What students say

“We were delighted that Harvey achieved an A* at GCSE. One year earlier, before starting weekly lessons at AF, he was predicted a grade C. The quality of the teaching was very high and the patience of the tutor excellent, overcoming a considerable resistance to the subject at the beginning. ”

“Anna received her French GCSE result on Thursday and was awarded an A* !! She is absolutely thrilled and so are we, particularly as she sat the exam 3 years early at age 13. A big thank you to AF Oxford for providing such excellent French tutors for Anna over the past two years. She has so enjoyed working with them on a one-to-one basis as each lesson provides such a good balance of conversation, grammar and reading - a much more personal and engaging approach than simply trudging through GCSE past papers. AF Oxford has given Anna the support and confidence she needed to stay engaged with her French and to move it on to the next level.”

“…Joseph's GCSE result was a mark of 100% and A* grade. We are grateful to all those at Alliance Française who contributed to this by their excellent teaching…”

“Very congenial surroundings; small groups; professional; friendly; tailored to personal needs.”

“A balanced combination of grammar, oral exercises and general information about French culture; the careful tailoring of classes to the individual needs and wishes of the students.”

“The way we were assessed was good, and throughout the tutor tried to boost confidence and encourage us to speak.”

“Great teaching and comfortable, welcoming surroundings. Something to look forward to each week.”

“Not only did [my son], at just 15, pass his GCSE with one of the UK's highest pass marks, but AF also enabled him to develop a true love of the French language.”

“Within just a term of one-to-one lessons, [my son]'s enthusiasm and ability with his French grew enormously. Since then he has been a regular and very keen 'consumer' … and often urges me to pick up a copy of Le Monde for him to read for fun!”

“Very nice house, which matters more than I would have expected; outstanding tutors; administratively very helpful and welcoming.”

“[our daughter] found the lessons stimulating and enjoyable, and as a result gained a Merit in her Advanced Extension Award French exam this Summer.”

“I have been most impressed with the friendly and welcoming attitude of all those I met at the Alliance. Tailoring the course content and speed to my needs has been very successful.”

“Excellent tutor, easy to understand, very encouraging and makes lessons fun.”

“The course is extraordinarily good; every class is enjoyable and thought-provoking and you meet delightful people!”

“…[our son] was complimented on the excellence of his spoken French while on an exchange visit to Grenoble before Easter and we are grateful to all at Alliance Française for the big contribution you have made to this achievement. With many thanks”

“Following the excellent advice that I received from Mme Strawson, I decided to do 60 hours of intensive 1-to-1 tuition in the space of just 10 days. As I expected, the work load was quite manageable though difficult. I spent about 2 hours every day on my homework. I was aided throughout by the expertise, patience and dedication of my tutor, Amandine Fermigier. Her own academic background was I think of huge benefit to me, because she was so clearly interested in and knowledgeable about so many aspects of French history and culture that are relevant to my own academic research and personal interests. She thus designed the course to suit my needs, and brought in significant elements of conversation and reading that will be of direct benefit to me. This was in addition to a strong focus on key elements of grammar and vocabulary: I now have an expanded vocabulary of words relevant to my research, and a good grasp of the past tenses that I can expect to find in written works of history.

I have thus had a solid re-introduction to speaking, writing, reading and comprehending French, plus key elements of grammar, French history and culture. I did, however, discover that I had forgotten quite a lot since I last studied French (which was many years ago). Although it may have been unrealistic to any large extent, I think it would have been helpful had I been given some sort of minor revision exercises to do in advance of the formal course, to help me make the most of my 60 hours. This might have been as simple as an instruction to memorise the conjugation of certain key verbs, to revise the use of pronouns, or the like. In any event, I now know the key elements that I must commit to memory, and will ensure that I continue to use French on a weekly basis by listening to French radio, watching French films, and reading academic works in French.

I am now able to read documents in French (well, but certainly not without use of a dictionary), which was my key aim, with a good level of understanding (especially of the various past tenses in which verbs are conjugated). I can also follow conversations in French (depending on things like topic and speed of talking), and will continue to improve my abilities with self-directed study. I will take another intensive course at Alliance française Oxford when I can afford to do so, and will take other cheaper courses as and when my schedule will allow. (Unfortunately, I am unable to commit to a series of weekly meetings due to the nature of extended period of research leave – I am often not in Oxford.)

In summary, I was highly pleased and impressed by the tuition offered at Alliance française Oxford, and especially by the selection of Amandine to tutor me. I don’t know that I wouldn’t have enjoyed my time so much with another tutor, but I am certain that she was the key to helping me make as much progress as I did. ” — Katherine D. Watson, 23 July 2008