About Catherine Aygen
MEET YOUR COACH
Hi, I'm Catherine. I've spent over 20 years helping people find their voice in a language that isn't their own, first in Asia, then in Paris, and now from Grasse, in the South of France, where I've been coaching since 2014.
When I started working with non-native English speakers here, I noticed a common thread. They spoke English well, often very well, but they shared the same struggles: a lack of confidence in presentations, uncertainty about whether their message or pronunciation was clear, and real discomfort speaking in public.
Over the years, I've developed practical techniques that produce fast, visible improvement. I'm also a member of Toastmasters, and I genuinely enjoy speaking at conferences myself whenever I get the chance, so I know exactly what it feels like to be on that stage.
As someone who uses French every day while coaching in English, I understand first-hand what it takes to communicate confidently in a foreign language, in a professional setting, under real pressure. Now I'd love to help you do the same.
THE JOURNEY
From Essex to Grasse, by way of Asia
Essex, England
Where it Started
Grew up near London, before a career that would take her across three continents.
JAPAN AND SINGAPORE, 7 YEARS
British Council
Seven years teaching and training in Asia, developing the cross-cultural instincts that now shape how she coaches international executives.
PARIS, FRANCE
Training executives at the grandes écoles
Several years coaching senior professionals and students at leading French institutions and companies.
GRASSE, SOUTH OF FRANCE, SINCE 2014
A Star Coaching Communication Founded
Noticed a common thread among strong English speakers: confidence, clarity and pronunciation, not vocabulary, were the real barrier. Built A Star to solve exactly that.
CREDENTIALS
Qualifications behind the training
MA
Master's degree in Linguistics
TESOL
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages qualification
NLC
Certified Neurolanguage Coach
ICT
Intercultural Communication Trainer certification
Our Philosophy
All of our training is grounded in real situations you actually encounter at work. Whether it's one-to-one coaching or group training, the content adapts to you, not the other way round.
We're not here to judge your English. We're here to help you gain confidence and communicate with more impact. We draw on neuroscience research to help you learn faster, and our AI speech analysis tool complements every coaching programme, so you can practise alone or work through the data together in session.
You'll leave every session with something you can use in your very next meeting, presentation, or conversation.