Sharon

I am a highly qualified, experienced and friendly but professional tutor of French, Spanish and English (including as an additional language). I hold a Masters in Education & Applied Linguistics (Distinction); BA (Hons) English & French Language and a Diploma in International Communication (Spanish & English), amongst other qualifications. I've previously been a GCSE and A level examiner but now do Consultancy Work which includes writing full language courses and training language tutors.

I love languages and linguistics and lived for many years in France and Spain, where I was a freelance portrait and landscape artist, before returning to the UK. In my spare time I'm learning Italian and I enjoy reading, as well as music and films, of different genres, cultures and countries.

I offer a 50% reduction for the first hour's introductory tuition and the prices specified are based on tutoring online or from my home on a one-to-one basis; additional charges apply for tutoring at other locations and reduced charges (per person) apply for tutoring more than one person. I invoice students for blocks of 4 lessons in advance. Additional charges apply for certain qualifications, for Business French and Spanish and for English for Academic Purposes.

Tutoring Experience

I've been teaching French, Spanish and English to young people and adults since 2007 and a Language Consultant since 2020. I also teach English for Academic Purposes - for A level and Higher Education students of any subject who are looking to improve their essay and dissertation writing skills. In a voluntary capacity, I am ESOL Coordinator for an organisation which supports refugees.

I have significant experience of working with students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), including physical impairment and learning differences.

I believe that Continued Professional Development is extremely important and recent courses I have completed include: Understanding Autism; Dyslexia and Foreign Language Teaching; and Working Supportively with Refugees.

Tutoring Approach

I tailor lessons to the individual needs of learners using a wide range of multi-modal resources and authentic materials, with an emphasis on functional language skills and effective communication in all four skills: speaking, listening, reading and writing. After lessons I provide students with PowerPoint presentations, other resources and screenshots of work so they can reinforce their learning between lessons; presentations are ordinarily embedded with audio-files, media articles and links to videos and other web pages. Depending on the needs and preferences of the student, I contextualise the language within the country of interest.

I can provide online tuition using the Zoom Meeting platform, which is very effective (i.e. shared screen for PowerPoints, videos, websites etc., as well as annotation tools which are user-friendly for learners too). Online tuition which takes place in the comfort of the student's home or place of work is convenient, time effective and often the most relaxing environment to be learning in.

I teach French and Spanish for conversation, business, leisure and for qualifications including GCSEs, A levels and Foreign Language Diplomas (e.g. the Diplôme d'études en langue française and the Diploma de español). I teach English for ESOL (including Skills for Life qualifications) and IELTS, as well as English for Academic Purposes. For native speakers, I teach English GCSE Language and Literature.

I tailor lessons to the syllabus of the specific exam board as well as to the individual learning needs of the learner.