Highgate French Tutors and Highgate French Tuition

Personal Description:
I am a native speaker and I have lived and worked in England for over 25 years.

Teaching Experience:
Extensive teaching experience,teaching all levels and all ages.I am an experienced tutor ,with over 25 years experience working as a private tutor.I have taught primary school-age children,students preparing GCSE and A-Level exams - focusing on speaking and listening skills and I have extensive experience as a Lifelong Learning Tutor teaching adults from beginner to advanced level.I also prepare adult learners to the DELF examinations.

Tutoring Approach:
I ensure my lessons are tailored to the needs of the learner and very enjoyable-learning French can be fun! Please note that I now only offer online tuition via Skype or Zoom.

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Personal Description:
I love teaching !
People describe me as enthusiastic, skilled, engaging and reliable.

I have been a full-time tutor since 2004 and I cater for all levels, working with both young people and adults to improve their French. I also tutor Maths and Computing.

Teaching Experience:
Many of my students are adults learning French for pleasure or business. I help students preparing for their GCSE and A Level. I also run classes for home-educated children, including children with dyslexia or on the autistic spectrum.

Tutoring Approach:
I tailor lessons to meet the individual needs of my students with a gentle and creative approach. I use a variety of "active-learning" approaches.

I love instilling my love of learning into my pupils and I always get results in a relaxed, enjoyable and rewarding way. Students progress rapidly as most of the sessions are spent talking in French, even with beginners. The objective is to make you feel confident in French. If you really want to learn, one-to-one tuitions are an effective solution.

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Personal Description:
I was born in Lebanon where I learned Arabic and French and completed a Bachelor's degree in Law and Master's degree in Public International Law. I also completed a Master's degree in International Law and Human Rights at Birkbeck university before starting my PhD research at the University of Birmingham in 2018 and completing it in 2022.

I have always had a passion for languages and I am fascinated by the beauty of different cultures when explored through our ability to communicate using the languages of the places we visit and the people we meet. When teaching Arabic, although I teach classic to give my students the ability to read and write and keep progressing through at their own pace, I insist on teaching the Lebanese dialect which is understood by all Arabic speakers. Through this, I can immerse my student not only in the language but also in the culture in all its beautiful aspects.

I equally love French and enjoy teaching it. I believe that it should be the starting point for any language lover or any child willing to learn a second language as it provides great grammatical foundations to learn other languages. Also, it is not impossible to master and a learner can, with hard work and dedication be able to appreciate the beautiful French literature and enjoy the amazing French songs from the 70s!

Teaching Experience:
I have over 15 years of experience teaching Arabic and French to groups as well as individuals at different levels: primary, GCSE, A-Level students and professionals in London (Amnesty International, The Guardian & Observer, Societe Generale, JP Morgan ...)

My methods are adapted depending on each students and individual learning needs.

Furthermore, I have experience in translating Arabic to English, English to Arabic, French to Arabic and Arabic to French.

Tutoring Approach:
My different teaching experiences have taught me to manage my time both in following set curriculums and in meeting the needs of the different students that I teach. I can also adapt my teaching style to different age groups and am able to develop students' knowledge of Arabic dialects, idioms and culture.

During a typical lesson, I use a variety of materials and these are adapted according to the age, level, and interests of the students.
If you are looking to pass exams, your learning will be structured focusing on reading, writing, listening, and speaking, all in classic Arabic and meeting curriculum requirements. Even when doing that, I still highlight the differences between what the student is learning and the spoken dialect to give them the confidence to use their language skills in social contexts.

However, my experience is not limited to exam preparation. I have experience teaching children as young as three and adults as old as 73!

When it comes to children, I am a fan of the Montessori philosophy and believe in a child led approach. You would find me using the sand tray to get the child to trace his letters or playing I spy, or getting them to do activity sheets or letter puzzles or arts and crafts as we retell stories, find items, name colors and shapes...

For an adult learner, I could be assigning a segment from the news bulletin for the listening homework or a newspaper article for reading, understanding and translation. Depending on their social needs or professional interests, I have found myself teaching medical and legal Arabic from time to time.

Many of my students are interested in learning the Lebanese dialect for social reasons and with this comes more focus on understanding the culture that has endless fascinating aspects that keep you wanting to learn more. Whilst I am happy to focus on speaking when required, I still make sure my students can read and write for them to be able to progress on their own should they want to.

