Marilene: Wokingham tutor
Certified Tutor
Bonjour! I am a native speaker of French, fluent in English. I have years of experience teaching French language, culture, literature and cinema at all levels in higher education (one university in Minnesota and two in Georgia). I also organized or contributed to group conversations chatting in French on many topics (France & French speaking countries or regions, food, films, music, news etc.) I also have experience in tutoring learners of French and English. I can tutor children, teenagers and adults.
I love learning and teaching. My students praise my clear explanations and how I am dedicated to my work. I enjoy witnessing the improvement of students. I am sociable, meticulous, and organized.
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What is your teaching philosophy?
As a highly enthusiastic learner and teacher, my teaching philosophy reflects my personality. I believe in creating a positive dynamic so that my students feel comfortable studying with me and asking questions. I emphasize communication, collaboration, and creativity.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
In a first session with a student, I ask questions about what was previously studied in French, what are the reasons to study French, what are the habits of the student regarding studying lessons, what are the goals for the student and what are the challenges and the positive aspects in learning the language.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
I can help a student become an independent learner with an assessment of the student's studying habits, then with the development of personal strategies to improve these habits.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
I would help a student stay motivated by reminding them how much she/he can say or write, and in defining reasonable goals.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
I would adapt my teaching method, depending on the student's difficulty, after discussing the reasons for this difficulty. Understanding is the key, then providing options to try until the best strategy is found in agreement with the student.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
Reading comprehension can be challenging either because of the vocabulary or the grammar. After assessing the reasons for struggle, I can help the student with understanding words in a sentence then understanding the full sentences, step by step. It can require explaining grammar rules or reviewing vocabulary.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
When I start to work with a student, I ask questions to understand the student's knowledge of the language, their motivation, and their struggles, if any. Then, after a conversation with the student, we can agree on methods and goals. I show the student that I am flexible and will adapt based upon the needs of the student.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
First, I would try to understand what bothers the student, then what the student likes in general. From there, I would offer a personal way to look at the issue.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
I would ask test questions, and I'd ask the student to explain to me the material - reversing roles in order to see that the lesson is understood.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
I congratulate the student not- just when an answer is correct but also when (with guidance) the student goes towards the right direction. I also regularly show the student the progress that was made.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
I ask questions to the student. I look at the student's homework and tests when available, and I test the student in a gentle manner.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
I can change the pace of my teaching, provide more or fewer exercises, and more or fewer examples based on the student's preferences (visuals, audio, texts).
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
After I assess what works best for the student, I either use mostly texts with exercises and visuals and sometimes audio or video when it is relevant.