Information About Babette - Seaford teacher -

(7 reviews)

Personal Description:

I am Babette ,

After living many happy years in Sussex, I have now moved back to Burgundy where I continue teaching online the students I had when I was living in the Cuckmere Valley.

I teach all levels of French, One to One French tuition or small French classes (max 4/5 students).

I have helped many French GCSE, A level and DEFL students obtain excellent grades.

Teaching Experience:

After obtaining a degree in pedagogy and psychology, I worked as a primary school teacher and then as a teacher of French as a foreign language in Greece and in the UK Maidstone Further Education college and Sussex Downs College).

Teaching Approach:

When in Sussex, I created a community of francophiles who got together for cultural or social events. Below is an excerpt from my previous profile:

"The French language is not just words. With the Cosmofil events, you will absorb the French culture through films, wine tastings, talks and more. The Cosmofil French Film Club takes place once a month at the lovely Deans Place Hotel in Alfriston. Thanks to the twinning between Alfriston and beautiful Veules les Roses in Normandy, many students have built strong links with French twinners and their level of fluency has greatly improved."

I love teaching A level students. Teaching grammar is one of my forte but the French A Level exam isn't just about the level of language. Students are required to show knowledge and understanding of French culture and society. They are also expected to debate and have opinions on ethical matters and this can prove challenging for 17 year olds. I very much enjoy helping my young students develop and articulate their own thoughts. My aim is to motivate them to improve their understanding of cultural, political and social issues, which I am myself passionate about.

I offer very competitive fees (£35 per hour) for A level and GCSE French exams coaching and I am proud to say that all my students obtained A or A*, some retaking their exam after receiving a D.

Cosmofil for business is a new service delivering language and cultural support to business people prior to their meetings with French clients. To paraphrase a famous quote: “It’s the communication, stupid!”

My most popular package is a course of 12 to 14 lessons where students enrol for a whole term as part of a group: £20.00 for two hour lessons. The maximum number of enrolled students is 4 or 5 per group. Enrolled students can attend more than one class if they wish to.

For those whose time is precious, I now offer One to One French on Skype lessons (from £35 to £40 per hour).

Potential students wishing to enrol in a course are invited to attend as many classes as they wish before deciding with me which is the best for them.

Some success stories

A student who had no academic background at all and admitted to have never read a book in English read her first book in French (the first of many) after only three years in my classes. Although she had no notion of grammar, she quickly understood French grammar and structure and is now a fluent speaker.

T. recently arrived in the UK from Thailand, started at the elementary level and learned her first words of French whilst also working on her English. She not only started reading and communicating online with francophones very quickly but she also grasped the French (and European) culture with an amazing speed. Oh, and she also reads novels in French.

M. who started with no French at all and really struggled to make progress continued to persevere when most people would have given up. After 6 years of hard work, he has now acquired a certain degree of confidence and I am extremely proud of his achievement.