Information About Jonathan - Banbury teacher

Personal Description:

Bonjour! I am an enthusiastic and experienced teacher of French, both in the classroom and in 1-to1 settings. With a PhD in French from Cambridge, over the past 15 years I've taught in UK schools and in universities in both the UK and France. iTambién me encanta el español! I've also taught Spanish in schools and I offer Spanish lessons to Key Stage 4. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced student - or somewhere in between - I will inspire your language learning and help you achieve your learning goals. As a former Oxbridge Admissions Tutor, I can offer Oxbridge interview preparation at a discretionary rate.

Teaching Experience:

Qualified Teacher Status:
Taught French (Key Stage 3, GCSE, A level) at North Oxfordshire Academy and at The Warriner School, Bloxham.
Taught Spanish (Key Stage 3, GCSE) at North Oxfordshire Academy and at The Warriner School, Bloxham
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy:
Taught French at the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge, Liverpool,
Taught English at the Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon

Teaching Approach:

In an initial meeting (free of charge) I will discuss your learning goals with you. If your motivation is simply to gain more confidence and fluency in French or Spanish, I will work out how best to support you and develop your abilities. Language learning works best in a relaxed, fun and supportive environment with plenty of praise and encouragement. I want you to feel comfortable speaking in the target language, but I won’t force this on you and I’ll explain grammatical concepts in English. I am very thorough in my preparation and I will track your progress from lesson to lesson. I will set you tasks to complete as required and you’ll get precise feedback.

For school students, I believe it’s important to work on all 4 skills (speaking, reading, listening, writing), but the particular focus on each will depend on your goals. My materials complement those used in schools up to GCSE and A level. For post-A-level students, I have a range of university-level courses which can be shaped to your needs.

Oxbridge admissions preparation will include not only advice on writing UCAS personal statements, but also behind-the-scenes insight into how the interview process really operates, and mock interview practice.

Ultimately, languages are more than just communication: it’s about delving into other ways of living, through understanding the cultures and pasts that underpin life in Francophone and Hispanic countries today. My goal is to give you a flavour of all this. For advanced students, I can take you back as far as the sixteenth century – I’ll show you how to read early modern French books if you’re really curious…