After a degree in modern languages Mick taught French and Spanish in the UK and English in Venezuela. He then joined the BBC as a producer, making radio programmes for the education department before moving to general programming, then TV and finally BBC online. He worked on many of the BBC's major language courses in the 1980's and from 2001-2011 was Editor of the BBC Languages website, winning a BAFTA for the interactive drama, Mi Vida Loca, which taught Spanish to beginners. He now works as a freelance consultant in language learning and as a travel writer. He lives in multi-cultural South London with his family, and as well as learning Croatian, is trying to understand the language used by their two cats.