Hi! We are John and Ashleigh van Vliet, the editing, writing, and teaching team behind Sword Word Creative.
Born and raised in Idaho, I am a passionate proofreader, editor, and writer with over 10 years of experience. I’ve worked as a newspaper reporter, sports media creator, software documentation specialist, and American football player and coach. I enjoy playing and watching sports, writing, reading and writing, studying the Bible, and spending time with my wife and family.
I am an energetic English teacher with a specialized education (Master’s degree in education from Durham University). Born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, I later studied in the USA and England, so I am very familiar with both American and British English. I have worked as an English language teacher in Poland, and Malta, and I know how to find an approach to students of different ages and temperaments, from shy teenagers to demanding company directors. I enjoy coaching and playing basketball and spending time with my (new) family!
Sword Word Creative is an English editing, writing and teaching service, based in Malta, that aims to arm your voice, whether written or spoken, for greatness. We offer proofreading, editing, and writing services along with English language tutoring.
We are here to help you polish your academic research, book, landing page, software or business documents, English exam prep, covering letter, or anything in between.
Whether you are in Malta or abroad, we would love to work with you!
Scroll down for more information about our English creative services.
English editing and proofreading
Sharpen your written word with thorough and insightful copy editing and proofreading. I am a published proofreader of academic and research articles, books, and hundreds of blog posts. I can also help with thesis and dissertation writing. My areas of expertise extend to political and social science journals, books on WWII history and psychology, software-related content, and general interest topics.
Your work will be thoroughly edited for spelling, grammar, syntax, punctuation, and flow of thought. I have extensive experience working with non-native English speaking writers.
Freelance copy writing and software documentation
Need fresh content? Let’s work together on your new website, blog, software documentation, or anything else you need.
My writing career covers work in newspapers and sports media, software documentation, and video tutorial scripting. (I also write for fun.) I have developed and maintained help databases for Opera Software and Shireburn Software. I also do video scripting and recording and editing.
English language tutoring and materials
Sharpen your voice! If you’re prepping for an International English exam or are seeking one-to-one English language lessons for general or business-related needs, we are ready to help!
I’m a CELTA-certified teacher with teaching experience in Poland, Malta, and online with students from around the globe. I specialise in business English and English for general purposes, English exam prep, and creating custom English learning material for individuals and groups.
Testimonials
“John van Vliet edited very difficult fragments of my books and articles. He’s one of the most attentive and patient editors I’ve ever worked with. I highly recommend him.”
— Tomasz Witkowksi, psychologist, skeptic, and science writer.
“Mr John van Vliet has cooperated with the Polish Political Science Review as a proofreader since autumn 2017. He is an excellent proofreader, very competent and reliable. He has broad knowledge that helps him understand the texts better and is always willing to increase it. He works very well with short deadlines, too.”
— The Polish Political Science Review is a scientific journal, published by the Institute of Political Science of the University of Wrocław.