Natalie

I am a graduate of MA (Hons) French and Spanish at the University of St Andrews, having achieved a First-class degree. Literature has been my passion for as long as I can remember and I love learning languages, so it's the perfect course for me. I am half-British and half-Greek, and I attended an international school, which followed the British curriculum, in Cyprus. Growing up bilingual, and then learning French, Spanish, German, Catalan and Russian, means that I am fully aware of the difficulties you might face when studying a foreign language, as well as how to overcome them. I'm fascinated by the use and origins of language.

Tutoring Experience

I have been a tutor since 2018, working throughout my studies. During my year abroad at university, I worked as a Language Assistant at a secondary school in Spain, where I improved both my teaching and language skills. I hope to inspire students with my passion for what I'm studying and help resolve any doubts they might have.

Tutoring Approach

Firstly, I will focus on the problems each individual student has, resolving them and putting the solution into practice. During Spanish and French lessons, in my own experience, I have discovered that practising your speaking and conversational skills is essential for improving fluency and confidence. I will talk in the student's target language as much as possible during the lesson, and encourage the student to do the same because, even if it seems difficult at first, it will help improve grammar, vocabulary and overall expression in written work. In addition, I will go over common mistakes and how to avoid them, in order to achieve higher marks in the exams. Finally, to encourage learning, I believe it is essential for a student to be interested in what they are studying and that will be my main aim as a tutor.