Miruna

I have just graduated with a distinction in a Master's in Film Studies from Cambridge University, where I also graduated with a first class BA in Modern Languages. I am keen to continue tutoring as I begin my PhD at UCL in London this October, having chosen this path precisely because I am passionate about teaching at any level. My interests and specialisms lie in language learning and literary/cultural analysis, and I am also available to offer guidance for university/Oxbridge application and admissions processes, having had ample experience within the Cambridge system myself! I am bilingual in English and Romanian, grew up in Cyprus, and recently lived in Paris as part of my year abroad, so I bring with me a wealth of cultural contact.

Tutoring Experience

I began tutoring as my first job when I was 15, working primarily with KS3 English but also French, history, and geography. Amidst breaks to focus on my A levels and the start of my undergraduate degree, I tutored in GCSE French, English language and literature, and history. During my year abroad in Paris, I also offered beginners' English lessons to 6-8 year-old French-speaking students. My academic career has also provided me with experience in diverse methods for language learning - I followed intensive courses in Italian and Polish and progressed to B1 level in both over the span of a year - as well as cultural analysis, literary translation, and essay writing. I have also published 3 French-to-English literary translations at PIPPA Editions over my year abroad, where I worked as an editorial assistant. My other experience includes journalistic management and editorial roles, theatre-making, and filmmaking.

Tutoring Approach

I have taken a lot from the singular teaching system that was offered to me as a student at Cambridge University, which relies on flexible one-on-one "supervisions" to discuss essays and ideas rather than merely providing feedback or information. I prefer to get to know my students' broader interests as well as their academic ones and adapt my lesson plans accordingly. I would, for instance, try to bring in their personal opinions on the themes that figure in their English literature set texts together with the specific mark scheme requirements for literary analysis and terminologies they are expected to use, or start a French lesson with a brief conversation about an activity they'd recently done or a film they'd watched. I aim to work with students to build their confidence in using their target languages in a range of contexts, and particularly working around gaps in vocabulary in a creative way. I also prefer to talk through tricky points with students and reach answers together, rather than systematically dividing things into right and wrong. On top of their school homework that we may be working with, I also try to making my own homework exercises interesting to them, as a supplement to the syllabus. I firmly believe that finding interests in even those areas that may seem daunting and difficult is the key to successful learning, and this is a priority for me as a tutor.