Aiming to inspire and broaden minds by nurturing a spirit of inquiry into languages and cultures other than one's own.
Plantation French
Where and When
Private and group classes are conducted on the ground floor in the garden room of our home, La Plantation, on Mondays and Tuesdays every week. There is a long summer break in July and August in keeping with the tradition of Les Vacances d'été and La Rentrée, and a break at Christmas time too!
"Learning a language is a liberation from insularity" (National Curriculum, UK)
Course Format and Goals
Structured around the TCF (Test de Connaissance du français)
The TCF (Test de connaissance du français) is an official French language test awarded by the French Ministry of Education. It is a single test which evaluates your ability to use French for general purposes, grading your proficiency from A1 to C2 according to the CEFR standard. Currently, level B1 is required for naturalisation, and the specific test is called the TCF IRN (Integration, Residence and Nationality), involving 29 minutes listening and 12 minutes speaking.
French nationality is an objective that many ressortissants britanniques have when they move to France. Even if naturalisation is not your goal, the TCF's focus on cultural integration through the development of listening and speaking language skills provides a useful framework on which to construct your French learning.
The nationalisation interview focusses on five main themes covering French history, culture and society:
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Laws / History
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Regional
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Arts / Literature
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Travel / Society / Culture
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Volunteering / Community
Mini Courses
To ensure a clear target and direction to your language learning journey, and to accommodate periods of illnes and the varying personal obligations of course participants, I aim to structure the sessions into a series of monthly mini-courses which you sign up to and pay for at the beginning of each month on a recurring cycle. A particular topic is chosen, be it cultural, historical, political, social or simply practical, relating to daily life in France, and we will loosely devise amongst us topic-related vocabulary, relevant grammar points and sentence-building based on that month's learning objectives, with an emphasis on listening and speaking skills.
Taking the 5 themes of the TCF into account, examples of typical high-level topics might be:
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Health and lifestyle; doctor appointments and hospital
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Taking the car to the garage and what to do in case of breakdown
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Travelling around France, city focuses, regional industries and specialities
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A focus on a particular singer or a writer
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TV shows and cinemas, directors and actors; The Cannes Film Festival
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Prestigious topical events such as the Jeux Olympiques de 2024, Le 14 juillet, government elections or Christmas celebrations
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Historical Figures: Napoléon, Charles de Gaulle, Louis XIV...
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Roman History of France
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French Values
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The European Union
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Local Places of Interest, a spotlight on a particular city or town
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The Symbols of France
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Volunteering in the local community...
It might be that a particular participant offers to prepare a short presentation to introduce one of these topics, and group homework might include soundfile recordings in response to the topic which can be sent privately to me, or shared with the class at the next session. The respectful exchange of opinions and debate is encouraged, always remembering that it is the use of French that counts, not winning a debate!
If you decide to come along for a trial session, or arrange an individual consultation lesson where we can meet and establish level, ability, strengths and areas for development, then I will send you joining instructions with more information about how to find me, what to bring and how to pay. For guideline prices, see the Prices page.
If you want to know about my education and professional qualifications or my approach to tutoring and language learning, see the page Background & Approach.
Below is a short taster of my own language learning journey.
A Language Love Affair
"Maîtriser une langue, cest comme posséder une seconde âme" (Charlemagne)
If Charlemagne is to be believed, mastering a language is like possessing a second soul. I can't claim to have 'mastered' all the languages below, but I do offer brief descriptions of my relationships with them!
French: my oldest language love!
Like many UK school children, French lessons were part of the school curriculum, and I quickly realised it was one of the lessons I most looked forward to each week. Something about the thrill and skill of being able to say things in a different language seemed enticing, adding an extra layer to my character! Studying for 'A' level, I had my first taste of French masterpieces such as Le Mariage de Figaro by Beaumarchais and Molière's Tartuffe. And during my gap year at university I spent 6 months in Bordeaux, beginning with three weeks' grape-picking in the Medoc, where I was taken under the wing of some local French students I met there and introduced to the Bordelais social scene.
For the next 20 years, I kepy my French alive mainly through my work as an opera singer, performing roles from French operas and singing French mélodies. In 2005, we bought a holiday house in the Creuse (Limousin) and came regularly to France for 14 years before moving full time to the Aude département of the Occitanie region where we have lived since 2019.
Spanish: los dulces sonidos me apasionan!
In the past I have focussed my teaching on KS3 and KS4 learners in the UK, building confidence, developing the key language and exam skills required at GCSE, and addressing areas of weakness and misconceptions. Then in 2022-2024 I taught Beginners' Spanish to a small group of French and English students here in France through the local Lire à Couiza association. Due to weekly time limitations, I sadly had to stop these classes.
But I keep my Spanish lingo alive with regular "chat pals" from Mexico. I have Spain on my doorstep, so I like to pop over the Pyrenees and soak up the Spanish sun 'a la playa', eat tapas, taste the olive oils, dance flamenco and salsa, sample the riojas and generally enjoy the vibes!
Italian: la lingua delle canzoni!
With Italian, I have enjoyed supporting KS3 and KS4 learners, as well as adult learners with an interest in Italian culture and travel.
I went to Milan in my twenties, where I lived in a flat-share with locals from Verona and Turin , studied singing, and had my first taste of tutoring English to corporate clients. Self-taught, my fluency in Italian outpaced my French for a long time afterwards, as the simple sounds of this language trip off the tongue like music!
Russian: я вас любил, любовь ещё быть может...
Russia is a much-maligned, fascinating country with warm and welcoming people. I lived there as part of my university degree, and Eugene Onegin was one of my favourite roles as an opera singer. The current situation with the war in Ukraine is immensely sad, and the wounds it is causing will take generations to heal. But I have developed a network of Russian friends here in France and from my years as an opera singer, and still Skype-call occasionally with the son of the family I lived with in Voronezh.