Neilston French Tutors and Neilston French Tuition

Personal Description:
A native speaker from France, I gained a master's degree in Business at a prestigious university in Paris after completing a one-year Erasmus exchange programme at the University of Birmingham. After graduating, I spent a year travelling around South America and then started my career as a project manager in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Living abroad and subsequently being exposed to other cultures and languages had a significant impact on my choice of career and that's the reason why I decided to move to London in 2005 to qualify as a secondary language teacher and share my passion for languages and travel with young people.

In my free time, I enjoy outdoor activities including hiking, cycling and going camping with my family. I am also an FA qualified football coach and run football training sessions for both children and adults on a weekly basis. I am passionate about French literature and international cinema, and I take part in chess tournaments whenever possible.

Teaching Experience:
I am currently the Head of Modern Foreign Languages at a prep school based in Hampstead. I also work as an examiner and deliver workshops at various teacher training events. Since I became a teacher, I have delivered over 500 hours of 1-1 French lessons for learners ranging from 5-year-olds to corporate executives. I particularly enjoy supporting students reach their full potential and excel in examinations such as the 11+ and 13+ school entrance papers, GCSEs, Pre-U, A Levels and IB.

Below a non-exhaustive list of the senior schools for which my students achieved Academic Scholarships over the past few years:
Aldenham School
City of London School
Eton College (2 King's Scholarships)
Haberdashers' School
Harrow School
Highgate School
Merchant Taylors' School
Mill Hill School
North London Collegiate School
St Albans School
St Columba's College
St Paul's School
St John's School
Westminster School (2 Queen's Scholarships)

Tutoring Approach:
I see myself as more of a mentor than a teacher, helping my students set reasonable goals while encouraging them to become lifelong language learners. I therefore endeavour to introduce culture into most of my lessons, whether through educational videos or magazines, French songs, or news stories from various French-speaking countries.

I find that experiencing culture is a key aspect of learning a foreign language as this can boost language receptive skills (listening and reading), which will, in turn, reinforce language productive skills (speaking and writing), all of which being needed to communicate well in the language.

I am extremely passionate about my subject and committed to understanding and engaging with each student's learning needs. I therefore tailor my teaching to ensure that all my students are able to stretch their comfort zone and move confidently towards their academic goal.

As an experienced teacher, I understand young people can feel nervous and find learning grammar and speaking another language a little daunting. However, I believe any child can learn to enjoy these given the right approach. For this reason, I have developed my own teaching method that I like to call 'Less is more' and which is based on a list of 100 high-frequency French words. It has proven to be a great tool for my students to understand how to write accurate and advanced paragraphs in the foreign language, and achieve better grades as a consequence.

During these unprecedented times of school closures and virtual learning from home, I believe young people need to build their independence and self-direction more than ever. This is why I strive to empower my students to be in charge of their own learning and become independent learners. For instance, I encourage them to create their own lists of key vocabulary on websites such as Quizlet or Memrise.

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Personal Description:
I am an Italian citizen living in London since 1996 ; I came to London as a research student, sent by Rome University, to study and work for Westminster University.

Teaching Experience:
I have been a tutor for 24 years (I still teach Spanish/Italian to private students. I was a teacher in Italy (Spanish/English) and a bilingual assistant from 1996 to present in London (Pimlico School/North Westminster/Churchill Gardens/St. Vincent de Pau); I have a PGCE in MFL (Spanish/Italian/French) KS 3 and 4 and a Master in translation (English vs Italian and vice versa).

Tutoring Approach:
I do see each student/pupil as an individual and while teaching/tutoring I take into account their personality/skills/interests as well as age/sex/religion.

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Personal Description:
I have an MA in Classical Philology and Russian Studies from the University of St Petersburg and am qualified to teach Russian, French, English and Latin. Since graduating in 1978 I have worked extensively in language teaching and translation / interpreting. I have also worked in France for 3 years and attended an interpreting school in Paris (ISIT - Institut Superieur d' Interpretation et de Traduction). I also hold a Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (DPSI in Law) issued by the Chartered Institute of Linguists and am a member of the National Register of Public Service Interpreters (NRPSI) and of the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIL).

I have taught schoolchildren, students and adult learners at beginners, intermediate and advanced level. I have lived in Britain since 1991 and am available for tutoring in Cambridge, Huntingdon and in the surrounding areas.

I also provide English language tutoring for Russian, French and German speakers. As a translator / interpreter I specialise in Medical / Pharmaceutical and Legal translation and interpreting for private companies and public service organisations like the National Probation Service, the Police, the Courts and the NHS.

