YouCanSpeakit

Through email or phone, I get to know my new student's goals, learning style and interests. With most students, we jump start with a first class and in 98 % of times, we decide to work together. Some potential clients prefer to start with a short get-to-know session. At whatever level , the student is , he/she will learn something interesting and encouraging from that very first contact.If the student is a complete beginner, we start learning basics in a very efficient and engaging way, using a wide array of materials. I thrive in passing on confidence and enthusiasm for the language. For advanced beginners, intermediate and advanced learners, I evaluate their language skills through communicative activities . This step gives me a first idea of their level, their strengths and weaknesses. I then can build my custom curriculum for each student.

My expertise stems from a combination of passion and curiosity, being a native speaker of French, a near native speaker of Spanish, an extended array of degrees and certifications and 18 years of experience and growth with students of all ages, levels and personalities. I hold a Master in History from the Sorbonne University in Paris and a Bachelor Degree in Geography from the University Paris 7, both located in Paris. I also obtained a Bachelor degree in Journalism from the University Paris II Assas in Paris. I taught History and Geography in France and at the Lycée Français of Bogota, Colombia. Then, I moved to the United States in 2003. In 2013 ,I obtained my Professional Teaching License for French and Spanish at National Louis University. For 18 years, I have been teaching French and Spanish in different settings: Middle schools, high schools, private classes , corporate (Shure Inc.) I've held classes for corporate clients to learn French and Spanish in order to communicate with Spanish speaking business partners or to relocate.

My fee is $50 per hour. I also offer money-saving packages of 5 or 10 classes at a discounted price.

It is a very good price for the top-notch instruction I offer , combined with all the materials, the homework and the ongoing feedback.

Languages and teaching have always been my life and my passion. Once I graduated from The Université Paris IV Sorbonne, the University Paris 7 and University Paris 2, I started teaching History and Geography in high school. A few years later, we moved to Colombia for my husband's work . There, I taught at the Lycée Français in Bogota. During the seven years I spent in Colombia, I studied Spanish and became fully fluent. Then, life took us to United States where I have been living for 18 years. Based in the Chicago area, I , quite naturally ,started to teach French and Spanish to individuals and small groups. In 2013, I obtained my Teaching License for both French and Spanish from National Louis University. I worked in middle and high schools, but got back slowly to private teaching that I always found more interesting and rewarding. I enjoyed it so much that I slowly replaced the schools with private classes. I also have been teaching Spanish to small corporate groups highly motivated.

I have taught individuals that needed language skills from scratch or as a brush-up ,others to enhance their careers as professionals , or to be able to communicate with locals during trips abroad.. Also, I've guided students with language requirements for graduation from the corporate world, college, and high schoolI also work with heritage students who were born in France and need a custom designed curriculum.

a.I work with professionals, like at Shure Inc where I have been teaching Spanish to several groups of employees. Their goal beeing to be able to communicate better with their business partners in Latin America.

Among my students, I also have several adults and teenagers who just decided to learn French or Spanish for their own cognitive growth and/or for the pleasure of it and who are very enthusiastic and motivated. For example with Gracie, 16, who wants to become a voice over comedian and a playwriter, we learn French through lots of movies, plays, roleplays... Additionally, I have been working for years with autistic teens who could not learn a foreign language through their school. I established a terrific relationship with these bright students using their interests and facilitating their own learning. 

I consider everyone of my students as a wonderful human and educational experience. I have been working in Spanish and French with Ejus, a busy businessman who loves France , French culture and Spanish speaking countries. For the past 18 month, we learned and talked about all kind of topics from literature to gastronomy in French and in Spanish. Along the way, I explain grammar rules in context.

Look for a native teacher who is professional, curious, kind and passionate.

Do I really want to spend the time and brainpower to learn the language? Do I want to learn from a human being with a zest for teaching?