Who are these lessons for?
Anyone who wants to study French, no matter what level you’re at. All you need is Skype or Zoom, a decent Internet connection and some motivation.
What are the advantages of online classes for me?
You don’t have to go out of your way : you can study in the comfort of your own home or at your office at a time that suits you best. You get the teacher’s full attention during the lesson and you work with materials that have been selected especially for your needs. For students who need to see words to memorize them, you get the written version of what you hear as I type along. It’s like a lesson with subtitles. You can always go back on what was said during the lesson by consulting the Skype/Zoom chat afterwards. Provided that my schedule matches yours, you can study from anywhere in the world.
What is your experience and what are your qualifications?
You can read all about me here.
How much does a lesson cost?
Prices vary according to the type of lesson you want. Lessons are described and prices are given here.
How can I book a lesson?
You can use the booking system and select a time that suits you by selecting your time zone. You can pay via PayPal or contact me for alternative ways. You will receive a confirmation for the lesson once payment has been received.
Can I book several lessons at once?
Yes, you can. Packages are available and you can book classes up to 3 months in advance.
Can I reschedule a lesson?
You can always reschedule a lesson if you do it more than 48 hours before the start of the class. The system will not allow you to reschedule less than 48 hours before and you will have to forfeit the lesson if you do not attend.
What are the terms and conditions?
- Payment must be done in advance.
- Lessons last 50 or 80 minutes
- Strict 48-hour cancellation policy.
- Packages must be used within 10 weeks (5 classes) or 20 weeks (10 classes). If they are not, you agree to forfeit your classes.
Do I need to buy material?
You do not need to buy any material, as I will provide you with it, but I will advise you on books, websites, and various resources if you are interested in studying more independently.
How do I know what my level is?
According to the the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, there are 6 levels, defined here.
It is very common for a person to have different levels in different areas. For instance, you might find reading really easy, but you find it really hard to speak and form a coherent sentence. Or you might find it quite easy to speak, but when people talk to you, you struggle to make sense of what they say. Which is why it’s not always obvious to know where you’re at.
The CEFR levels are only guidelines.
If you want to try a quick test online, you can try one here.
If you have more time, you might find fun to have a look at this one.
How long does it take to be able to speak French?
This is a hard one to answer, as it depends on so many factors. From my experience as a teacher and a student, these can play a part:
- Your mother tongue: it is often easier to learn a language that is close to our native language. We make sense of it faster. However, we might confuse the two languages more easily as we tend to apply what works in our language to the one we are learning. It sometimes works, but not always!
- Your age: I find that younger students tend to memorize what they learn faster.
- Whether you already speak another language: students who have already been through the process of learning a language tend to accept more easily that a foreign language might have a totally different system to theirs and might understand grammar faster.
- Your motivation: students who have a goal progress faster and are less likely to give up. In our fast-paced hyper-connected world, it can be hard to stay focused and motivated when learning a language, especially if we don’t set some goals for ourselves.
- The time you dedicate to self-study: studying with a teacher is essential as they can explain concepts better than the Internet (where quality varies immensely) and books (even the best ones don’t have all the answers) and they can give you a structure and proper guidance, but a teacher cannot study for you. Students who do their homework, watch French videos, listen to French podcasts, read in French, or generally try to integrate French in their daily life progress much faster than those who don’t do much outside of class.
These are my own observations.
As a guide, these hours are given by the CIEP (the institution in charge of exams):