Briefly, I believe that students have different learning styles and, in a way, or another this is what makes what I do exciting and enjoyable. I strongly believe that everyone can learn anything if it is taught in a method that matches their learning style.

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Personal Description:
I was born and grew in France, and came over to Bath University to do my higher education, a MEng in Aerospace Engineering. I am friendly and easy to talk to, and will be glad to help with anything relating to French.

Teaching Experience:
I have regularly helped my friends with their French homework, giving me an understanding of what is expected of learners at different levels.

Tutoring Approach:
Although the learning will always be fun and enjoyable, I will always make sure that we meet the goals that are set.

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Personal Description:
I am a native French speaker and I recently graduated in Mechanical Engineering. I have always been passionate about Maths and Physics. I like to share my passion with people, especially those whom I can help, and make these subjects accessible to all. I also love promoting my language in as many ways as I can.
I understand that it is very important to tailor learning to individual needs and I adapt myself to any situation.

Teaching Experience:
I have been giving casual tuition at secondary school level as well as University level to friends and family. I also explained Maths and Mechanics to university fellow students and friends when they needed help to understand topics I had mastered.

Tutoring Approach:
My approach to tutoring is to find interesting ways to explain when the student is confronted to a problem he cannot solve. I make a point of leading my students to their goal while setting good working standards. I like to transmit my dedication to my pupils.

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Personal Description:
When I was a boy I was taught by people who were larger-than-life characters who dominated the classroom. They made clear to us boys what was expected of us and that if we didn't make the effort we would simply not achieve the rewards.

As a teacher, I share the same ethos. I expect pupils to follow my lead and work to the best of their ability.

I spend a lot of time reading and thinking.

I think it was George Bernard Shaw who said that 2% of people think, 3% think they think and 95% would rather die than do any thinking at all!

Sadly, I think that over the last thirty years dumbing down and inflated grades have shown how accurate Shaw's assessment was.

I see my role as one of reversing the tide of apathy and mediocrity and encouraging pupils to value themselves as individuals each with unique potential.

I finally achieved my educational potential because I came to see intellectual growth as the only sure path to happiness and fulfilment.

Helping pupils reach the same understanding about their full intellectual potential is my vocation and the foundation on which I build all my one-to-one tuition relationships.

Teaching Experience:
After teaching in the UK Primary and Secondary sectors as well as managing English and History departments in three international schools overseas, I now devote my time exclusively to private tuition.

My experience includes 12 years teaching English and History to GCSE and A level in the UK secondary system and eight years teaching the same subjects to the same levels in international schools in Italy, Egypt and Kenya.

During this time I have always had a number of students on my books for home tuition to provide extra help in Primary, Secondary and University level subjects.

My English GCSE students last year all achieved A-C grades and my A level History student achieved an A (predicted C after Year 12) and is now at university. In previous years, my A level History students have never achieved less than a C and in 2014, I had a student who reached A* and is now studying the subject at Exeter University.

Tutoring Approach:
My experience has led me to believe that one-to-one tuition is the best way to educate pupils. It brings them to the realisation that the whole point of education really is to set us free. It's not easy for a student to discover this when confined every day in a class of 30 or more others! Learning to think independently as an individual, and to read and write fluently enables pupils to participate fully in society, to achieve their full potential and thereby become happy, confident adults. Once the student is enthused and inspired by a tutor to think for themselves there is only one way forward.

I like to encourage pupils to develop independent thinking and logical analysis. Too many schools are teaching the children WHAT to think when they should be teaching them HOW to think. Naturally, many pupils become disengaged and even some of the most talented are simply going through the motions rather than actually studying. This lack of motivation together with highly inflated grades means that many of our youngsters are leaving school with minimal reading and writing skills. Indeed, few now have the aptitude for doing much reading, thinking or writing at all.

I like to build up the student's confidence by establishing their strengths first. Thereafter I identify weaknesses and gauge the student's awareness of them and motivation to put them right. Above all, I encourage my students to read widely and with full concentration. My best students learn to read closely and publish their reviews on Amazon. Aside from the huge adrenaline run, the boost in confidence and proficiency students get from seeing their writing in print is awesome to behold!

