Felix

I'm an Ex-Oxford Classics student (I studied for three years, though didn't finish the course due to poor health), and would love to make tutoring my full-time profession! I'm passionate about using Active Methods for language learning, combined with data-driven approaches to prioritising what vocabulary you actually need to memorise. I'm a certified nerd (I speak Esperanto, have made myself a Klein Bottle Hat, and am learning to unicycle), have personal experience with neurodivergency / chronic mental health issues (so I know how important it is to accommodate them, and I have my own techniques to work around them!), and I'm LGBT friendly (+ specifically trans / nb friendly!)

Tutoring Experience

I have three years' experience studying Classics at Oxford, and got a First in all my Latin exams. My original + translated Latin poetry has been published in Alexandria, the Oxford undergraduate Classics journal, and I attended the Latin speaking circle meetings (at least until Covid). I also did consistently well in my Ancient Greek exams (always a First, apart from one 2:1), though haven't written poetry in it (yet).

I use Brazilian Portuguese every day to speak to my partner and his family, and continue to spend at least half an hour each day studying the language. Although I do not have any formal qualifications, I've spent three months living in Porto Alegre, Brazil, and translated a novel from Portuguese into English last year, for fun. I'm conversational, and have the learning process fresh in my mind: I know what I found trickiest, and I'll do my best to make your own learning process smoother than mine was!

Tutoring Approach

We will be learning using the Active / Natural Method: i.e., as much of the lesson as possible will be conducted in your target language, to maximise learning time and maximse results! Of course, if you're a beginner or aren't very confident, that's okay! We'll work up to it gradually!

I also have personal experience with disability + neurodivergency, so I know first hand how important it is to accommodate any needs, and to personalise teaching to match your own learning style, to go at a pace that feels rewarding as opposed to overwhelming, and to keep any stress or pressure to a minimum: your wellbeing comes first, and not your exam results.