Sharon

I am a highly qualified, experienced and very friendly full-time tutor of French, Spanish and English at all levels. I am also a GCSE and A level examiner. 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 and settling in North Worcestershire. Alongside tutoring I enjoy studying and am learning Italian. In my spare time I also enjoy painting, reading, gardening as well as music and films of different genres, cultures and countries.

I do not charge for the first hour's tuition and the prices quoted are based on tutoring 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. Additional charges also apply for certain qualifications and for Business French and Spanish.

Tutoring Experience

I've been teaching French, Spanish and English to young people and adults since 2007; usually as a private tutor but I also worked for 2 years in an independent school teaching French to Spanish pupils. I am also ESOL Coordinator for an organisation which supports refugees. English for Academic Purposes is another service I provide for A level and Higher Education students of any subject wanting to improve their essay and dissertation writing skills.

Also, I have significant experience of working with students with Special Educational Needs (SEN), including physical impairment and lifelong developmental disabilities such as autism.

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. After lessons students are very welcome to take away any PowerPoints in order to reinforce their learning using a PC, tablet or 'phone; these presentations are at the heart of most lessons and they are ordinarily embedded with audio-files, media articles and links to YouTube videos and other webpages. Depending on the needs and preferences of the student, I contextualise the language within the country/ies of interest.

I can provide online tuition using the Zoom Meeting platform, which replicates face-to-face tuition (i.e. shared screen for powerpoints, videos, websites etc., as well as annotation tools) but can take place in the comfort of your own home.

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'etudes en langue française and the Diploma de español). I teach English for ESOL qualifications and, for native English speakers, I teach GCSE and A level English Language. I always tailor lessons to the syllabus of the specific exam board as well as to the specific learning needs of the learner. I also teach English for Academic Purposes.

To give my adult French and Spanish learners the opportunity to use their language in real-world situations, I organise monthly French and Spanish 'Meetups' in Worcester, which are open to anyone, so that language learners and native speakers can get-together in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere over a few drinks to share experiences and generally chat in French and Spanish.