Native French Exam Tutor | Entrance & Scholarship Specialist for the UK’s leading independent schools 

Find out more about Dominique

• Do you speak this language fluently because of your origins or because a teacher inspired you to learn?

  I can attest that my fluency in French is a result of both my diverse linguistic upbringing and the inspiration derived from exceptional teachers.
  
  Growing up in a French and German speaking family laid the foundation for my language skills. However, it was my move to Paris in my 20s that truly enriched my passion for linguistic. Being immersed in the local environment allowed me to absorb native expressions and nuances, which I find joy in imparting to my students to enhance their authenticity in the language.
  
  Moreover, my passion for French literature deepened during my time pursuing a master's degree in French literature at the University of Kent in 2015. It was during this period that a particular teacher played a pivotal role in inspiring my journey into the works of Baudelaire. This teacher, through insightful discussions and personalised guidance, illuminated the beauty and complexity of Baudelaire's poetry. I vividly remember a session where they shared a profound analysis of one of Baudelaire's poems, revealing layers of meaning and emotion that I had not grasped before.

• Can you name a living, historical or fictional character that you think is the emblematic representative of the language's culture?

  I would chose Victor Hugo, one of the pillars of French literature. He was a prolific writer of poems, plays and internationally-acclaimed novels such as “Les Misérables” and “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame,” several of which were popularised through numerous adaptations. Why did he have so much success? Because his work is a vector for the expression of humanist values. Humanists tend to advocate for personal fulfilment, and their ideas can be exemplified in the National motto of France: liberté, égalité et fraternité. To read Hugo enable you to explore not only the beauty of the French language but also the deepest aspects of the human condition.

• Is there a typical word, phrase, tradition or behaviour in the language that you particularly like?

  To carry on with Victor Hugo, I love one of his famous quotes “Aimer, c’est agir”. “To love is to act”. Hugo believed in active love and calls to action recur repeatedly in his writings.

• Why does speaking this language matter to you?

  My motherland is the French language. ‘Ma patrie, c’est la langue française’ said Albert Camus. By speaking your native langage you feel at home, you feel secure. Moreover language shapes identity. I totally identify with the French culture. I feel and think in French. Language shapes the way we think, and language is intrinsic to the expression of culture. As a means of communicating values, beliefs and customs, it has an important social function and fosters feelings of group identity and solidarity. To pass on my love of French and its values to my students is my mission.

• What is the main difficulty in learning this language and what can help the process of learning?

  It really depends on the individual- and on the individual’s mother tongue. Pronunciation can be a big challenge. This is because there are French sounds that don’t exist in English. And the French spoken language can be quite fast-paced and full of slang words. So practice is the only magic word. The more exposure you get to the spoken language, the easier it will become to understand it.
  
  Learning grammar rules requires persistance. French has many irregular verbs, and conjugation can be very difficult to memorise. There are many tips that can help such as using mnemonics to remember new vocabulary or even grammar rules. Such as the "BAGS" adjectives- This helps to remember the categories of adjectives that come before the noun in French: Beauty, Age, Goodness, and Size. In my teaching, grammar rules are not just abstract notions; they are applied in real sentences and contexts. Therefore, it is important to practice with examples that illustrate how the rules work and how they can change the meaning or tone of a message.

• Provide a valuable anecdote related to your language learning or your days at school.

  At the age of 6 in one of my first spelling tests I linked all the words together I specifically remember the way I wrote the birds - “leszoiseaux”. Because when reading French you make liaisons - Liaisons are created when a word ending in a silent letter is followed by a word that begins with a vowel, and in order to create the liaison, the first letter of the following word is pronounced as if it was part of the first word. It’s one of the aspects of French pronunciation that can make it difficult to determine where one word ends and the next begins. That’s the reason why we always have reading practice in my class. That greatly contributes to better listening comprehension.

• How has travel or a specific trip helped you to increase your skill and knowledge of the language?

  Spending the summers in the South of France has increased my understanding of different French accents. It has helped me to realise that a language is not a fixed body of words but is complex and ever evolving. I always seek to keep abreast of new words, as something like 150 words are being added to the French language every year. In fact, the reason they’re being introduced to the language is that they’ve become so common that French language authorities have been forced to recognise them as part of the language, even if originally they were seen as Franglais. One of my favourite words is “tchatter” meaning to “to chat online”.
  
  The “ch” sound in French is pronounced “ch” but “tch” in English. Another example is the word “chiller” meaning “to relax”

• What makes you a Superprof in language?

  I could tell you that I’m a native French speaker, that I raised 3 trilingual boys and that I have an excellent track record as a tutor (all my students have gotten into their first choice school including Eton and Winchester). But the most important thing is that I love my job which is to teach and to get students to love French, and most importantly to build student confidence, and make the student believe in themselves. It’s all depends on the method of teaching!