Teaching Experience:
Teaching Latin at the Chemical Pharmaceutical Institute of St Petersburg (1978 - 1979).
Teaching English and French at the Technical University of St Petersburg (formerly the Leningrad Polytechnic) - 1981 - 1984 and 1986 - 1991.
Teaching Latin and French at the Medical Military Academy of St Petersburg (1984 - 1986)
Teaching French and German at a Russian Secondary School (1988 - 1991).
Teaching Russian at Manchester Business School, BNFL, Zeneca Pharmaceuticals, University of Salford.
Private tutoring - teaching English, French, Latin and Russian (1984 - 2015).

Tutoring Approach:
I do my best to give the student a good grounding in grammar which is a key to understanding and fluency whatever the language. I encourage students to listen to radio programmes in the target language, watch newsreports on television etc as it is a great learning tool. I feel passionate about languages myself and find teaching highly enjoyable.


I hold a full up - to - date DBS Enhanced check certificate issued 13 February 2013.

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Personal Description:
I am an experienced tutor. I have studied modern languages, art and design and I also have qualifications in law. I have had a varied career encompassing language teaching, translation, publishing and work in the charity sector. My wide interests and enquiring nature are invaluable assets in my teaching.

Teaching Experience:
English as a Foreign Language teaching experience in the UK and abroad, including for large schools and within companies, and private tuition 1-to-1. Adults and young learners.

Providing corporate training in Polish to groups of adult learners and also private tutoring to individuals.
I have been learning and translating Polish for 20 years, and I have lived and worked extensively in Poland. I have Polish family links.

Coaching for 11+ grammar school entrance exams. I have also provided general teaching support up to GCSE level in English and French to private students.

Tutoring Approach:
Friendly, encouraging and approachable, but thorough and focussed on successful learning. Very adaptable, and able to tailor lessons to suit individual learning styles, abilities and preferences.

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Personal Description:
Bonjour! My name is Fabienne, I am a native French speaker. I have been a private tutor for 10 years in Cardiff and enjoy helping individual students realise their potential and improve their grades. I am friendly and approachable and can make learning fun.

Teaching Experience:
I have been teaching French for the past 10 years, face to face and via Skype (online). I have tutored GCSE and A Level students to help them prepare their exams. I have also tutored mature students/adults to improve their spoken French and grammar.

Tutoring Approach:
I think it is essential to identify the person`s level, the reason why they are learning the subject, their learning styles and their interests in order to avoid getting confused later. I then suggest a `learning plan` and discuss with the students how they would like to learn and what level they would like to achieve.

Whether you need help with French pronunciation, general conversation, grammar, or just a confidence boost or maybe a bit of everything, I would be happy to help!

My schedule is flexible.
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Prices:
- £22 per person/single lesson/50 min
- Discount available when purchased in a block of 10 lessons
- For more than one student please contact me

Fabienne

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Personal Description:
My name is Laura and I am a native French teacher from Harrow, North London. I relished learning languages at school because I was taught by inspiring teachers and that is why I decided to make it my profession. I am very hard working, never afraid of a challenge and always happy to be teaching. Moreover I am organised, punctual and reliable and very enthusiastic with a fun and approachable manner. As a result, I feel that I have an ability to push my students to reach beyond their boundaries as studying no longer becomes a chore.

Teaching Experience:
I have been teaching French for over 25 years to all ages and all academic levels. Throughout my time as a teacher, I have worked and still do for several nurseries schools, set up my own business offering after school clubs, had a great deal of private lessons from primary school children to GCSE and A Level students and most recently have started conversation lessons for adults.

Tutoring Approach:
From my years of experience, I can see how general teaching in schools doesn't always work, as every child is different. This is why I offer a bespoke service to cater to the child's needs. This includes adapting what they enjoy to the learning process, which allows them a greater comprehension of the language. Students only learn if they are engaged in what they are doing. I have a positive attitude to teaching and give a great deal of encouragement.

I find it a real joy watching my students improve and eventually flourish in a subject they were struggling with at the beginning.

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Personal Description:
IN PERSON and ONLINE Tutoring! Either way I always create a very good connection with my students.
I am a native of Italy who has lived in the UK for 35 years and has well adapted to the British system of education, still bringing in some of the flavour of her own mother country in connection with love and curiosity for languages, cultures, and contacts with people and their cultures through the activity of teaching.

