One-to-one personalised French lessons

Frequently Asked Questions

• Will online lessons be as effective as face-to-face lessons?

  I have been teaching online for over seven years.  Skype and Zoom both provide very effective learning facilities; student and teacher can still see each other and interact, and the chat box provides the perfect medium to give feedback and corrections without interrupting the flow of the conversation.  Both Skype and Zoom offer an invaluable Screen Share function, where I can present you with flashcards, pictures, worksheets, PDF books and grammar exercises.  On Skype, these notes remain visible after the lesson, making it easy to revisit what you have learnt.  On Zoom, there is the facility to save the chat transcript at any point during the session, meaning you can return to your notes whenever you wish.

• What if there are connection problems?

  There are occasionally glitches with online systems and I wish to reassure you that should there be any connection problems from my side, due to my computer or internet speed, you will not be charged for this period of time.  You are however responsible for ensuring that your microphone, sound equipment and internet is correctly set up and functioning before the session.  If you do have a weak internet connection on a particular day, there are many ways we can try to overcome this problem, for example, we can turn off the cameras which is often sufficient to strengthen the audio and it makes great listening practice!

• Why are your lessons more expensive than some other tutors?

  I am a full-time tutor, whereas some other tutors offer a lower price due to either limited availability, experience, resources or qualifications.  That is not to say there are no tutors who ask a lower price and offer a fantastic service, but it is worth considering whether you have good value for money, rather than just a low price.

• Do I need to buy any text books or materials?

  No, you are not required to purchase anything for your lessons; materials will always be provided.  However, the more work you do between lessons, the more successfully and quickly your newfound language skills will become embedded.  If you wish to purchase additional materials, I'm always happy to provide recommendations.  you should discuss this with me at your first lesson.  I will be able to show you a selection of books so that you can decide which ones will suit you best.  Different learning styles mean that different people find some resources much more useful than others – and the last thing we want is for you to waste money on things you don’t need!

• Is there anything else I need to purchase?

  I recommend buying a notebook or a folder as a bare minimum.  It is much better if you take responsibility for writing your own notes as they will mean more to you in the long-term, and they will be written in a personal style which means something to you.  Highlighters, coloured pens, sticky notes, pencils, etc can also be useful if you want to make your work more interactive.  Keeping track of your progress will help you to improve and study outside of lessons more effectively.  Some people prefer to make notes and save files to their computer.

• Do you set homework?

  This depends very much on the needs of the student.  If you request homework to be set, I will happily oblige.  The homework will then be reviewed at the start of the next lesson; I do not mark or correct homework outside of the lesson as this can be very time-consuming).  Whilst I don't set homework as standard, I do recommend that you try to do something every day in your chosen language.

• Can you guarantee that a student will pass their exam?

  Put simply, no.  A teacher can show the student the door, but the student must walk through it.  Whilst I can guide and coach students with a view to passing their exams, ultimately the performance of the student in any given exam is beyond my control.  As such, I am unable to advise which grade a student is likely to achieve, other than through the use of past papers.

• What should I do between lessons?

  Well, the short answer is practice, practice, practice!  There are many things you can do to help you integrate your new language skills into your daily life and help cement your learning. I recommend working activities into your daily life in your target language; for example watching films, downloading a daily podcast or a language learning app.  I will be able to advise you better on how to achieve your individual goals.

• How can I stay motivated?

  Most people think that learning the grammar or the vocabulary of a language is the hardest part of learning a language.  In fact, I think the hardest part is maintaining your motivation.  It is natural that when we first undertake a new project, it feels fresh and exciting.  At this stage of the learning journey of course, we also feel like we are making rapid progress as everything is shiny and new.   Once the basics have been covered, you may feel like you have hit a plateau; I assure you that this phase of repetition and practice is very important; you are still learning important lessons and consolidating what you know.  Don’t underestimate its value, even if you don’t feel as though you are walking away with anything new.  

• When will I be fluent?

  This is such a difficult question to answer.  Firstly, every person is different, learns at a different pace and people have varied amounts of free time to commit to the cause.  Secondly, what does fluent mean to you?  Is it having a conversation?  Is it knowing all the vocabulary in a language?  My challenge to you would be, do you know every single word and how to use it in your own language?  A perfect example would be terminology.  I have a student who is an avid cricket fan, so in a conversation about this sport, he may be more fluent than me in English, let alone in Spanish.  Try to set your goals to be more specific than simple ‘being fluent’.  

• How often should I have lessons?

  Most people opt for a lesson once a week, usually due to constraints with their availability or the budget they have allocated for learning a language.  If you choose to have a weekly lesson, I would recommend practicing independently between lessons in order to ensure that your following lesson can be used to move forward.  I have found over the years that those who study at least twice a week (whether that be two paid lessons, or one lesson and one independent study session) progress their skills much more quickly.  

• How often should I practice at home?

  As much as you can!  Use every opportunity; I've known students counting their exercise reps at the gym in Spanish, or making their shopping list in French!  Revision doesn't always have to be sitting down with a textbook; think about the little ways that you could incorporate it into your daily life.  Practising little and often definitely helps to develop your skills without fatiguing yourself or causing yourself to use the enthusiasm for your language learning.

• How can I track my progress?

  You will be provided with trackers for grammar and vocabulary to track your studies.  Additionally, I use assessments from levels A1-B2, based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), with certificated awarded as you pass each stage!  These assessments are not compulsory; you can treat them as a test if you wish to push yourself, we can work on them as a collaborative effort, or you can bypass them altogether.  It is always your choice.  No pressure.