What is your teaching philosophy?

As a foreign language teacher, my goal is to make my students comfortable about exploring and learning how to communicate in French. I will focus on communication and meaning while paying attention to the areas of grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation.

What might you do in a typical first session with a student?

Introduce myself, my background and why I love French. Find out as much as I can about the student; French language level, learning style, his/her expectations. Let the student know he/she will be expected to allow extra time to work on the materials provided. Specify that I am here to help them and that any question they may ask is welcome.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Involve the student in listening, speaking, reading, and writing activities. Use flashcards, games, and storytelling. Plan activities related to the student's interests and hobbies.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Promote a sense of discovery, provide written and/oral feedback on homework, encourage the student to get his/her learning goals, have student work on a new French text or exercise by himself and have him/her ask me questions.

If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?

Review the concept or take a different approach to the concept to be learned.

How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?

I would focus more on his/her effort, not on the outcome. I would tap into the student's interests/hobbies. We would take turns reading out loud.

What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?

Specify working rules and expectations, teach the student to become an independent learner, motivate the students to learn, schedule assessment worksheets and games, schedule pauses to make sure the students has understood the material and assess/review the material if needed.

How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?

Use games, fun worksheets related to the student interests, and use positive reinforcement and rewards.

What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?

Encourage questions, restate information differently, discuss vocabulary before reading, use quizzes, and check for understanding at different times during a session.

How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?

Offer praise and encouragement. Not interrupting the student when he/she is talking to correct him/her. Set realistic goals. Have students help me choose the activities they want to be able to talk about in French.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

Find out what the student learning style is, the extent of his/her proficiency in speaking, listening, reading and writing in French.

How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?

Adapt my teaching style to the student's learning style, include the student's personal interests in my teaching material, and adapt the material I teach to the student's proficiency level.

What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?

Reading material, practice worksheets, games worksheets, dictionaries, role play, and cultural topics.