Information About Ciara - Navan tutor

Personal Description:

Hi! I'm Ciara. I'm 22 years old and have recently graduated with a second class honours degree (2:1) in Law and French from UCC. Having thoroughly enjoyed French in school and receiving a H2 in Leaving Certificate French, this degree was an obvious choice to further develop my knowledge of the language. It gave me the opportunity to grow my passion for French by studying it for four years with one of these years spent living in Lyon, France and studying in a French law school.

During my Erasmus year abroad, I obtained a DEUF diploma which involved completing a total of 60 hours of French language modules alongside multiple law modules taught entirely through French. This year was a huge challenge for me but was absolutely worth it considering how much it improved my level of French.

Tutoring Experience:

I have experience giving grinds in both Junior and Leaving Cert French as I did this part-time alongside my studies. I am now in a position where I can dedicate more time to tutoring which I am very happy about as it is something I really enjoy.

I took a year out after completing my Leaving Certificate to work as an au pair in Paris. This involved teaching English to a 10 year old boy, helping him with homework, and coming up with new ways to keep him interested in learning the language. During the school breaks, I also spent some time working in a Parisian English language school teaching English to French children of all ages at summer and Easter camps.

Approach to Grinds:

Having a recent experience of the Junior & Leaving Cert cycle as well as college exams, I still have a strong grasp on what is really needed to succeed in these exams and this is something I incorporate into my teaching. A huge element of this approach is focusing on exam papers, as I believe knowing the past exam papers inside out is the best way to prepare for any exam. For Leaving Cert grinds in particular, I also spend a lot of time on oral preparation as this is such a huge part of the final grade.

I am extremely organised and prepare structured lesson plans for each of my students while assessing their weak points and making adaptations to improve those weak points as we continue. Most importantly, I approach each student with patience and encouragement to ensure that learning French is enjoyable for them just like it is for me!