Languages are my Yin and Yang, singing is my Nirvana, teaching is my gift onwards...
Adventures in the worlds of languages and music!
"Sometimes it's a little better to travel than arrive"
(Robert Pirsig, author of Zen and the art of Motorcyle Maintenance)
Join me at La Plantation in the beautiful Haute Vallée de L'Aude for friendly French classes every Monday and Tuesday!
Or come along on Wednesdays to Fridays if you want to discover and develop your voice with individual singing lessons, or learn to tinkle the ivories with beginner/intermediate piano lessons.
And if you want more exposure to French and/or singing, you could even join us on Thursday evenings at the French/English rehearsals of the Espéraza-based choir, Vox Vallis!
Learn with me...!
"Learning a language is a liberation from insularity" (National Curriculum, UK)
Plantation French
Conversation and Grammar
A life-long learner of French (and still learning every day!), I am grateful to know the sense of satisfaction and reward that comes from developing conversational fluency in this rich, beautiful language. But I'm also aware of its challenges and pitfalls. It doesn't come easily, despite what the online language learning advertising would have you believe, so I'm keen to help as much as possible.
Living in France, I understand that developing conversational ability is everybody's chief objective, so I aim to provide as much opportunity for you to listen and speak in lessons as possible! But in my experience, the differences of French sentence construction compared with English is a significant hurdle, a source of considerable frustration for learners. I therefore encourage you to work with me on establishing a clear grammatical foundation as well, which will help you to answer your own questions about why the French say things differently to the English.
You can find more detail about how I can help you learn in the Tutoring Approach section of my Background & Approach page.
Group Size and levels
I offer small group classes (around 6 participants) as well as private, individual lessons, welcoming learners from beginner to advanced abilities. The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly, but regular attendance, a committed approach and buckets of enthusiasm are important to allow all participants to obtain maximum benefit from the course and to help me help you make progress! The dynamic of the groups change as people come and go, but if you are coming to learn a language, you're in it for the long haul; it is a lifelong adventure! I'm offering to accompany you on the next steps of your journey, to nurture your confidence and allow your skills to develop in a supportive environment.
Key areas of focus, particularly for English speakers, are:
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developing accurate pronunciation, so that you can make yourself understood and recognise French words when they are fired in your direction!
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building vocabulary, of course.
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dealing with the various verb conjugations and tenses, and knowing when to use them.
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constructing ordered and meaningful sentences.
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Putting all this into practice, prioritising listening and speaking exercises.
If any of the above sounds like what you're after, then get in touch! Go to Enquiries or send me an email:
Or if you'd like a little more information first, go to the Plantation French page.
Education and Teaching Snapshot
Vocal Technique and Coaching
Piano Lessons
I have a degree in French and Russian, GCSE Spanish, and fluent Italian from living and working in Milan for two years. I have taught French and Spanish in schools to GCSE level, English as a Foreign Language in Italy, and have worked as a private language tutor since 2016 teaching French, Spanish and Italian.
With 20+ years of experience as a professional freelance opera singer, I offer singing lessons to beginners to advanced singers of any age across a range of styles and languages, developing a flexible, healthy and reliable technique.
for beginner and intermediate students of all ages, responding to individual aims and piano-playing ambitions with the development of technique and musical literacy.
Although my principal activity now is face-to-face tutoring, I have taught languages and singing online for several years and continue to do so when this is a more conveinent option. It saves on your travel costs, is ideal if you are based anywhere but the Pyrénées Audoises, and helps to reduce the spread of colds and coughs in the flu seasons!
See Learning Tools for how these sessions work.
Online Sessions
Language learning "introduces pupils to the best that has been thought and said; and helps engender an appreciation of human creativity and achievement"
(Mathew Arnold, poet and Schools Inspector in the mid 1800s)
What My Clients Say...
Tyler Clarke, Counselling Psychologist in doctoral training. French Conversation
After numerous failed attempts at learning French, I am so happy and relieved to have started lessons with James. The lessons are completely tailored to my needs, with descriptions of grammar I finally understand and are a perfect combination of being challenging, but also fun. I am excited to continue learning French with James, and highly recommend anyone else who is thinking the same to get in touch!