To put it simply, when they're reading they start succeeding!

Homework set weekly by me will always involve reading, thinking and writing. My feedback will always concentrate on reinforcing the idea that the writing process never ends with the last full stop. I expect students to read back their work to ensure that their writing communicates their meaning clearly and fluently. Editing with the focus on making the right word choices, organising sentences with the words in the right order and structuring longer writing assignments into coherent paragraphs are all priorities schools are increasingly neglecting thereby greatly hindering the life chances of their pupils..

Once the student and I have agreed which areas need improvement we use lesson time to extend the student's competence and skills by undertaking thinking and written assignments that allow the student to develop these.

Weekly homework set will advance and reinforce the skills the student has been encouraged to bring to the lesson.

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Personal Description:
My language learning journey started in the same way it does for most of us - at secondary school. I fell in love with the French language at an early age and went on to complete an honours degree in French Studies at the University of Birmingham. During my year abroad, I lived and studied in Montréal, where I took classes in French, Italian and Spanish at McGill University and also fell in love with the Spanish language and culture.

I am passionate languages and helping learners build their confidence and reach their language learning goals, whether it be for school, exam preparation, work or pleasure, and I aim to do so in a purposeful and structured yet fun way.

I firmly believe that anyone can learn a language and make progress, whatever their starting point might be.

Teaching Experience:
I have over ten years` cumulative experience of teaching in secondary schools and I have taught French, Spanish, English Language and English Literature. As well as my work in schools, I have been working as a private tutor since 2012,

Over the past 20 years, I have also taught on many English as a foreign language courses to young learners in summer schools and also to adults for general and business purposes in Wiltshire and in North London. I delivered a course in English for business purposes at an Italian legal firm in central London.

Tutoring Approach:
I believe a positive working relationship between tutor and student is the cornerstone of a successful learning experience. I aim to make my students feel at ease and safe to take risks in order to build their confidence and experience success. I tailor lessons to each individual's learning needs and preferences so that the student is always at the centre of the learning process. I use a range of materials in my teaching including online resources, worksheets, games, speaking activities, and past exam papers where appropriate.

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Personal Description:
I am a dedicated teacher of many years experience that enables me to understand and appreciate the problems that students have in learning a wide range of scientific and mathematical topics. I have worked extensively with young people and I have CRB clearance.

Teaching Experience:
I have taught biology at university for many years at all levels from foundation courses to final years honours. I also have extensive knowledge in teaching chemistry, physics and mathematics. In addition I have tutored my children for their GCSE and A-level examinations enabling them to go to university.

Tutoring Approach:
I have a personality that allows me to communicate with young people and appreciate their difficulties in acquiring knowledge.

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Personal Description:
Bonjour! I am a French National, originally from Beauvais ,a beautiful medieval town , 80km north of Paris.
A graduate from Amiens University with a BA in English Literature & Civilization, I also studied Fashion Design & Illustration in the international Paris American Academy.

I trained and worked in London for several years, before moving to N.Ireland.
In search of calm and beauty, we now live near peaceful meadows, a mere 5 minutes drive from Banbridge, a 20 minute drive from Newry and 40 minutes from Belfast.

I constantly marvel at the multitude of walks by the sea or mountains, close to our house. With children and dog in tow, what better way to capture the beauty of life.

Not to forget the great pleasure to be able to divide my time between French Tuition and my love of Painting : "La belle vie" !

Teaching Experience:
I began teaching as a French Language Assistant, in the North of England. In the 90's , I moved to London and worked in two secondary schools. I taught 11-16 yrs old pupils, as well as being in charge of GCSE exam preparation.

Until recently, I worked in a Grammar School in N.Ireland and took great dedication in preparing my A-Level Students for the final year examination. I endeavoured to instill in them confidence with oral practice, while providing extra help with the completion of their discussion.

Immersing my Students with French Culture and insightful knowledge about French life and way of thinking, have proved greatly useful to their studies. It helped them understand French Literature with greater clarity, especially when books, such as "L'etranger " by Albert Camus, were placed into historical and social context.
Having studied French literature at A-Level and as a module within my degree in English literature, I am well versed with the subtleties of the French language for essay writing.


