Alison

I am a fully qualified and experienced language teacher with over 20 years of experience. I tutor FRENCH (to A Level and beyond), GERMAN and SPANISH (to GCSE) and ENGLISH Language (ESL/ESOL/EAL/EFL) at all levels, all completely tailored to individual requirements and with the aim of encouraging students to feel much more confident with the language from the very first lesson. I have a BA in Politics and studied at the prestigious Institut d'Etudes Politiques in Paris. I have also lived in both Germany and Spain and continue to develop my own language skills through regular practice and interaction with native speakers. I am passionate about language learning and like to think that I pass that enthusiasm on to my students. I also teach all of these languages to adults so, whether you are a complete beginner looking to take up a new hobby, or to brush up on those rusty language skills in preparation for your next holiday, I am here to help! I have a Post Graduate Certificate of Education in Modern Foreign Languages from the Unversity of Sheffield and many years of experience teaching students from age 4 to 94! In addition, I have a CELTA qualification and tutor ESL/ESOL/EFL students in either General English, IELTS, Cambridge exam preparation, Business English, or English for Academic Study. I can also help with proofreading and dissertation checking.

Tutoring Experience

I have been teaching for over 20 years and online for about half of that time. Over the last few years I have been working with a wide variety of GCSE and A Level students, helping them to consolidate their school-based learning with much more attention on more accurate use of language, all the while helping to build their fluency. I not only have excellent knowledge of the various exam requirements, but also aim to inspire my students with a lifelong love of learning languages.

Tutoring Approach

My lessons aim to increase confidence in each of the key skills - Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking - and are targeted at those areas each individual student needs most support in so as to increase the chances of boosting their grade. Classes are usually conducted via Zoom and I use a variety of different techniques in order to engage my students, including flashcards, audio and video clips, grammar exercises, games and more. It all depends on the level and what outcomes are expected. I find online an excellent way to learn, the resources are many and varied and I can usually find something to motivate the most reluctant student! I like to encourage a thorough understanding of grammar and work on writing and translation skills, alongside speaking and pronunciation practice. I also offer intensive catch-up sessions for Years 7, 8 and 9 which may benefit those students who have fallen a bit behind.