains the hard concepts using simple examples and analogies. He is very knowledgeable and can answer any questions that I ask him. He also writes notes and sends it so I can refer to them for exams and quizzes. After taking lessons from him, my grades have significantly increased.”
J. O.
“Alex was wonderful – he agreed to help my daughter with her Linguistics assignment from university at very short notice as there was a deadline a week later. He really listened to her and understood her problems, explained things very clearly, and was very caring in how he spoke to her. She had thought she was stupid in not understanding this area of Linguistics, but Alex constantly reassured her that things she were struggling with weren’t easy to understand and that lots of people had exactly the same problems. He was patient, supportive, didn’t sound at all that he has presumably been saying the same things to numerous students for years, and my daughter’s confidence in her ability to understand what she has to do is wonderful to see. Thank you Alex!”
Zozi G.
“Amazing tutor!!!”
Mais M.
“Alex is the most helpful tutor I have ever had! He has been very good at helping me understand concepts of Linguistics and Philosophy. Glad I found him!”
Ana N.
“Alex is a terrific tutor. He has helped me throughout my syntax course. I find that Alex explains everything clearly, while patiently assisting you in withdrawing your own conclusions. I believe that this is an important step in gaining knowledge. I highly recommend Alex as a tutor. Thank you, Alex.”
Jessica N.
“Alex is a fountain of wisdom! His extensive knowledge of the writing process is unbelievable. He is able to explain complex concepts in plain and simple language. At the end of each session with him my confidence in my writing abilities has improved. I recommend him without reservation. Let his expertise work for you!”
Bruno M.
“Very strong at clearly explaining concepts and questions never rushes you and makes sure you understand his points before moving on”
Sahij S.
“Alex explained everything very clearly and was extremely patient. Overall would definitely recommend!”
Myriam B.
“Very knowledgeable, professional, and friendly!”
Maha R.
“Great tutor! Breaks down and explains the material and concepts so I can understand and apply them. Definitely recommend thank you!! :)”
Safire F.
“He is one of the best tutors I’ve had ever! Very knowledgeable and goes out of his way to help his students.”
Tina R.
“Alex is an amazing tutor! He displays a great wealth of knowledge in the field of Linguistics. Friendly, patient, skillful and passionate about what he does. He explains concepts in a concise, effective manner. I would definitely recommend!”
Samantha P.
“Alex goes above and beyond meeting your learning expectations as a student. Each lesson is comprehensive, thorough and calculated to meet the needs of his students. Highly recommend for anyone interested in any aspect of linguistics at the highest level.”
Artem K.
“Alex is a fantastic linguistics tutor, he’s knowledgeable about many facets of linguistics (morphology, phonology, phonetics, syntax etc) and is super patient!! Super helpful when working through problem sets and developing learning tactics! 10/10”
Hannah R.
“My name is Gordon, one of Alex’s many students. Alex is one of the best teachers I have ever met. His passion to teach is overwhelming. I attribute that to his core belief of wanting students to learn and grow. Alex is the kind of teacher who will make you feel like spending time with your best friend, or your beloved up. Thumbs up. 😁”
Gordon X.
“Alex is very knowledgeable and displays a great depth of knowledge in the field of Linguistics. If you are majoring in English Language or Linguistics, make sure to have him as your tutor!”
Myra M.
“Alex is an outstanding tutor – he really takes the time to ensure that I understand a concept before he moves on to the next – nothing is too much for him and boy have I challenged him with some very complex phonological problem sets. He is very patient and has a friendly but very professional demeanour. After wasting money on other tutors I am so pleased to have found Alex who I will be working with long term. Highly highly recommend him!!”
Tana R.
“Alex is a fantastic tutor. Extremely helpful and knowledgeable. He always makes sure I understand the material. Highly recommended.”
Sara A.
“Alex prepares in advance and takes care of each student independently. He gives tips and explains each mistake in detail. He will also give you future advice according to your teacher’s style and expectations. I highly recommend him.”
