Listen First, Teach Second: How Ben Belcher Helps Professionals Find Their English Voice
For many working professionals in Japan, the challenge of using English at work isn’t really about grammar rules or vocabulary lists. It’s something harder to name: a wall built from years of textbook study that never quite translated into real workplace communication. Tearing that wall down takes more than good instruction. It takes a trainer who knows how to listen before they teach.
That’s the philosophy Ben Belcher brings to every session at COMAS.
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Meet the Trainer: Ben Belcher
Ben’s path into language training wasn’t a straight line. After graduating from university in 2008, he left New York for Japan with two goals in mind: to build a career in education and to continue developing his Japanese. His original dream had been professional translation, but something unexpected happened along the way.
“I came to realize that I had a knack for language training and really enjoyed it,” he says. “Those early days gave me experience with learners of all different styles and ages, as well as private sessions and even large university groups.”
Over the years, Ben’s career expanded in ways that set him apart. He built expertise in curriculum design and began working in online education as early as 2012, long before remote training became the norm. He also spent time with a startup specializing in high-level training for returnees and learners preparing to study abroad at foreign universities. Each experience added a new dimension to his approach.
Today at COMAS, he brings all of it to bear, and says the company’s model was exactly what he had been looking for.
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Why COMAS? The Freedom to Customize
When Ben first learned about COMAS, what stood out wasn’t a specific curriculum or methodology. It was the absence of one.
“I was excited for the chance to focus once again on career-oriented adult learners, but this time without the artificial constraints of premade curriculum that might not be the best fit for them,” he explains. “The ability to customize sessions and tailor them directly to the learner’s needs lined up well with my own style of ‘listen first, teach second.'”
That phrase isn’t just a personal motto. It reflects something deeper about how Ben sees the relationship between trainer and learner. In his sessions, learners are not passive recipients of instruction. They are active partners, and the direction of each session is shaped as much by them as by him.
“I think many learners find their relationship with a trainer like myself feels different from a traditional hierarchy,” he says. “I aim to give my learner just as much, if not more, control over the style and content of the session as well as the flow of the conversation. By leveling the playing field, I try to maximize learner autonomy as much as possible.”
Finding What Each Learner Actually Needs
Translating that philosophy into practical results requires more than good intentions. It requires a structured way of listening, and Ben has developed one.
“The initial five minutes of each session give a great opportunity to learn more about what is going on with the learner both personally and professionally,” he says.
From there, he works to identify the specific situations where English matters most in their day-to-day working life. Do they regularly need to present detailed reports to senior stakeholders? Are they responsible for coordinating with external vendors on time-sensitive projects? Do they need to delegate tasks clearly and confidently to their team?
“Whatever the case, I identify their needs and then allow them to practice in a setting that best fits their personality and passion,” he says.
This approach reflects a principle that runs through everything COMAS does: effective training starts with understanding what a learner actually needs to do, not just what level they are at.
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Breaking Down the All-or-Nothing Myth
One of the most consistent barriers Ben encounters is a mindset he describes as the all-or-nothing view of language: the belief that English either comes out perfectly or isn’t worth saying at all.
“I invite any professional to ask themselves if the Japanese they use, hear, write, and read on a daily basis follows all the prescriptive grammar rules or is always clear in its intent,” he says. “The truth is that language in real life is messy, and second-language speakers need to embrace their mistakes to make progress.”
His advice is direct: learn to distinguish between mistakes that cause communication breakdown, such as leaving out a key word or using the wrong tense, and minor errors that don’t affect understanding, like a missing article or a forgotten plural. The first category deserves attention. The second shouldn’t stop anyone from speaking.
“Having the courage to say ‘I will speak English and I will make mistakes, and that is OK’ is the only real mantra that can lead to high levels of fluency,” he says. “The only way to gain that skill is to go for it.”
A Story of Real Growth
Nothing illustrates Ben’s approach better than the story of one learner he has worked with over the past year. She had been with her company for years, but the demands of English in her role had recently and suddenly increased. The gap between her school-era textbook English and the real communication she now needed felt impossible to bridge.
“She confessed that she felt she had a negative complex about English and was very down on herself,” Ben recalls.
What struck him wasn’t just the size of the challenge, but how open she was to rethinking her entire approach to learning. Gradually, she began experimenting with strategies that fit her personality rather than following prescribed methods. Over time, the shift became visible not just in her English ability, but in how she thought about herself as a communicator.
“She has become much more confident in herself, her abilities, and her own power to embrace the learning strategies that best fit her needs,” Ben says. “Now, she chooses her own self-study most of the time instead of getting told what to do by her trainer. She communicates with her colleagues with less apprehension and more confidence. She doesn’t feel compelled to utilize technological tools to perfect her English, instead seeing the value in sharing her real voice with others, even if it is not textbook-perfect.”
For Ben, a learner who no longer needs to be told what to do is the real measure of success. “Her case really reminded me of the sense of great accomplishment both learner and trainer can feel after putting in the work together.”
Ben is quick to point out that the quality of COMAS training isn’t just about individual trainers. It’s about the team behind them.
“I have met so many professionals from varied backgrounds who bring their own skills, talents, personalities, and style to the sessions they conduct,” he says. “COMAS takes the approach that we trainers do have our experience and approaches, but we should always be learning from one another, freely sharing our knowledge and techniques, and overall striving for greater excellence.”
That collaborative spirit, he says, is one of the genuine benefits of working at COMAS. “I am continually inspired by the creative ideas of my colleagues.”
Looking Ahead
Ben is also thinking about how to make training more efficient and more responsive to individual learner needs. Having worked with AI tools since they became widely available, he is actively exploring how to use them to build better session resources and, eventually, to share those resources across the COMAS trainer community.
“The more efficient we can become, the more devoted we can be to the real needs of our learners,” he says.
A Message for Learners and Their Companies
For HR and L&D managers considering an English training program for their teams, Ben’s advice starts before the program does.
“I would highly recommend surveying employees to get an idea of where the gap is, and to understand their current feelings about using English,” he says. From there, he suggests setting realistic, specific goals. If the internal capability isn’t there to meet those goals, he recommends turning to specialists who can lead the process.
For individual learners, his message is more personal.
“I want my learners to feel relaxed but engaged,” he says. “I firmly believe that the best learning happens when we can smile, laugh, and express ourselves. That’s the environment I always strive to create.”
At COMAS, that environment isn’t accidental. It’s the result of trainers who listen first, and teach second.
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