Students benefit greatly from my cultural knowledge as a French Native and are able to understand the topics in their curriculum with a depth that can only be provided by a French National. My expertise with the French language is equally wide ranged : from formal /literary written or spoken French to casual and daily modern French.
As I understand the evolution of French as a modern language, I am able to advise Students with the appropriate use of wording, in various social or cultural contexts.


Alongside school, I continued with my Home Tuition Practice and I now exclusively teach privately. From GCSE, A-Level or University Students, I strive to cover all aspects of the curriculum.
As part of my teaching method, I regularly include intensive grammar revision with explanation, and exercises followed by oral practice to cement knowledge.

With my many years of experience, I have successfully devised my own teaching material. Thus creating a list of unusual expressions to maximize my Students exam results. Further notes have been compiled for difficult topics such as the environment and other topics to increase their knowledge.
Students' pronunciation has also benefited from techniques I developed throughout the years, to help them understand the difference in sounds.

Beside school and academic achievements,I have had the privilege to teach many Adult Beginners who were retiring to France. For this purpose, I devised entire courses best suited to assist their individual needs. Each course was aimed at giving them a good grounding for the language and to constitute a vital building block for daily French life. In other words "a survival guide".

My French skills have also been very productive with translations and drafting of documents for French Banks, Builders, Water or Electricity Companies. Moreover my work has included important phone calls to France, prior to my retired Students departure which smoothed their transition abroad.

Each experience with a new Student has a uniqueness. It is always an immense delight to see the progress accomplished on whichever path they choose.
Most rewarding as a Tutor is to see my Students develop fluency and authenticity with the French language while appreciating its full beauty.

Tutoring Approach:
Needless to say that I teach French in a pleasant and relaxed manner.
Being flexible, I take into account the various needs of my Students and areas they wish to improve. Consequently, I patiently work along them using my own teaching material or coursework they need help with.
Furthermore ,once I have devised the best course to improve their skills ,I create their own individual material to support their progress.The lessons are well structured to take into account deadlines such as completion of written presentation and mock oral exam.

I strive to establish a peaceful environment conducive to learning and will encourage or praise my Students, for every progress made, after each tuition. My principal aim is to instill trust in their abilities. With gentle guidance I help them express themselves with growing confidence, while enjoying the language. Not only are the tuitions enjoyable, they are equally highly productive and successful.

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Personal Description:
Highly experienced working teacher/examiner ,100% grades A*-C for GCE and grades 4-9 for GCSE, with 80% of tutees consistently reaching the upper bands. All levels catered for. DBS checked.

As I am qualified and experienced to teach four subjects: English literature and language, Drama/Theatre Studies, French and German, up to and including A level, I am in a position to offer students on alternate weeks tutoring in two or three subjects if required.

Teaching Experience:
I have been teaching at secondary and university level for over 25 years, my secondary school experience ranges from state schools to prestigious independent. I am an Edexcel GCE examiner and hold upper threshold status. Despite being a trained secondary teacher, I have in recent years had great success preparing students for 11 and 13 plus English exams, one such student won the English scholarship to attend Harrow public school.

Tutoring Approach:
Lessons are created to meet the exact requirements of the examining board the student is following and or their precise learning needs. Students with special needs and or English not as a first language, can also be catered for. Homework is given and is expected to be completed. I teach week day evenings and Saturday mornings via Zoom or in person.

In the first instance parents should email me to arrange a time to discuss how I can help their child. Testimonials, qualifications, DBS and proof of upper threshold status are available on request.

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Personal Description:
I am a qualified and experienced French native speaker / language tutor with over 20 years' experience teaching French across all levels at the local university and helping GCSE and A level students to achieve the highest possible grade

Teaching Experience:
In addition to my work as a university lecturer, I have tutored since 1989 many students of all ages and backgrounds ranging from business people, holidaymakers in France, French property owners to GCSE/A level / Open University students who need to prepare for their oral & written examinations

Because of the lockdown I have moved to online teaching/tutoring
I have regular Skype / Zoom sessions with my university /GCSE/ A level students and adult learners

I usually email over worksheets or learning materials [past papers/ newspapers articles, audio files] in advance so that the students can familiarise themselves with the lesson structure and content. All skills [listening and speaking, reading and writing can be practised


Consultation lesson offered for free

Tutoring Approach:
Friendly, relaxed and focused
I tailor my lessons around the student's individual needs/ interests and objectives.
I have a wide range of learning resources [grammar worksheets, topic-based vocabulary lists, AQA, Edexcel and WJEC past papers..] and interactive activities to cater for different learning styles and help students develop their confidence and achieve their full potential. I aim to make learning French a rewarding and enjoyable experience

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Personal Description:
I am 32 years old, I live in the East Midlands and I have a degree in French and a Masters in International Relations (before I got married, I used my maiden name, which is why my degrees are in that name). I have a wide range of interests, but language, specifically French, is my main passion. I started teaching 7 years ago and tutoring 8 years ago when I was a teaching assistant.

