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Who’s this for?

Age: Adults of any age — so far, I’ve taught learners aged 22 to 74.

Level of French: I welcome all levels. From absolute beginners who need to get a grasp of the basics, to very advanced speakers who need to perfect their ability to understand fast spoken French, and everything in between.

English Proficiency: Since my methodology is based on transferring your native-speaker intuition for English to French, you need to have a native (or near native) level of fluency in English.

You need to learn as efficiently as possible, with lessons that fit in your packed schedule, are stimulating and give you a sense of achievement. You need French for business meetings but also to socialise during work (e.g. smoking breaks — this is France after all!) and after work: making friends, enjoying the lifestyle, getting the jokes… You also need French to be able to go through everyday life with ease and confidence (bills, hiring a plumber, talking with doctors…)

If you’re planning to stay long-term, you know you’ll need a high level of French to advance your career. Ultimately, you want to be able to speak French without thinking about French, so you can focus on what matters to you.

My evidence-based and culture-driven methodology is perfect for you to learn as efficiently as possible, to the point where you just ‘get’ the unspoken subtext in social situations.
You need to be able to better function in everyday life, make friends, and deal with the off-putting French admin. You probably want to be able to go through everyday life with ease and confidence (bills, hiring a plumber, talking with doctors…)

You’d like to be able to “get” the culture and immerse yourself in the local lifestyle without feeling completely confused. You’d like to feel a sense of belonging and, you know, get that joke everyone laughed at at the last apéro. You’d like to achieve something you can be proud of. Ultimately, you’d like to be able to speak French without thinking about French.

My approach, based on mastering the language so you can focus on what actually matters, will give you all the tools you need to navigate daily life smoothly and to truly connect with others.
You need French to be able to go through everyday life with ease and confidence (hiring a plumber, talking with doctors, dealing with bills and red tape…) Beyond speaking French with the locals, you’d probably like to be able to participate in everyday life and feel more of a sense of belonging here. You want to achieve something that will challenge and stimulate you, at your own pace. You don’t want to “become” French, but you do want to be able to better understand the French, their culture and their mindset.

I’ll be sure to go at a pace that works for you and your objectives, whilst wasting no energy with unproven and ineffective methodologies.
You will expatriate to France some time in the future, and you need to be able to hit the ground running: moving abroad is a challenging enough experience in itself, so you might as well make the language side of things as smooth as possible!

You want to make progress at a pace that works for you and your current lifestyle, so that when you arrive in France, things feel exciting instead of stressful. Also, maybe you can’t wait to experience the culture and want to get a taste before your move!

Thanks to the weekly classes and the daily practice material, you’ll be able to learn and keep in touch with French every day. My culture-driven approach will be great to make sure your classes are more than dry grammar lessons, and are fun and engaging instead.
Your children, siblings, parents, or other relatives live in France and you’d like to be able to surprise them with some basic French when you visit them. You’d like to be more independent when you’re over there, be able to ask for directions, order in a restaurant… and show the locals you’re more than just another tourist, without making a cultural faux-pas.

You need teaching that’s to-the-point, crisp and clear to get you up and running as quickly as possible: some training to gain pronunciation confidence, and some useful phrases to get by and fit in.

I’ll tailor the lessons to your specific situation, to build a library of phrases in your head which are unique to your needs, in a short amount of time.
You want to get the most out of your holiday experience, and be more than a tourist who expects everyone to speak English… as well as be more independent — order in a restaurant, ask for directions and actually understand them, etc…

You want to catch a glimpse of the French lifestyle and be able to understand the culture. You’d like to be able to understand French cinema, music or even literature. In short, you want to learn French language and culture so you can live the experience to the full.

My culture-driven approach will delight you during classes and open your world when you travel to France. Also, as you know, “if you don’t use it, you lose it”, and that’s why I’ll provide you with fun and challenging practice material, tailored to you, so you can practice and keep in touch with French daily.

Oddly, it all started in Liverpool…

I was in the best position I could hope for as a French teacher…

And yet, something wasn’t right. Watch the video to learn why.

But before being a French teacher, I was an expat…
Watch this 2-min video to hear the story:

By the way, here’s a few kind words from my former manager at the language school

*Sarah Byrne, former Principal of The Language House, where I was working, wrote this for me as I was leaving the school and the UK*

“When you first meet Valentin, you will assume one of his parents is British or that he spent much of his childhood in Britain. You will be wrong, but understandably so: his English is better than any British person I know.

