Native French Teacher, 20+years experience, teaches French Grammar (intermediate to advanced), coaches GCSE, A level and university students, and gives supported conversation in literature, cinema.

I've been a student of Babette's for over 4 years and highly recommend her as a French teacher. I attend a weekly face-to-face French conversation class, which was successfully conducted via Skype during the Covid pandemic.

Classes are always interesting and we study a variety of materials including articles on current affairs or French culture, videos, short stories, worksheets to improve grammar and widen vocabulary, and have discussions about our day-to-day lives.

My French has significantly improved and I am now much more confident when speaking, reading or writing.
Try learning French with Babette, you won't regret it!

I have been having lessons with Babette for many years. She always makes sure her lessons are interesting and well structured. She has a deep understanding of a variety of languages, allowing her to empathise with her students and meet their needs. Above all, Babette is incredibly patient and I always enjoy her lessons.
I highly recommend her as a teacher for anyone looking to learn French!

Babette has been my French teacher for many years now. I highly recommend Babette as a French teacher for a number of reasons. Babette's lessons are always varied, stimulating and interesting. Babette is very personable, encouraging, kind, helpful and empathetic. Babette's knowledge of her subject is extensive and advanced. She has an in-depth understanding of grammar, linguistics, and individual learning styles. I am very pleased to have the opportunity to recommend Babette, as she is a first class French teacher!

I have attended weekly French classes with Babette for over eight years to study conversation and grammar, and to learn much of French culture. Her classes are well structured and tailored to the needs of her students. She ensures everyone gets attention and help and I have learned a great deal from her. Babette is a delightful person and a good friend to us all. I highly recommend her style of teaching.

After several years of journeying to and from Alsace and other regions of France, and having become fairly proficient at expressing myself in the vernacular, I was disappointed when my regular travels came abruptly to an end.

Having decided that it would be a pity to let what French I had dissolve from my brain forever, I sought a class to help me maintain my level. I sifted through the prospectuses of various local evening schools with no success whatsoever - fine if I were a tourist or a beginner with just a smattering. Then I chanced across a class run by Babette, offering something more advanced, and more stimulating.

When we met, she gave me a little 'off the cuff' interview to subtly judge my level, and I knew straight away that we'd get on like a house on fire. Time passed, and the class closed, but here we are, some seventeen years later, and I'm still attending sessions presided over by Babette, and am constantly learning and, I hope, improving.

She imbues one with so much confidence that I, for one, have no fear whatsoever in speaking French to 'les français', on their own ground, in no matter what context, whatever the subject, and what fun it is! I love being able to communicate with French people, and the icing on the cake comes when they say (usually in some surprise), 'Mais vous parlez bien français!'

Babette presents us with literary works, extracts from newspapers; we have political discussions, we talk about the Arts, and have quizzes. The finer points of grammar are analysed (some of it most perplexing!); we have dictations and vocabulary sessions too.

I highly recommend this teacher who has years of experience, and is able to teach students from 'Beginner' level to the most advanced. She has a kind and generous personality, and offers every student in the class the opportunity to express themselves and to learn the language without fear of embarrassment at making mistakes.

Philip Edwards

I have been having lessons with Babette for several months. I am retired now, and I have always wanted to learn French. Babette is extremely patient and has brought out a confidence in me which allows me to use my new found knowledge and actually hold a conversation in French. I never really thought I would be able to do this. I would completely recommend Babette to anyone wishing to improve their French, whether they are studying for exams or wishing to improve their French conversation at any level.

I have known Babette for 4 years as my teacher of French. I have had both one to one lessons, and group lessons. She is an outstanding teacher in so many ways. She is very warm, friendly, erudite and passionately interested in languages. Her lessons are the highlight of my week!

She pitches her lessons at just the right level, tailoring her classes to suit the interests of the group, to ensure that they hold pupils' attention effortlessly. She has an impeccable understanding of grammar, as well as the nuances in different languages, and possess the skills to explain rules clearly. Her resources are very good, varied, interesting and up to date. She is as at ease facilitating a group discussion about politics, or comparing two translations of a fine poem as she is explaining a simple language quirk or a point of grammar.

Most of our lessons have been on Skype recently, due to Covid, and she masters technology very well. She is always punctual, always well prepared and always has a stimulating lesson planned. She is clearly extremely bright and well educated, an up to date in terms of her knowledge and interest in current affairs.

I could not recommend a teacher more highly. I am the richer for knowing her in so many ways.
Catherine Marsh

I've known Babette for over 10 years and she's taught me French for much of that time. I always look forward to her lessons as she takes great care to make them fresh, interesting and fun, building on my current level and taking me forward. My grammar and vocab have improved but most importantly so has my confidence and enjoyment of using French. I'd recommend Babette to anyone who wants to enjoy improving their French.