Teaching Experience:
I have been a French teacher for the past 7 years, teaching a range of year groups from Year 6 to Year 13. Whilst French is my main subject, I have taught a range of others, including Spanish, RE, Maths and Citizenship. I have taught in a range of schools in Leicestershire and the South East and taught pupils from a wide variety of backgrounds.

Tutoring Approach:
I started tutoring in 2010 and have tutored pupils from Year 5 to Year 13. I vary my style of tutoring as every child is different and I learn quickly what each child will respond well to and how far their ability can be stretched. I tend to focus on grammar, as this is the area where most pupils struggle. I have access to a wide range of materials pupils can use including current GCSE resources, online language-learning website and a variety of games to make learning fun.

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Personal Description:
I have always enjoyed being around children and supporting them towards their personal development. I love watching their progression and helping them to achieve full potential.
I graduated in 2005 in the field of Philology, majoring in Teaching of the French Language.
I was working both in primary and high schools in Poland.
I have learnt there how to identify and find ways to effectively aid the learning and meet pupils' needs in ways which appeal to and best help them develop and gain a beneficial experience from their education so that they can achieve their full potential.
I taught Polish, English and French. The range of my clients was very diverse. I've been teaching children from various age groups, from as young as six up to thirteen years old, some with learning difficulties. I was also working with adults' casual learners and company directors with foreign capital or students who were going to work abroad.

Teaching Experience:
2016 freelancer -private tutor- teaching Polish, French and English, including clients with special needs

Tutoring Approach:
I offer an approach to teaching adapted to the individual needs, personalised style of teaching.
As a keen student of foreign languages, mainly French, I am also passionate about teaching languages to students at the earliest possible age. Languages open the door to exciting opportunities in life and providing children with language skills at an age when they are most receptive to absorbing information will allow them to make the most of these in future.

My time in school and as a private tutor has developed my philosophy of valuing each student as an individual, as well as part of a community. I aim to give me students as many learning opportunities and experiences as possible in order to engage, motivate to take more responsibility for their own learning.

I feel it is essential to make learning exciting and creative; therefore, I always make my lessons interactive, give students choices and relate teaching program to their point of interest.

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Personal Description:
Welcome! A freelance tutor and singer, I give "Personal tuition in the right key". I can help you get the highest grades in exams, and study in the "key" that best suits you. Like the right song choices, I often inspire my students to succeed.

- Which subject(s) do you teach?

French, Spanish, Latin, Ancient Greek, English as a Foreign Language, Creative Writing, Singing, Oxbridge Interview preparation.

- Tell me about your qualifications.

Master of Studies in European Literature (Spanish) from Exeter College, Oxford University;
Master of Arts in Classics and Modern Languages (French) from New College, Oxford University;
PostGraduate Certificate in Education and Qualified Teacher Status from the Department of Education, Oxford University;
Diploma de Español como Lengua Extranjera (Spanish Diploma) from Salamanca University, Spain;
Advanced Certificate in Careers Education and Guidance from Canterbury Christ Church College;
Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (Level 5, CELTA equivalent, 140 hours) from EDI and i-to-i Volunteering.
Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts ("Working for 21st century Enlightenment")

- Where do you teach?

I teach online via FaceTime and/or Skype from my home and at students' homes. I live in Abingdon, in Oxfordshire, in the UK, and am prepared to drive up to c30 miles from home if online lessons are not possible, to include nearby towns such as Oxford, Wantage, Bicester, Henley, Reading, Newbury, Thame, Wallingford, Marlow ... I teach pupils online anywhere in the world, latterly in UK towns such as Northampton, Cheltenham etc. and abroad in Hong Kong, Russia, Kazakhstan ...

