French Language Instruction Online For intermediate and advanced speakers only Object Improve your listening comprehension and speaking skills. Modern technology allows us direct contact via phone, Skype, and/or email. Raise your comprehension of spoken French and your ability to respond fluidly and accurately. Focus on vocabulary and topics that interest you. Coordinate your lesson times to fit your work and study schedule. Reinforce your conversational practice through written assignments (strongly suggested but not obligatory). I will design projects to target the grammar structures and vocabulary contexts that you need to improve. My Qualifications Three university degrees in French language and French literature. Many years of diversified experience teaching adults of all ages in the United States and in France. Please consult the About Me page to read about my background. Lesson Length Generally 60 minutes. Shorter lessons of 30-45 minutes may be arranged. General Lesson Format Lessons are customized to each individual student’s needs and goals. The following format gives you a general idea of a typical 60-minute lesson. Please remember that, to be effective, lessons need to remain flexible: 5 minutes general conversation, pour vous remettre dans le bain. 10 minutes directed conversation, topic selected in advance. During this time, I note vocabulary and grammar points to address later in the lesson, with an email follow-up. Ideally, corrections do not take place during this period of the conversation in order to increase your fluidity. 10 minutes corrections and vocabulary building. 10 minutes reading of an excerpt from a text, to work on pronunciation and intonation. 10 minutes discussing the excerpt read to work on comprehension. 10 minutes to work on previously assigned material (oral or written). 5 minute wrap up, questions by students, clarifications. Email follow-up(s) To communicate practical advice on how to work on your problematic areas and to assign written work as needed. Please remember that even if your focus is on spoken French, writing can improve your speaking by giving your brain yet another path to access the language. Procedure Contact me to arrange for an initial phone interview. Lesson times are set up during the initial phone interview or in an email follow-up. I will call you at the scheduled time, either from a land line or via my computer using Skype. I prefer to use a land line for the quality and reliability of the connection and the sound. Cost $50 per lesson, includes email follow-up and reasonable email correspondence. "Reasonable" means that students do not have unlimited access to my time and should not expect me to engage in a constant email exchange without being billed for additional time. Any additional time billed will be based on a mutual agreement (I’ll let you know if you’re making "unreasonable" demands on my time). You may purchase a 20-hour package of lesson time at a slightly reduced hourly rate ($960 = $48/hour). Student Referrals Please visit my references page to read what some of my current and former students have to say about working with me.