“Thank you very much to Maeva. She is a very good teacher because she explains things very thoroughly.
My understanding of many verbs is now much better than before. Thank you very much Maeva!”
Matthew (07/07/2011) - Magdalen College School
“I am so fortunate to have discovered Alliance Française d`Oxford. The teaching has been so inspiring and encouraging and my present tutor Alix has given me much more confidence than I thought possible. My first class was about one year ago but I have continued to study throughout this past year. The classes were so interesting that I felt unable to break my studies!
Thank you to Jose, to Alix and all the other staff who have been here. I plan to continue in September…”
Sophie Vionnée (06/06/2011)
“I have really enjoyed Alliance Française so far. I feel that the class is at the right level for me and I am starting to feel much more confident in spoken and written French.
The atmosphere in the lessons is great too.”
Zoe Vickers (06/07/2011) - Oxford High School
“It is a great pleasure to encounter the enthusiasm, variety and knowledge of the instructors at the Alliance Française d`Oxford, and in such a fascinating ambiance!
It is like stepping into another world, and at the same time, very productive and useful.”
Vahni (05/07/2011)
“We enjoy enormously our lessons with Alison and have found them most useful. Also the house provides a beautiful venue for the lessons.”
Sharon & Michael Hatchings
“Alliance Française is greatly enjoyable and also, my French has improved lots. Maeva has been a fabulous teacher and I thank her as I am now more confident at speaking and writing French.
I would recommend it to anyone who isn't very confident about speaking French.”
Robert
“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.”
“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.”
Learning at Alliance Française d’Oxford “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
“I am sure you will all at Alliance Française be pleased to hear that her score in her AS French exam was 98%! We are grateful for all the help you have given her to achieve such an excellent result.”
“Hugo had finished his BA at Imperial and was offered a university place in Paris to do his MA in Computer Engineering (at the French government's expense - very nice of them). He had no French beyond his GCSE. With a course of lessons at Polstead Rd he learnt enough French over the summer to complete his degree in Paris that academic year. It was the best year of his life.”
“We are, as always, most grateful for the excellent tuition that our children receive at Alliance Française. Their confidence in speaking French is something of which I could only ever have dreamed. Did I tell you that Joseph is planning to read languages at University? He has a conditional place at Corpus Christi, Oxford to read Classics and English from this October. He also plans to keep up and, in the future, expand his modern languages. There is no doubt that Alliance Française has played a crucial role in inspiring his love of languages. ”
“You will be pleased to hear that 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 Alliance Française d’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. ”
“Alliance Française d’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. Thanks so much!”
“I think you should know that my experience with L' Alliance Française has been very positive, I have learnt tremendously and I always look forward to my next lesson as an opportunity to truly enjoy myself. I find the quality of the teachers very good, people who are well educated and help me to learn a language in interesting and appealing ways. Each of them has helped me sharpen a different area.”
“Dear Alison: . . . . It has been a true delight being your student: if only learning French had been such a pleasure when I was at school. Take care of yourself, don't work too hard and do keep in touch.”
“She does love her lessons with you, by the way - I have never seen
her so enthusiastic!
Helen”
“I enjoyed our first lesson immensely!
Yours Sincerely,
Cyndy”
Q: Can anyone learn at Alliance Française d'Oxford?
A: Yes, we are happy to take on any student who wishes to learn French, at any level.
Q: Do I have to have studied French before to be a student at Alliance Française d'Oxford?
A: No, we have courses to suit all levels of French speaker, from the total beginner to the nearly fluent. Please contact us for further details.
Q: Do you take children of all ages?
A: Yes, we have classes for children as young as two or three years old. We also run classes and one-to-one sessions for children sitting GCSEs and A-levels,
as well as those doing degrees in French, or needing a refresher course following a gap year before university.
Q: I have a very busy working week. Can you arrange tutorials to suit my timetable?
A: Yes absolutely. Individual programmes offer the advantage of total flexibility in terms of schedule and learning pace.
Students can choose their own tutorial times, subject to the availability of teaching rooms and tutors.
Q: Can I rearrange my tutorials once they have been organised?
A: Yes, tutorials can be rearranged should you be unable to attend at the agreed time. You need only let us know
at least 24 hours in advance and you can rearrange or postpone your tutorial. Please note, this only applies to
private tuition and not to scheduled classes for adults or children.
Q: How much do the courses cost?
A: Costs vary according to the type of tuition undertaken and the length of the course. Please contact us for further details.
Q: My children are bi-lingual. Do you have suitable classes to consolidate their knowledge of French?
A: Yes, we do run classes for children with oneFrench parent, or for children or those who have been brought up in a French speaking country
and are now living in the UK. These classes are designed to maintain and build on the children's acquisitions.
Q: Could you send a tutor to my house or do I have to go to Polstead Road?
A: We will do our best to send a tutor to you if this is what you prefer, as long
as you do not live too far away from the Institute. We will be responsible
for acquitting the tutor’s transportation expenses and time spent going from and to the Institute
“We were delighted that Harvey achieved an A* at GCSE. One year earlier, before starting weekly lessons at Alliance Française d’Oxford, 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 Alliance Française d’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. Alliance Française d’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… ”
“Not only did [my son], at just 15, pass his GCSE with one of the UK's highest pass marks, but Alliance Française d’Oxford also enabled him to develop a true love of the French language. ”
“Great teaching and comfortable, welcoming surroundings. Something to look forward to each week. ”