Teaching Experience:
I have been in the field of teaching languages (Italian being my special subject) for 21 years and have taught for all these years at all levels: children, GCSE, Highers level, University level, and adult classes both vocational and leasure/tourist.
My qualifications include a ESOL-Celta (Univ. of Cambridge) in teaching English as a Foreign Language to children and adults; a degree in English language and literature, as well as French language and literature; a PhD in Italian Studies. I have had mostly experience of teaching at University level in both language and culture (literature and cinema) in the last 10 years where my teaching ranges from beginners through to advanced level of Italian Language; and all levels of culture tutoring; translation studies.

Tutoring Approach:
IN PERSON and ONLINE Tutoring! Either way I always create a very good connection with my students.
My teaching approach to tutoring varies from objective to objective. Languages should always be taught in a full immersion style, especially when it is targeting groups of people who are doing it for either vocational or personal reasons.
Tutoring of subjects such as languages with an objective such as GCSE or Highers or indeed University exams must take into account the syllabus that students must complete in order to reach their target: i.e. pass exams and, at the same time, learn in an effective though 'unforgettable' way. The majority of classes must be delivered in the target language, however in order to meet timing of syllabus coverage and exams some of the concept must be strengthened in the student's language.
In an ideal world, where no exams or timed targets exist, then tutoring of a language should happen 100% in the target language.

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Personal Description:
I am a qualified teacher and Head of Department with 20 years of experience, in well known independent schools.

I specialise slightly more in Spanish but teach both Spanish and French to GCSE, IGCSE, A-level and Pre-U and IB. I work as an examiner for IGCSE, Pre-U and the IB, and have a good deal of exerience in preparation for Oxbridge applications and Common Entrance exams. I am usually very flexible during the school holidays, but am also able to schedule lessons for evenings and weekends during term time.

I can drive to you, but have to charge some travel costs. I am equally happy to work online.

Teaching Experience:
20 years teaching in the UK, almost entirely in the independent system with years working in boarding schools, as well as experience in a British international school. I am currently teaching at a London girls day school.

Tutoring Approach:
I am very flexible in my approach according to the needs of the student, and am quick to pick up where gaps may lie. I believe in building confidence in language learning, and am very familiar with exam requirements and preparation.

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Personal Description:
Paola
Online lessons nationwide and face to face based in Aberdeen.

I am a native Italian speaker with British nationality and fluent in both English and French.

I have a long working knowledge of English, having worked for several years as a librarian in Aberdeen and for the oil & gas industry (GE and NOV) for 8 years. I also worked for RGU prior to start teaching full time.

I offer Italian, French and English tuition at all levels, from complete beginners to advanced.

I studied English language and literature with French and Italian at La Sapienza University of Rome, Italy, where I obtained my PhD.

After graduation I spent a long time working in France in Disneyland Paris. This gave me the opportunity to hone my French language skills.

I have experience teaching students of various age and nationality, both school children and adults who need to pass exams.
I have a PVG check.

Teaching Experience:
University of Aberdeen
Rosemount Community Centre, small groups - Aberdeen
University of Aberdeen language department
Tutoring agencies

Tutoring Approach:
I offer distance learning tuition via Skype for all beginners, intermediate and advanced learners.

I describe myself as enthusiastic, friendly and patient.

I am committed to delivering high quality tuition by offering tailor-made classes to suit different students' needs.

I think that a good tutor should guide the student towards the learner's goal with confidence and be able to explain clearly and in a friendly manner.

I am committed to bridge the gap between the textbooks and the demands of modern learning making the learning process fun and adaptable to each student.

Learning a new language should be fun. I am passionate about creating activities for the learners and make them feel at ease and comfortable during the class.

I have experience teaching school children and adults one-to-one, one-to-two, and small groups for different organisations across the UK such as private schools and community centres.

I offer flexible hours so my students can arrange the classes according to their needs and availability.

Learning a new language is a great opportunity to discover the culture of another country.

Cultural awareness is part of the language experience. Therefore, I love sharing the culture of my country and my knowledge of other cultures with my students.

For my teaching, I use different techniques and media. I love sharing online resources such as videos, articles and podcasts for listening activities and guided speaking exercises.

I can prepare for school and university exams, including GCSE and National 4 and 4 English, French and Italian and EFL exams.

For learners who take regular classes I can correct short written exercises.

During the first class I can assess the student's level in order to plan a suitable course tailor made to the learner's needs.

I am enthusiastic for using new technologies to add to the learning experience.

