Henry Chislett

When I first started studying French in year 9, I hated it and begged my school to let me drop it. 5 years later I am studying French at the University of Oxford with strong A* and 9 grades in the subject at A level and GCSE.

At A level, I was successful in securing full marks in both the speaking and writing/literature components. The aim of my lessons is to foster a genuine passion for the subject for pupils who feel a little disillusioned and stuck with the language as I did- or at the very least, to ensure they are able to perform to the very best of their abilities.

As such, I am willing to share some of my own resources/notes which helped me achieve these grades. I also have professional tutoring experience, having worked with students across different ages and abilities, including in both in-person and online settings.

My lessons are aimed at GCSE and A-level French students who want to improve their confidence, accuracy and exam performance. I can support students with grammar, translation, speaking, writing (including essays for A level students), and general exam technique (which can be particularly tricky for this subject.)

A typical lesson lasts one hour. I usually begin by identifying the student’s main difficulty or target area, then move into focused practice, clear explanation and exam-style application. For speaking lessons, this might involve pronunciation, spontaneous conversation, IRP preparation, topic questions and strategies for developing more sophisticated answers. For writing and literature lessons, I focus on explaining key complex structures and vocabulary which can be applied to achieve top marks in writing exams (and, for A level students, how to craft essay structures and arguments in fluent, high-level French).

I have also achieved high marks of 80+ in both the DELF B1 and DELF B2 exams, which I sat before taking GCSE French. I am therefore also happy to provide support for students preparing for DELF qualifications.

My teaching style is structured but flexible. I adapt each lesson to the student’s level, confidence and goals, whether they are trying to move up a grade boundary, build fluency, or aim for the highest marks. I place particular emphasis on making grammar and exam technique feel manageable rather than intimidating. Having learned French from scratch with no previous background in the language, I understand how difficult the process can feel, and I aim to make improvement seem both realistic and achievable.