Information About Mélanie - Edinburgh teacher

Personal Description:

Hey,
My name is Mélanie, I a 24 years old Native speaker from France.
I originally come from the Loire Valley, but I studied for 5 years in the great region of Brittany.

Last may I graduated with distinction from the great university of Rennes 2, from a Master's degree in Sociolinguistics and Sciences of Education applied to "French as a Foreign Language". It means that I am well trained to become a French as a Foreign Language teacher. Having just graduated, I don't have any real teaching experience yet but I am trying very hard to gain this experience.

Teaching Experience:

I don't have any teaching experience as I just graduated, but I do have some experience close to teaching.

For example, I have been an au-pair in Derbyshire during my summers of high school, taking care of 3 boys aged 6 to 10 (the first year, eventually they grew up), which means that my English is good enough to understand children when they mumble.

I have also been a group leader in Plymouth and Peterborough, taking care of 45 French teenagers who came to the UK for a linguistic purpose. During that time, I helped one of the teacher and took over one of her class to teach English during her absence. It is my closest experience to being a teacher, and it didn't scare me at all, I even loved it enough to make me want to become a French teacher!

Teaching Approach:

Although I haven't taught already, I have original ideas and plenty of energy that you can get from the fresh beginners.

Depending on your level, your goal and your preferences, I am happy to suggest different type of lessons.

1/ For those who want to get better at school, I am happy to sit at a desk and help doing homework. Although I will suggest that at least once a month, we forget about scholar activities and have a little of bit of fun in French, through a more practical activity. There's no secret in learning a language, you have to be at least a little bit interested in it, and interest comes from fun!

2/ For those who want to practice their French but already have an intermediate to fluent level, I strongly suggest practical activities, as it is the conversation that helps you become more fluent than you already are. No problem, I have a range of activities I'm happy to share with you in French: French Pâtisserie*, Crafting, French Cinema Club, French Boardgames Club… and even your ideas… After all a teacher is also learning from his/her students.
* concerning Pâtisserie, I am also open to special diets due to any kind of allergies and/or personal preferences.

3/For beginners who can only say "Bonjour", those who don't have a clue about the French language and/or culture but want to learn it anyway. Because French is the second official language in the world after English and you wish to understand every comment from the Olympics and/or the Eurovision TV Show. Because French is a beautiful language, and not as difficult to learn as people say. Or because speaking a second language is a powerful skill to add on your CV and an amazing cultural experience… No matter your motivation, I suggest a combination of practical activities and "writing on a notebook". Because some of us have a reading and writing memory!

4/For those who need to learn English at a beginners' level, I have an ability to work with migrants, using plurilingual teaching techniques and practical activities specifically for your situation: helping with paperwork for example. This doesn't mean that the fun isn't part of my teaching English, because everybody needs to relax and learn, no matter their situation.

Important: unfortunately I cannot teach anywhere that is not Edinburgh, as I don't have a car.