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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:
I am 20 years old, I'm a native speaker of french. I moved over to France at the slender age of 12 and I lived there for 7 years, I have taken my french equivalent GCSE's and A-level's in France. I am currently working as a teaching assistant in a high school for Key Stage 3/4 and I provide extra french curriculum activities for the student's depending on their abilities and their age. I'm also currently at Open University getting my French degree.

Teaching Experience:
I am currently working at a High School in Dewsbury as a Teaching Assistant with Key Stage 3 and Key stage 4 student's. Once a week I have French activities put in place after school for those who want help with their french homework or have course work or would like to improve on their French.

Tutoring Approach:
I know myself how hard it is to learn another language, so depending on their age and abilities, I will provide a different range of fun activities/lessons that will help them to progress in French. I always try to keep the lessons/activities as fun and enjoyable as possible so that they are learning whilst having fun but also they are staying concentrated and engaged.

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Personal Description:
Bonjour!
I am a fully qualified, native French teacher (PGCE from the University of Portsmouth, Summer 1994).
I am married with two older children, themselves going through examinations at the moment. I also have four cats.

Teaching Experience:
I came to the UK in 1993, started teaching in a school in Sept. 1994 and teaching privately in 1998.
I no longer teach at a school but instead, teach privately to individuals or small groups.

I have been an examiner since 1998 so I am very aware of the skills and knowledge required by examination boards. I am currently a team leader for French GCSE and an examiner for A2.

I have taught a wide range of students over the years: KS3, GCSE and A Level, adult learners, younger children and adults in a business environment.

Tutoring Approach:
What I enjoy the most is to see people make big improvements and become confident with their French, from the moment they start to understand how the language works.
I am a good communicator and feel that I can understand people`s difficulties quickly so we can work on those aspects and start to make progress, once the foundations have been put (back) in place.

I am a dedicated, hard working and well organised person who enjoys seeing her pupils do well and (re)gain confidence.
I plan all my lessons very methodically and provide all papers / worksheets to my pupils. I also set homework and, more importantly, mark it! Very often, pupils will email me to ask me to check a piece of writing / homework that they are working on, and I am happy to help them with this too.

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Personal Description:
GTCS fully registered
Head of Modern Languages in Scotland for 7 years
Teacher of French, Spanish and English as a Second Language
QTS status issued by the teaching council in England for both Primary and Secondary School
Registered with Ministry of Education of Romania for Primary and Secondary Schools
18+ years' experience in teaching languages - 10 years in Romania, 8+ years in Scotland
Graduate with a Master's Degree in Educational Management & Institutional Communication - Profession Sociology, Curriculum Management, Human Resources Management, Public Relations, Quality Management, Elements of Professional Ethics, Project Management, Managerial Practice
Authorized translator and interpreter with experience in interpreting and translating official and legal documents, literature using English / French and Romanian as target languages depending on the requirement

Teaching Experience:
I am a registered teacher in the UK. I teach French, Spanish and English as a Second Language. I have 20+ years' experience in teaching students with ages ranging from 4 to 19 and adults. At the moment I am a GTCS registered teacher and I work as a Head of French, Spanish and English as a Second Language In Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

Tutoring Approach:
My courses are mainly interactive which helps students of all ages enjoy learning a foreign language and feel relaxed during classes. I can make a class of language interactive, communicative, and interesting. I am very much able to teach French, Spanish and English language to small children as well as grown-ups. In 18 + years of language teaching I have taught French, Spanish, English to different age groups. I use different techniques with different set of people. I taught French/English/Spanish to children by use of fairy tales, songs (I have 3 years' Canto School Courses), poems, flashcards and other attractive teaching methods. For older students I have always set high standards and used different strategies to help them achieve and become successful learners and responsible individuals. I have developed innovative exercises for students and encouraged them to reach their full potential.

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Personal Description:
A 32-year-old French native from Normandy, I've been living in Manchester for seven years. Prior to that, I worked as a qualified English teacher in France until I decided to move back to Manchester, where I now work as an English-to-French literary and specialised translator.

I've been passionate about languages from a very early age, taking relish in studying and comparing the idiosyncrasies of French and English - from idioms to slang to past participle agreement! Training in translation and working as a translator has made me an expert linguist with a thorough knowledge of the intricacies of the French language and a perfect command of French grammar and spelling.