Ai Li M.
“Alex is an unusually talented linguist who overshadows quite a few seasoned business branding/naming/marketing/creative strategists. As a curious and knowledge-hungry scholar, he has been effortlessly solving every linguistics-related problem thrown at him with the masterful comprehension of someone who has amassed an encyclopedia of knowledge. He is an extraordinary man with a wide range of creative ideas, intense focus, and the ability to identify the most important issue among many. Even before getting to results, his sense of humour and polished personality make working with him a pleasure already.”
Solomon S.
“Alex is attentive, knowledgeable, and thorough. Would recommend his tutoring to anyone hoping to learn more about his topics of interest!”
Elise P.
“Alex is very kind and attentive to a student’s needs. He wants to know the exact way to help and is very thorough and insightful. I would highly recommend Alex.”
Mark A.
“Alexander is one of the best tutors I’ve hired! He has a strong mastery over the many subjects he teaches, and is able to convey ideas with much ease. Besides his expertise, he has a wonderful personality to compliment the whole package. He is very personable, and is easy to get along with. I’ve never been so pleased.”
Predrag T.
“He explains material really well. Very empathetic and concise.”
Clarissa B.
“He really helped me out in explaining the concepts. He knows his stuff forshizzle yo.”
Brian N.
“Best linguist and most talented teacher ever! Great bedside manner!”
Maadiah T.
“Patient, well organized and helpful. Helped me with Syntax. Thanks Alex!”
Jaime L.
“Alex was an excellent tutor, he made the process of learning Geography easy! Thank you Alex!”
Savannah G.
“Alex is an excellent tutor! Extremely knowledgeable and patient. He can explain concepts very well and provide multiple examples. I highly recommend him!”
Caileigh M.
“Alex is a really good teacher, he is open to teach you everything, and he is very organized. Always on time and he is really passionate about teaching. He has a lot of experience and he is really patient. I recommend him to everyone that wants learn everything about English.”
Nicholas C.
“He is a very nice and wise person. He has helped me a lot in my development of writing and learning. You will not only learn knowledge of your learning field, but also other useful skills for success in university from him!”
Kassia H.
“I worked with Alexander for many years and have been a witness to his outstanding work ethic and mastery of a wide array of skills. Alexander is highly intelligent, with a wealth of knowledge that would benefit any student. He has an uncanny ability to communicate complex concepts in an easily digestible manner. He holds himself to very high standards and always delivers work of superior quality. It was a pleasure to work with him. It is rare to find an individual that is not only brilliant, but is also a compassionate and inspirational human being.”
Ana T.
“Alex is highly professional and friendly at the same time. He is a super engaging and patient tutor with a wealth of knowledge in the field of linguistics. I have been tutored by Alex for the last six months and I am so grateful for all his advice and direction. I highly recommend Alex to anyone who is looking for a high quality tutor.”
Lyndsey C.
“Alex was a great teacher! I was struggling in my LING 100 class and he helped me break down all the areas I was struggling with and answered all the questions I had. He was very patient which was good since I can be a bit slow to understand certain topics.”
Julia U.
“Alex is an extremely patient and knowledgeable tutor.”
Li L.
“Alex is very understanding, helpful and punctual.”
Yumna B.
“Great guy to work with, very professional, swift and reliable.”
Lizandro C.
“Very personable and smart. I didn’t give him much to work with but he was able to help me tremendously–thanks!”
Marissa R.
“Excellent, he was very helpful and very professional. A very committed tutor who helped boost me from a failing grade to a B-.”
Dana A.
“Alex was a wonderful phonetics tutor who helped guide my online learning! Doing an online course, I really appreciated the extra help and clarification. Alex went through assignments, homework and test prep with me. Alex was able to tutor me over Skype when I was in Ireland and was very accommodating to the time zones! I ended up with a 93% in the course and am beyond happy with my learning experience.”