He will explain this to you simply; he wanted to be fluent and have an English accent so he worked out how to do it and taught himself.

Valentin is a language learner extraordinaire and this makes him an excellent teacher. He is fascinated by all aspects of teaching and learning. He wants to make language learning as effective as it can possibly be. He takes time to understand his students’ needs and learning preferences so that he can help them achieve their goals. His love of learning is contagious. His students are always happy and motivated and pleased with their progress. They are lucky to have such an attentive, creative and dedicated teacher.”

Not sure about online lessons?

Some of my learners felt the same. Here’s what they say now:

Jo G.

“I was a bit apprehensive about the prospect of online language lessons because I’d only done face-to-face lessons before and thought it might be a bit awkward and clumsy.

However, after my first lesson with Valentin it was clear that I didn’t need to worry about anything! His lessons are very well structured and he clearly takes the time to plan them so I never felt directionless or lost during the session. I felt very comfortable and like I was in safe hands and I came away after each lesson having learnt lots.”
Dan Hennessy

“I started online lessons with Valentin during the first covid lockdown, because the language school I used to go to had closed. Initially I was so reluctant to sign up for online classes that I waited 3 months, hoping the school would reopen, but it didn't. Now, I actually prefer the on-line teaching methods.

The on-line lessons with Valentin work well because they are interesting, enjoyable and re-active. My confidence has grown with these interactions. The speed and accuracy of both my speaking and listening continues to improve. I would highly recommend this method of learning French.”

Curious to know more about what my learners say?

JP Tier & Brad Nelson

If you haven’t already, I recommend watching this testimonial video, it’ll give you a good idea of what classes with me are like!

(swipe to see more)

Rebecca Hampton

“Before taking French classes with Valentin I was nervous about speaking French to others as I was fearful of making mistakes, sounding wrong with my pronunciation and also I didn’t have much confidence to speak it.

After taking 10 weeks of classes with Valentin I would strongly recommend learning French with him because:

-Valentin has a clear passion for languages and teaches you not just the language but also the history of the language and the culture of France to really capture your interest and keep you engaged.

-He provides a safe and comfortable environment for making mistakes and being able to learn from them, as making mistakes is all part of the learning experience!

A few things that particularly stood out to me in terms of Valentin’s teaching style were:

-He has a unique way of teaching by relating his experiences of learning English with your own experience of learning French, which helped make understanding language structure so much easier!

-He helped me to retain information that I learned by teaching me memory techniques.

-He taught me French as spoken by French people and not just boring textbook grammar. This way I will be able to apply what I have learned on my trips to France knowing that I am speaking like a French person would.”
Beth Aindow

“It has been a pleasure to have been taught French by Valentin. I have been impressed by his intuitive and highly professional approach to the classes. He is excellent at identifying the areas of French in which I struggle and he always provides the right guidance and support materials to help me master my difficulties.

Valentin explains difficult concepts clearly and makes you eager to learn more. He challenges you and pushes you out of your comfort zone. He keeps you motivated to learn. Valentin is a thoughtful and patient teacher who makes his classes enjoyable with his input, perspective and interesting lesson content.

I have no hesitation in recommending Valentin as a French tutor. I am really lucky to have found such a great and inspiring teacher!”
Matt & Laura

“We hadn’t studied a foreign language in over 40 years but we want to surprise our daughter and her husband, who are living in France, with some conversational French when we visit. We tried Community college courses but they cancelled classes. We then ordered a CD Rom language course but we couldn’t follow it. Finally, our good friends recommended an on-line class with Valentin.

Valentin listened to what we wanted out of our French language classes and has tailored each class exactly to our needs. Every session is different depending on how the previous week went. If we are struggling with pronunciation, we spend more time on pronunciation. If we want to work on new phrases, we then we can spend time on phrases. This is not a “cookie cutter class” but one that focuses on our language and learning needs. Our one-hour class literally flies by each week.

I was worried that I would feel awkward during one-on-one sessions but Valentin has really put us at ease. He sees mistakes as a way to learn the language better. He takes time to explain any issues and questions we have about the French language. The sessions go beyond “just learning French” to really understanding the language. It has been such a positive experience.

