First Class Honours degree in Linguistic and International Studies (German)
PGCE in German and French (1988)
Member of teaching union NASUWT
References are available upon request

Subjects

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Personal Message

I really enjoy helping others to learn languages, using the strengths of each individual pupil. Please see the testimonials on my profile to see what some of my students have said.

Interview

Which subject(s) do you teach?
I teach German and French to both adults and children.

Tell me about your qualifications.
I have a 1st Class Honours degree in German and International Relations from Surrey University, and I have a PGCE in French and German from Exeter University.

What kind of experience do you have?
I have been teaching for 22 years, and have taught in both state and private schools. I have experience of teaching primary and secondary pupils, as well as adults. I have taught French to GCSE and German to A level. If you wish to see testimonials from my former employment, please look at the files in the 'My Media' section.

How much do you charge?
I charge the following (includes travel within a radius of 6 miles):

Initial consultation lesson £25/hr
French/German up to GCSE £35/hr
German up to A level £35/hr
German at undergraduate level £40/hr
Translations (German-English/English-German - all kinds of general business correspondance, brochures, leaflets, website content etc.) £0.06 per word

A discounted rate would be available for numbers in excess of one. If the distance involved is further than 6 miles, an extra fee dependent on the exact distance would be charged for travel.

Where do you teach?
I usually teach at students' homes or at a mutually convenient location, such as a public library, community centre etc. I live in Surrey, but can also travel to certain places in Berkshire. I'm prepared to travel up to a distance of 15 miles. The nearest towns are Woking, Guildford, Bisley, Pirbright, Camberley, Chertsey, Weybridge, West Byfleet, Byfleet, Farnham, Ash, Aldershot, Farnborough, Bracknell, Farncombe, Godalming, West Horsley, East Horsley, Sunningdale, Virginia Water, Egham.

When are you available?
My time is quite flexible and I would seek to arrange lessons when mutually convenient, whether that be during the day, in the evening or at weekends.

Which ages and levels do you teach?
I teach French from beginners to GCSE level and German from beginners to A level and beyond. I teach both adults and children.

Do you have an up-to-date CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) disclosure certificate?
No. Because I worked in my last school for 17 years, it was not a requirement to carry out a CRB check.

Describe your arrangements for online tutoring.
I can tutor online via email. I can correct essays, answer questions, give advice etc.

Do you belong to any professional organisations?
Yes, I belong to the teaching union NASUWT.

Where and with whom did you train?
My PGCE was done at Exeter University and my course tutor was Ted Neather, an extremely experienced German and French teacher who has authored several A level textbooks. I also benefited from lectures by Ted Wragg, who was Head of the School of Education at that time.

Tell me about some of your current students.
My current students are a mixture of school pupils (who are either in the middle of their French/ German GCSE course or are about to embark on their GCSE course) and adult learners. Some of my adult learners have studied some German, others are complete beginners. They want to learn the language or pick it up again because of work contacts, relocation to a German speaking country or because they have German friends and/or like travelling to German speaking countries. One lady is learning German because her son has decided to start learning it at school and she wants to be able to help him in his studies. I am also currently helping an undergraduate student, specifically with her module in German-English translation. I have also completed courses of German lessons for both beginners and intermediates at a couple of local companies.

Do you have a personal message for students?
I am a very experienced teacher and I know the areas people have problems with when learning a language. My tutoring can be as formal or as informal as you require. The aim is to help you with your language learning, so I will adapt my coaching to your needs. If, for example, examination technique is a problem, then I can teach you how to master it, so that you can go into the exam feeling confident and well-prepared. I have plenty of material which I can use in coaching sessions, I am patient and I always try to be good-humoured!