My teaching style & Rates
Passions & Patience
I usually use my students’ passions to teach French, and I love to see their eyes light up when they speak about things they love. This way, they are also more motivated to learn and practise their French. For example, some students are into opera, sailing, or French literature, and I go the extra mile to find some relevant material.
I am generally patient and do not mind when students are a bit slower to grasp or master some vocabulary or grammar points.
Shortcut
As I am an experienced teacher, I can help you avoid some usual common pitfalls.
For example, at a basic level, when learning the French alphabet, I know a lot of English speakers struggle with specific letters like ‘e’ and ‘u’ in French, and I know how to remediate. At a different level, English speakers usually get confused with the word ‘travail’, which often confuses them with ‘travel’ or ‘journée’ and ‘journey’.
Having an experienced teacher can speed up the learning process.
Use of the English language during the lessons
Most of my students are native English speakers, or they almost all speak English fairly well. I do use the English language during the lessons when it’s necessary, for example, at beginner or elementary levels.
Some students can start in French right from the start, but the majority of students feel more at ease when they know they can revert to a language they fully understand. I compare this to learning how to swim. People feel more comfortable when they know they can get back on their feet.
I slowly increase the level of French as my students progress to higher levels. This way, the level of challenge is balanced all along the course. Another point to take into consideration is that time is limited, and using a bit of French, for example, for grammar explanations, is a real shortcut.
Ideal students
I am getting more mature and experienced, and I now prefer to focus my energy on highly motivated students. My rates are getting higher, but I go the extra mile to make sure students learn, progress, and improve.
Learning French & Learning IN French
I can also teach in French when students reach an advanced level. For example, I can now teach about wine or photography in French.
Learning French is one thing. Learning IN French is the next step.
Conversations
I must admit that I do enjoy great conversations, so from the very first lessons, I do encourage students to converse, even with very minimal vocabulary. At a higher level, we will debate about more challenging topics and even sensitive topics like politics or religion if it is interesting and relevant. I am usually curious and actually love it when students have different ways of seeing the world and doing things (as long as it is not too extreme).
Cultural aspects
I simply love culture and cultural aspects in general (maybe that is why I live in London): Art, photography, dance, theatre, cinema, opera… I do feel that culture gives a bit of flavour and spice to life, and I do include some cultural elements or aspects when I teach. I will recommend some books, some films or festivals, or we will watch some film extracts or listen to French songs or else.
Each Student is unique, so each course is unique too
I only teach premium courses. I mainly teach 1:1 at the moment and can focus on what each student needs and carefully follow their individual progress. I do not mind using different methodologies and even old-fashioned ones (like dictation) if it is necessary. I was initially trained to use the communicative approach, but I have noticed you need to adapt to each student and requirement.
I sometimes teach group classes, but students or companies need to create the groups before I step in. I can help with assessing students’ levels, though.
In the past, I have independently fully planned and taught a full programme of semi-intensive workshops at Engie. I have also successfully taught many group classes through schools and agencies.
Rates & Flexibility
My rate for 1:1 classes is currently £110 per hour pay-as-you-go or £100 per hour when students book at least 10 hours in one go. I do not charge for VAT. You can switch between face-to-face, online, or on-the-phone lessons (provided you give enough notice). No need to cancel when you travel or when you are on the go.
Let me know if you have specific needs or a specific course in mind, and I can give you a more specific quote.
Annie@FrenchWorldOnline.com