During the week we use an Intuition Training software App to practice our French. Valentin works with us to determine what words, phrases or pronunciation we will work on during the coming week. We usually spend no more than 10-15 minutes a day reviewing the cards for phrases and pronunciation. Since our cards are in an App we can practice French whenever we have a few moments. It is so convenient to work our language lessons in during the day. The App is easy to use even if you aren’t tech savvy.

We are now in our sixth week of lessons and the experience has been way beyond our initial expectations! We would highly recommend Valentin to anyone who is interested in learning French-regardless of your learning level. The fact that Valentin tailors to each session to your needs makes this language learning experience stand out. 10 out 10 stars!!”
Annie Cogan-Thomas

“Lessons with Valentin have completely changed my approach to learning language. He is an expert in techniques of memory and recall . He clearly has a vast understanding of the psychology involved in what it
takes to learn a language. This i found immensely helpful, as i had previously wasted lots of time learning things but not understanding how to make them stick.

Furthermore , what i think sets Valentin's lessons apart from others, is that he will teach you about the historical, cultural and sociological aspects to language. I found this fascinating and had given these areas little thought previously to the course.

Lastly he is the most patient , attentive and caring teacher you could ever ask for. He taught me not to say 'sorry' when i have made a mistake but to say 'thank you' as he would always remind us that making mistakes is a great way to learn. I absolutely loved our lessons and they were the highlight of week.

I think that i started the lessons because i had a passion for France and all things French but i left with a passion for language and its origins and meaning.

Thank you so much”
Yasmin Mehanna

“Studying English was my first experience with learning a foreign language, and it wasn't good at all! I spent 12 years of studying English at school, and 4 years studying all subjects at university in English, yet I struggled a lot with basic conversations when I first travelled to the UK! This made me believe that I'm a bad language-learner.

When I started learning French, I thought it would never go any further than basic greeting sentences. I started classes with Valentin with almost no previous knowledge about French, and with a lot of fear of foreign languages! After ten weeks, I was able to understand many written sentences and predict what is being said in some verbal conversations, and more importantly, I found myself more motivated to continue learning French, which was surprising to me!

In the next ten weeks of classes, I was able to learn much more and take my French skills to a new level! Now, my reading/listening skills have developed, and I'm more confident with trying to write/speak in French, which took me infinite time to do when I first learned English!

Beside the language skills, the classes helped me rethink about how I see my ability to learn languages, which was the biggest benefit I took during that time. I completely owe this to Valentin. He is not just a native speaker who is relying on what he knows about French in teaching, he is very enthusiastic about languages and he is always keen to find ways to make language learning easier for his students. He is well-educated about learning theories and the learning process, and he was always trying to apply this during his lessons. He helped me a lot pushing myself to practice more and learning from my mistakes.

I'm really happy with what I've learned in French and about myself during that time, and I strongly recommend Valentin as a teacher if you're learning French!”
Mel Hamilton

“Valentin is an insightful and passionate teacher who truly has an incredible talent to teach French.

He has great knowledge of cultures from around the world and strives to make the lessons personable and relevant for anyone who wants to learn French.

Valentin takes the time to give extra tips on how to learn a language and the meaning of language, as well as a the vocabulary and grammar that you would expect from French lessons. This made such a difference for me personally and has really inspired a wider understanding of the French language and culture.

He is a caring teacher who pushes you to learn, but also has humility if you need extra help!

After my French lessons with Valentin, I now have even more enthusiasm for learning French as I can see what great progress I have made and that my goals of having a very good grasp of the language, to travel and work abroad are achievable.”
Danielle Porter

“When I started my French Classes with Valentin, I was worried that I did not have the aptitude to learn French but wanted to give it a go. I had been trying to learn French for a while prior to the classes, however, was not progressing as I would like. Once I started the classes that quickly changed! Valentin is an excellent teacher, he tailors the lessons so that you progress at your own speed and will discuss life in France/French culture so that you can better understand the language and the country.

I particularly liked about the classes the casual and conversational style of learning with a focus on the topic of that week, and the simplified methods for learning the French language (particularly the grammar!). I enjoyed learning with Valentin, his lessons have greatly improved my French and have given me a lot more confidence in not only reading/writing but also speaking French.”