Clare K.
“Alex was extremely helpful with editing my personal essay. He patiently explained his edits and how to cohesively organize thoughts within paragraphs. I am so happy I decided to reach out ! My only regret is that I didn’t contact him sooner.”
Crystal H.
“I needed some help in studying for phonology and Alex met all of the qualifications. He has extremely deep knowledge on phonology and linguistics. Alex’s tutoring sessions were timely, relevant, robust and extremely thorough. He broke down problems in a very concise and efficient manner. He is patient and makes sure that you have a plan to attack problems. I definitely recommend Alex if you need a high quality tutor.”
Chloe C.
“Alex is a wonderful tutor, his passion for the field shines in the lessons as well as his knowledge of them. He is methodical without being overly pedagogical. If there is something you don’t understand he will conjure several examples until you, the student, feel comfortable and are ready to move on to the next bit. He is flexible with his time schedule, humble and polite. How he helped me: Alex brought me from a primary school level of grammar and phonetics, a level in which I was extremely uncomfortable and slightly embarrassed about not having comprehended, to a point now where I feel well versed in syntax analysis & basic phonetics. Although I am a quick learner, I had never imagined I would finally understand this subject that had been my nemesis in school in many ways, and I owe that in many ways to Alex.”
Daniel T.
“Alex tutored my grandson, Nathan, linguistics, this past summer. He is very friendly and accommodating. He put Nathan at ease soon after tutorial started. He taught and guided Nathan; at the same time, he gave Nathan the freedom to explore and discuss areas of his interest. Nathan has had a positive experience in his lessons with Alex. Personally, I appreciate most that Alex updated me regularly on Nathan’s progress, putting me well at ease as well. To say the least, Alex is a kind and thoughtful tutor whom students and parents can trust.”
Irene C.
“Working with Alex helped to improve my understanding of some difficult course material. He was quick to respond to my initial message and was flexible in terms of dates, times, and meeting places. Alex was familiar with the textbook used in my Phonetics course and was able to answer all of the questions I had. Overall, I had a very positive experience with Alex and would definitely recommend his tutoring services to other students.”
Kelsey D.
“Alex has a strong work ethic and is dedicated to student success! We have worked together for many years at George Brown College assisting deaf and hard of hearing students, and I have found him to be punctual and highly skilled, with superior knowledge of phonetics, grammar and sentence structure. He also has a vast wealth of knowledge on many subjects of interest to students of all ages. His teaching style is Socratic and he engages students with interesting anecdotes and supplementary materials.”
Nicole S.
“I was in great need of a phonology tutor and lucky enough to find Alex. He is a highly professional individual and is extremely efficient but has great patience with his students. His calm and positive nature creates a vibrant atmosphere for learning and study. Alex was able to answer all of the questions asked of him and is very knowledgeable in phonology/linguistics. I made use of his services multiple times and would not hesitate to call upon him again for assistance. In short, it was a pleasure working with Alex. These tutoring sessions also helped raised my grades. I highly recommend this tutor.”
Lylah B.
“My experience with Alex was fantastic! He responded to my first message very quickly and from there we were able to build schedule that worked for the both of us. The great thing about Alex is that he offers tutoring sessions both in person and over Skype – these sessions were awesome (and very affordable)! Alex was flexible and worked around my busy work and school schedule to make sure that I was getting the right amount of tutoring I needed to succeed in the course. He never tries to “sell” you hours or extend sessions needlessly. Instead, he takes a look at your upcoming due dates and prepares you for what’s next. Together, we reviewed tests, tackled assignments, revisited key concepts, and prepared for the final exam. I think it’s important to mention that without Alex I do not think I would have passed my linguistics course. Before having him as my tutor I was a failing student and he helped turn things around. I cannot thank him enough for his help this past summer. If you’re looking for someone who is smart, friendly and down to earth then look no further. I would recommend this tutor to all my friends and family. Thanks Alex!”
Daune F.