- Describe your arrangements for online tutoring.

I use Skype or Apple FaceTime. The video feed can be switched off at my student's request, or if it degrades the sound quality. Tests and exercises are sent to the student and returned to me for marking by email.

Teaching Experience:
- What kind of experience do you have?

Two years teaching Scholarship Latin and Greek in a local prep school (Cothill House);
Previously spent 25 years in the classroom in independent and state schools in the UK, France and Peru, teaching all ages;
Sometime Head of three academic departments (one of which I founded at Abingdon School);
c10 years one-to-one private tuition to all ages, latterly often online or through local agencies.

- Do you have an up-to-date DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service, formerly CRB) Certificate?

Yes - fully listed on the DBS update site.

- Where and with whom did you train?

University of Oxford, New College and Exeter College;
University of Oxford Department of Education;
Salamanca University;
Christ Church College Canterbury;

- Do you belong to any professional organisations?

I am a member of the General Teaching Council, the Association for Language Learning, sometime Chair of the Oxford Education Society, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and the Academy of St Cecilia.

Tutoring Approach:
"David has been tutoring our son via Skype for the last year, since his Spanish teacher said she did not want to put him in for GCSE Spanish as she thought he would fail. David has been marvellous with coaxing and coaching him and giving him confidence. Just the one to one attention has been hugely beneficial, and the bonus that "tech"� was involved, and that there was no time lost in driving to and from lessons has been a real godsend too. David is incredibly supportive and encouraging without being at all patronising, and really strikes the right balance to get the best out of his students. Can recommend unreservedly."
Mrs F, Gloucestershire,

"Our son has flourished under David's tutelage; the balance and content of homework and classwork has been very carefully gauged and enabled our son to progress rapidly, with great enthusiasm for his studies. The weekly reports David submits have been of immense value to us as parents trying to support our son's learning, as has the clear structuring, marking and regular review of work." Dr M. and Mr E.

"David has provided my daughter with an excellent grounding in Spanish prior to her starting the subject at school. He has guided her through the basics in a clear, thoughtful and well-informed way and has formed a very good relationship in which she has felt engaged, supported and motivated." Mrs W.

"My two children (ages 9 and 10) have progressed rapidly in their French learning with David. His lessons with them are focused and thorough, and his approach is patient and clear. He has great enthusiasm for languages and significant experience in teaching them, which show through in his lessons. My children both very much enjoy their lessons and are even happy to do the homework! David is also very helpful in working with us to find the best ways to support their learning between lessons. " Jenny T

"Dear David, Thank you so much for all your help and guidance when I applied for the Chaplaincy. It was good, too, to see you there when I went for interview" Revd. Michael P"

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Personal Description:
Bonjour! Buenos días! Bom dia! Дoбрий день!
My name is Natalie. I teach Spanish, French, Latin, German,Ukrainian, Russian and Portuguese!
I have been teaching these languages for 17 years. I have a Master's degree in Linguistics , a Master's degree with honours in Tourism, Hotel and Restaurant Business and a Master's degree in International Law. I also earned diplomas from the Ministry of Education of France : DELF,Spanish diplomas DELE from Cervantes Institute (Madrid), German diploma from Goethe Institute and Japanese - Language Proficiency diploma (Tokyo).
I've worked with French and Spanish delegations of agrarians, and continue to work with professional educators from Minnesota, USA. I also worked as an interpreter at Euro-2012, UEFA Champions League Final and with football clubs. I keep working and interpreting at sports events.
I teach languages from scratch and to a desirable result. I'm very friendly and the atmosphere is always nice during the lesson!
I also help students to prepare for GCSE, IGCSE, IB, DELE, DELF and other exams.. My students successfully pass Spanish French Portuguese GCSEs , IGCSE, IB exams every year
Online tuition allows my clients to enjoy high quality lessons, learn foreign languages without leaving home and at a comfortable time. We can have a trial lesson and you will see how it works. if you have any questions,
Individual classes via Zoom/Skype!, material provided!
Teacher Natalie

Teaching Experience:
I have got three University degrees + interlational language diplomas
I help students to prepare for GCSE DELE, DELF, GCSE ,JLPT and other exams. We practise speaking, reading and writing with my students.I have been teaching these languages for 17years. I teach from 0 level and to a desirable result.

