French - Beginner

Hi! Originally from County Durham, I graduated from Leeds University in 2000 with a first-class degree in Spanish and Italian. After completing an MA in Latin American Studies and using my languages in a charity setting for a while, I went on to train as a French and Spanish teacher and worked in secondary schools in Essex for a few years. I then spent a few years using Spanish, French and Italian in import/export and customer service for a couple of different businesses and enjoyed regular work trips to France, Spain and Italy. However, I very much missed teaching and continued to do tutoring as a side job. In 2018 I decided to take the plunge and became a full-time languages tutor. I am now looking forward to teaching groups with the lively and engaging Language for Fun methods!

My love of languages started when I was seven and I visited Spain with my mum and dad. Both of my English parents could speak some Spanish and I found it fascinating listening to them using strange words and being understood by Spanish people! From that point onwards I decided that I really wanted to travel more and be able to communicate with people from other cultures. I love sharing my passion for other cultures with my fellow native English speakers while giving them support and encouragement on their language learning journey. I am currently trying to learn some Romanian and Bulgarian and am very much a beginner in these languages, so I know how daunting learning a new language can be and the difference it makes to have an approachable and understanding teacher.

In my spare time I enjoy singing in a local choir, doing arts and crafts, reading mystery novels, trying out new recipes and snuggling with my deaf rescue dog Milo.

I am very much looking forward to helping you achieve your goals in Spanish, French or Italian. I am confident that you will love the experience of learning with Language for Fun!