I have been in love with France since my early childhood days when I was first introduced to the French language. My first French word was poupée, meaning doll. It fascinated me—and still fascinates me—to think that such completely different sounds could be used to indicate the same object, that is, that the object and its name were not one and the same thing. I may be attributing too much intelligence and introspection to my childhood self here… but it makes for a better story. The bottom line is that I was hooked on the language game and especially on French. And so I have spent my life in both French and English. I have a B.A. in French Studies, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in French literature, all three of which I earned mid-life. Many thanks and apologies to my children for all the time this took away from them. French language and culture are true passions of mine. I love the exchange of ideas and information that takes place in teaching, translating, and guiding tours. I would not be exaggerating in saying that I often gain as much from my clients and students as they do from me. I have been teaching standard European French, current events, and literature to adults of all ages and leading tours for international travelers in France and the United States since 1988. I have worked in translation and interpretation in both countries since 1995. Both the United States and France have been my home for extended periods of time and so I am well acquainted with both cultures and languages. Since language and culture are intertwined, this background allows me to be an effective teacher, guide, interpreter, and translator. My professional services currently include: organizing and guiding different types of tours in the south of France, French language instruction, translation, and interpretation. For details about these services, please click on the appropriate links to the left. Please feel free to contact me if you have questions or would like to sign up for one of my services.