Tutoring Approach:
I am an enthusiastic tutor who can make learning fun and relevant. I aim to make ideas clear to the student, in order that they can use them fluidly and flexibly, and to encourage genuine understanding. I enjoy teaching and believe learning starts with the learner, adapting ideas and course content to meet their interests and needs.
I am experienced both with teaching children and adults for business, pleasure or exams. I prepare students for their GCSE/iGCSE, leading them to enter leading prep schools and universities
Last year, for example, my students gained their highest A-level mark in Spanish and French, some of my students got their international language diplomas and went to study and work abroad.

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Personal Description:
I have over thirty years experience of teaching Latin, English, French and essay-writing skills, both in schools and as a private tutor. I specialise in helping students write their Personal Statements when applying to university or to postgraduate courses.

I am the mother of five grown up children, three of whom went to Cambridge, one to KCL and one to Oxford, and I have also guided many other students into achieving offers from top universities, including many to Oxbridge.

After graduating from Cambridge with a degree in English and Classics, I taught for 2 years before going to Drama school, then moved to Granada TV as a researcher and presenter. The next 14 years were spent working for various TV companies, while also writing for national newspapers and magazines.

In 1992, I moved with my family to Salisbury and went back to teaching, first in a college of Further Education, then at a prep school, and subsequently in independent schools: nine years at St Mary's Calne from which I retired in 2015. I was then invited to , come out of retirement to teach at St Swithun's in Winchester and The Oratory School Oxford.

I no longer teach in the classroom, but continue to offer tutoring in Latin, English, French and Writing Skills. A particular speciality is Personal Statements - helping students with their applications to university. I have helped very many students (both pre-university and postgraduates) write successful personal statements for their chosen courses.

As well as the academic subjects mentioned above, I help with any writing task from an A level or IB essay (especially Theory of Knowledge) to university theses and dissertations. I specialise in Oxbridge help, including suggestions for reading, preparation for entrance tests and interview practice. So far I have helped over 20 students gain places at Oxbridge.

Teaching Experience:
Personal statements

I have helped very many students write their personal statements for application to university - both at undergraduate and postgraduate level. This does NOT mean writing the statement for the student - I do not have the breadth of knowledge to write about Astrophysics or Zoology, but it does mean helping the student clarify his or her thoughts, explain what has prompted the interest in the subject, how he or she has developed this interest, what extra-curricular choices have been made, and why, and how current A levels (or degree subjects) have prepared the student for this application.
For many students, the Personal Statement is the first time they have have to talk about themselves, and for many, it is bewildering knowing how to approach it and what to include and what to leave out.

I help the student by asking him/her to fill in a preliminary questionnaire, (Why this subject? What sparked the interest? Why it's important for the student and for society etc). Next, I ask for a first draft - it doesn't matter how bad or poorly expressed this is. Then, I work with the student - either at home or by Skype/Zoom, talking through the first draft and suggesting adjustments, improvements etc. Next the student writes a second draft, and the process continues until the students is totally happy that the statement says exactly what was intended, and show the student at his/her best.
I have many testimonials from happy students (including over twenty five to Oxbridge) which I would be happy to share on request.

Latin
I teach Latin at Latin Common Entrance, GCSE, A level, and university level. The great majority of my students achieve 9s at GCSE, and As and A*s at A level. Many have gone on to read Classics at university.

English
I teach English literature and language - both critical analysis of texts and and writing skills - from GCSE to university level and beyond. Many students whom I have helped with A level essays have come back to me for help with their university dissertations, applications for Masters, or covering letters for postgraduate job applications.

Essay writing
As well as helping with A level essays in all the humanities (RS, Philosophy, Psychology, History etc) I am an experienced tutor for IB Theory of Knowledge and Extended Essays. I have also advised and guided many students with their EPQs.

French
I teach French to A level and

I teach Classical Greek to GCSE.

Tutoring Approach:
1. My first priority is to let the student know that they are not alone - I am here to help. Just being told this can be immediately reassuring, especially if the student has been worrying for about a subject or project for a long time.

2. The next step is to establish exactly how much the student already knows. Nothing surprises or shocks me, but I have come across students seeking help who haven't got a copy of the relevant book or haven't read beyond the title page. I understand this - life is busy.So I am never critical or judgmental, I am always on the student's side. If necessary, I will provide a copy (years of teaching and a large family mean I usually have several).