Teaching Experience:
My language teaching experience includes:
- 2 years working as a qualified English teacher in French secondary schools
- 2 years working as a French Language Assistant near Manchester (including Stockport Grammar School, where I tutored AS- and A-Level students)
- 9 years working as an English teacher (with French students) during two-week language summer courses in England (University of Essex, University of Cambridge, Devon)

I have also taught and run workshops in various other contexts (drama workshops, translation workshops and conferences, reading competitions in primary schools, etc.). My diverse experience not only means I'm comfortable teaching learners of any age but it has also made me an adaptable teacher who's aware that everyone has a different way of learning.

My qualifications:
- Master of Arts in translation (English-to-French/French-to-English), with distinction (University of Salford, 2012)
- CAPES (equivalent to PGCE) in English
- Bachelor of Arts in English (University of Rouen, France)

My translation portfolio includes work for Parisian publishers (novels and essays) as well as for English and French translation agencies alike. Most recently I have translated a number of psychological thrillers such as Michelle Frances' The Girlfriend and The Temp. Recent clients include Air France, Deliveroo, Estée Lauder, Ipsos, Porsche, Kedge Business School, Pernod Ricard, Sony, Swarovski, Uniqlo, Universal, etc.

Tutoring Approach:
I happily offer private or 2-to-1 French conversation sessions to learners with prior knowledge of French (B2/near-B2 level or higher). These can be:
- Casual learners (adults) with a penchant for French and French culture who are willing to broaden their vocabulary range, hone their grammar skills and further improve their fluency
- University students willing to achieve greater fluency, further hone their language skills and/or prepare for their oral exams
- A-Level students willing to prepare for their oral exams (based on a list of themes studied and/or on the topic chosen by the student for his/her individual research project)

Conversation sessions can be mostly informal and primarily aimed at helping you achieve greater fluency. However, should you require it, I'm also happy to tackle grammar points and help you regularly expand your vocabulary range through exercises and systematic revision of the new words/phrases taught.

The first session (45 min) is free so that we can make sure we get along and everything runs smoothly. It will also serve to define precisely what your expectations are so as to ensure every session is tailored to your needs.

Depending on your preference, sessions can be:
- run entirely in French: any grammar points/unknown vocabulary will be explained/paraphrased in French
or
- run predominantly in French, with grammar points being explained in English/unknown vocabulary being translated into English when necessary.

Sessions can take place in a cosy café in Manchester city centre, at Manchester Central Library or at your place if you live in Manchester city centre.

I'm available mostly in the evenings and at weekends; however don't hesitate to let me know about your preferred times as I'm pretty flexible.

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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.

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Personal Description:
Hi! My names Ellie! I am currently in my first year of my BA Religious Studies and I am wanting to help others with their studies.

Teaching Experience:
I have tutored my younger siblings and family members, take a chance on me and you won't regret it!

Tutoring Approach:
I hope that we will be able to spend a section of our first session talking though your subject; what you like and dislike, what you are struggling or need extra help with and how I can help you. Your session will be based around what you want and you need!

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Personal Description:
I come from a very multilingual and multicultural background. Having grown up in Tanzania and now Kenya I have had the opportunity to go to a French School for 8 years, learning every subject in French. Additionally, my fluency for Italian has come from my parents who are both Italian, which this level of Italian increased during my time at Boarding school (GCSE and A level), similarly with French.

Furthermore, having gone to an International Boarding School I have profoundly learnt Spanish from the ages of 10-18.

Teaching Experience:
This past summer, I have been able to participte in Language Summer School at Stonyhurst College and I have been priveleged to be able to teach the kids developed and more intermediate levels of English along with native languages, which I am fluent in. This enabled me to communicate with children when they haven't understood words etc...

Similarly, when I was at school I used to help the younger kids with their revision for upcoming exams, and used to help them learn relevant content along with grammar and conjucations, which is extremelly important when it comes to understanding and pronouncing foreign words.

Tutoring Approach:
As a tutor, I will be patient as I know that languages are very hard to learn and therefore having patient is important to fostering an important positive mentality, which is also a key factor to being able to achieve the grades an individual is aiming for.
Additionally, pronounciation will be worked on as this is very important when taking speaking exams, and I feel like this is very overlooked amongst tutors and not taken seriously; when someone knows how to pronounce it will be easier to spell and remember key vocabulary.
Furthermore, one thing i learned at school was that doing past papers is the most important thing to get yourself used to examination strcutures and get you to really understand syllabus and contents of the subject you are studying.
However, even though these are all contributing factors to learning a subject, knowing how to revise is just as important, which is something I will also be teaching and helping them find what revision tactic is best for them.

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