Diana

Bonjour!

I am a friendly, patient, enthusiastic and dedicated Modern Foreign Languages teacher with a decade's experience teaching French to learners of all backgrounds and abilities.

As a non-native speaker of French, I have a keen insight into the various challenges encountered by foreign language learners and I take great pleasure in helping students overcome these barriers and excel in their learning.

I am happy to work with students at any stage of their learning journey, from beginner to advanced, including adult and casual learners.

In addition to my teaching work I am a semi-professional cellist and singer. I also enjoy cooking, getting lots of fresh air and being mum to two strong-minded young daughters!

Tutoring Experience

For the past ten years I have taught 11-18 year olds in mixed-ability secondary school classrooms in London and Maidenhead.

In that time I have worked with a diverse range of learners including several native French speakers, EAL students and many students with additional learning needs (especially Dyslexia, ASD and ADHD).

I have an excellent track record preparing students for GCSE examinations (AQA specification); I have also worked with students on all aspects of the A-level exam (language, literature and film) and with those preparing for 13+ exams.

Tutoring Approach

I am very ‘can do’, very thorough and very patient in my approach.

I am comfortable and experienced working to improve learners' confidence and abilities in all four key skill areas of listening, reading, speaking and writing. I am a particular specialist when it comes to grammar and pronunciation.

When teaching I see myself as a facilitator of learning; therefore I scaffold my teaching with simple, clear explanations and lots of questions to help students become more independent in their learning.

Observers of my teaching frequently comment on my excellent subject knowledge, highly effective questioning techniques and superb rapport with students.