Stop plateauing, overcome your fear of speaking and unlock speaking fluency in French: course for learners who want to take their conversation skills to the next level

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• 1) Do you speak this language fluently because of your origins or because a teacher inspired you to learn?

  I'm a native French speaker, born and raised in Paris, but living in the UK has given me a fresh perspective on what it's like to be surrounded by a language that isn't your own. I see every day what my students face: the hesitation, the second-guessing, the desire to connect but not always knowing how. So even though French is my first language, I never take that for granted. My goal is to make sure my students don't feel like outsiders, but instead feel equipped, welcome, and fully capable of expressing themselves in French.

• 2) Can you name a living, historical or fictional character that you think is the emblematic representative of the language's culture?

  Amélie Poulain captures something essential about French culture: the art of noticing. Her world is built on subtlety, observation, emotional intelligence, and a quiet curiosity about others. She reflects a deeply French way of seeing beauty in the everyday, of believing that small moments matter. That gentle attention to human connection is unmistakably French.
  
  And this is exactly why many learners focus on the wrong thing. French isn't just about mastering grammar or stacking up vocabulary lists. It's about learning how to notice, how to connect, how to express emotion and nuance. Many students lack confidence because they've been taught to treat language as a technical skill. But in reality, it's a human one. And once you start treating it that way, everything shifts.

• 3) Is there a typical word, phrase, tradition or behavior in the language that you particularly like?

  A phrase I often share with my students is "Il faut se lancer." It means "You have to throw yourself in," or more simply, "You have to take the leap." It's something French people say when you're hesitating, whether it's starting a conversation, moving to a new city, or just speaking up in class.
  
  What I love about it is that it doesn't promise perfection. It simply invites you to begin. And for language learners, that's everything. You don't become fluent by waiting until you feel ready, you grow by starting before you're ready, again and again. Il faut se lancer is more than a phrase, it's a mindset. And once you adopt it, confidence follows.

• 4) Why does speaking this language matter to you?

  As a native French speaker, French is part of who I am, but what matters most to me is what it can offer to others. I've seen how learning French opens doors: to meaningful travel, to new work opportunities, to feeling at home in a different culture. But beyond all that, it's about identity and expression.
  
  So many learners come to French with a quiet wish: to feel confident, to express themselves, to belong. Helping someone go from silent understanding to speaking with ease, that shift is powerful. That's why this language matters to me: not just because I speak it, but because I've seen what it gives to those who choose to learn it.

• 5) What is the main difficulty in learning this language and what can help the process of learning?

  For many learners, the biggest challenge isn't the complexity of French, it's the fear of speaking. They worry about making mistakes, about sounding silly, about being judged. That pressure can lead to hesitation, perfectionism, or even avoidance.
  
  What helps is shifting the focus away from perfection and toward progress. I teach students how to stay calm when speaking, how to simplify their message, and how to keep going even when a sentence doesn't come out quite right. Confidence doesn't come from knowing everything, it comes from knowing you can handle the moment. And that's something you can learn.

• 6) Provide a valuable anecdote related to your language learning or your days at school.

  I once worked with a student who had studied French for years but avoided speaking at all costs. In our first session, she told me, "I know the words in my head, but the moment I open my mouth, they vanish." That sentence has stuck with me, because it captures what so many learners feel.
  
  Together, we worked not just on vocabulary, but on how to stay present when speaking. We slowed things down, practiced thinking out loud, and created a space where mistakes weren't just allowed, they were expected. A few months later, she joined a conversation group in France and didn't freeze once. That's the kind of progress that matters: not just more words, but more ease.

• 7) How has travel or a specific trip helped you to increase your skill and knowledge of the language?

  Living in the UK has given me something that growing up in France couldn't: the experience of being the outsider. Suddenly I was the one listening closely, translating in my head, second-guessing myself before speaking. It was humbling, and incredibly useful.
  
  It helped me understand what my students go through on a daily basis. The self-consciousness, the frustration of not sounding like yourself in another language, the exhaustion of always decoding. That experience changed how I teach. It reminded me that learning a language isn't just about input, it's about identity, confidence, and human connection. And that's what I focus on now in every session.

• 8) What makes you a Superprof in language?

  What makes the biggest difference isn't just what I teach, it's how I support learners through the moments they usually give up. I work with people who've been stuck at the same level for years, who freeze up in conversations, or who feel like French will never "click." My job is to change that.
  
  I focus on building confidence, not just competence. I help students keep speaking when their mind goes blank, sound more natural without memorising scripts, and connect, not just translate. It's not about sounding native. It's about sounding like yourself in French. That's what makes the difference. And that's what makes this work so rewarding.