Gratiane Lainey

Bonjour!

I am a native French speaker from Paris. I moved to London 13 years ago where I have had various office jobs experiences. More recently, I spent
nine months studying acting in a theatre school near Paris.

In my free time, I enjoy poetic performances, classical music, literature, comics, philosophy, and meditative walking.

I have two years of experience teaching French to people from all over the world (England, Norway, Italy, Greece, Spain, Colombia, Brazil, China and the US), mainly online.

I love languages - I am currently learning Italian – and I feel very lucky I am able to pass on the French language to people who want to master it. For me, learning a language is a way to discover new parts of oneself!

I teach to adults, mainly to beginners and false beginners as well as A1 and A2 students. I also have a lot of experience in conversational French (all levels).

Here is what you can expect from working with me:

I create a safe and supportive learning space for you to progress at your own pace. But I also make sure I challenge you when I feel you need it.

My goal is to adapt to your learning style and, if you haven’t found it yet, to figure out what it is. There are as many approaches to learning languages as there are students.

After discussing learning goals with you, I will create a tailored, engaging, and motivating learning plan. The plan is not set in stone and we will adapt it as we go!

I make sure you have enough speaking time during each session as I believe this is the best way for you to progress.

I use real life documents such as newspaper articles, radio interviews, short videos to approach the language

I teach grammar through engaging activities including games and mind maps

You will be given tasks to use everything you have learnt in class in real life. Tasks include: writing and delivering a speech, writing a poem, a song, creating and delivering a PowerPoint presentation, creating an Instagram story, writing a journal (2 sentences a day makes a small text at the end of the week…), creating a travel programme ...

All the content we use during the class is saved in a dedicated online workspace which also includes your learning plan and a list of the vocabulary learnt during the past lessons

I try, as much as possible, to minimise the use of English, even if you are a beginner. But don’t worry, I work hard to find ways for you to understand and slowly but surely gain confidence to speak. My goal is for you to feel comfortable enough to make mistakes and try as many times as you need.

My lessons typically last one hour but I am happy to look at shorter or longer formats if you prefer.

And remember, it’s never too late to learn a language!