Ellena

I am a languages graduate and qualified teacher of French, Spanish & English as a Foreign Language. I have French family and have grown up speaking French as my second language. During my Languages degree, I spent a year studying in the beautiful city of Granada in Spain. Then, in 2014-2015, I lived in Ecuador and Argentina, where I taught English as a Foreign Language. I love travelling, learning about foreign culture and meeting new people of all nationalities.

In my spare time, I love to do gardening and sewing, as well as walking and spending weekends camping and cycling.

Tutoring Experience

I am a fully qualified Secondary School Teacher of French and Spanish. I have offered French and Spanish tutoring to all ages for over 15 years. I have taught full-time in British secondary schools and run French and Spanish clubs at primary schools.

I am also a Cambridge CELTA-qualified Teacher of English as a Foreign Language. I have taught English in private institutes and offered private tuition to children from the age of 4, teenagers and adults. This has included conversation classes, English for business purposes and exam preparation, particularly the Cambridge First and Trinity exams.

Tutoring Approach

For me, the most important thing is that you enjoy your learning. I will make sure that your lessons are personalised and adapted to your specific needs and way of learning. We will use a variety of games, roleplays, worksheets, video clips and authentic texts to encourage as much speaking in the target language.

With younger children, we sing songs, play games such as 'Simon says', act out roleplay scenarios with props or we get creative and make/draw things, all the while speaking, repeating, asking and answering questions.

For those preparing for exams, such as GCSE, Common Entrance Exams or Cambridge First, we work closely alongside the Curriculum and/or specific exam board specifications. As well as working through past papers, we work on exam technique and look at the marking criteria, so that you're well prepared and clear on how to reach those high marks.

PLEASE NOTE: The cost quoted on this website is the hourly rate for classes held at my home. There will be an additional charge to account for travel time/distance applied for lessons at the learner's home.