3. The next step is to encourage the student into thinking of the subject as interesting. This may mean overcoming any resistance, by chatting, discovering how much they already know (always more than they think - another source of encouragement) and relating it to other areas of interest. One ideas have started to flow the student will begin to realise that not only might this subject/essay not be as bad as feared, it's possible they might find something enjoyable about it.

4. Now we look at the project and ways of approaching it. The key here is structure. Quite often the student's lack of confidence has led to panic and accompanying lack of organisation. So I help sort out files, help put notes in order, and encourage the student recognise which bits of paper are/aren't relevant to their work. This is mental housekeeping - and once order has been established, the student is in a better frame of mind for doing the work.

5. The next step varies according the to the subject.

LATIN.
I ask the student translate until he meets a problem. I then explain the topic- taking care to base it only on what the student already knows and feels confident about. If there are big gaps in knowledge, I start filling them, teaching vocabulary, grammar and syntax in an orderly way and asking the student to record what we have covered in his own written file.We then continue the translation, making sure the student has understood everything we have covered so far. This process is designed to lift the fog and give the student the tools needed to translate confidently

WRITING.
If it's an essay, I encourage the student to look at the title and think about (a) what is it really asking and (b) what ideas can he or she think of in response? These can be written down in any order - at this stage it's a question of getting the thought processes going.
We then discuss how to organise the student's thoughts into a coherent whole. This can be painstaking process - it involves teaching essay structure, and and sometimes even working backwards - going from conclusion back to introduction - but we always finish by knowing exactly what direction the essay is taking.
The final step is to ask the student to write something for next time. It doesn't matter if it's short or badly-expressed, and I always make it relevant to school work. The reason I ask for a piece of writing is
a) the act of writing enables a student to know what he/she wants to say
(b) seeing a student's writing shows me how to approach the next lesson. I can see what element of the writing need work, and plan my lesson accordingly.

OTHER IDEAS FOR READING ETC
I often recommend extra-curricular ideas to make the subject more engaging - films, YouTube extracts, magazines, even books - the student doesn't have to read a whole book - even dipping in and out is helpful and there is nothing more deadening to the love of books than being told you HAVE to read them.

STUDENTS WHO ARE STRUGGLING.
. I do not only help academic high-flyers. I am also offer warm and sympathetic help to students who - for whatever reason - find academic study challenging. I help develop study skills, suggest organisational strategies (for student and parent) and above all, restore lost confidence by showing the student that he really can tackle - and overcome - any problem - just by taking it slowly and making sure he or she understands each step before going on to the next.

WELCOME TO MY HOUSE.
, I'm a great believer in the comforting powers of a cup of tea and a chocolate biscuit, as well as the presence of my 2 cats (who, despite being to every lesson I've given, are still rubbish at Latin). For allergic pupils, however, the cats are banished to the garden.

Subjects

Personal Description:
Experienced & Qualified Native French Tutor (all levels)

Teaching a language is not only about teaching vocabulary, grammar, and conversation - it's also about understanding the culture of the student. Having taught around the world and passionate about languages, I have mastered my teaching techniques by learning about my students' cultures and their native languages.

Teaching Experience:
I taught at the Alliance Française of Wellington in New Zealand to children, teenagers, and adults from one to one tuitions to groups. I've also taught English and French in Europe, South East Asia, the Pacific, and Latin America.

Tutoring Approach:
First, we will begin with a level test and assess together your goals (ie: business, traveling, living in France).

Your first lesson will be in French whether you're a beginner, intermediate or at the most advanced l level - this is the most efficient way to learn. I use the best techniques to teach French as a Foreign Language.

Subjects

Personal Description:
Hello my name is Louis and I am going into my second year at Bath university studying pure Economics. At A levels, I got A*'s in French, Economics and Geography as well as an A in maths. I am fluent in French and could also teach spanish up to the GCSE level if need be.

Teaching Experience:
I have tutored on and off independently for about 5 years now.
I have also volunteered as a TA as a local primary school.

Tutoring Approach:
I try to cater to what the student is looking for, making lessons engaging and focusing on them being proactive during the lesson rather than me talking the whole time.

Subjects