Zachary, Tutor of French and English

Zachary F.

I recently graduated from the University of South Alabama with a degree in Modern Language and Literature with a concentration in French. Studying at CIEF (The International Center of French Studies) in Dijon, France, I placed at C1 (the highest level of classes offered there) and received a grade of 18.25/20. While at school, I not only excelled in my language classes, but also gained experience in language teaching. As part of my applied linguistics course, I extensively talked to Honduran students of English as a foreign language while examining the linguistic obstacles they face learning a new language. There, I learned the value of keeping students comfortable to lower the affective filter and encourage them in practicing their second language. I have extended these lessons to my work as a tutor and teaching intern in French pedagogy.
It was an honor to intern as a teaching assistant for my fellow students at the university. We used the communicative method of teaching, in which students learn through authentic communications in the target language. I participated with students during speaking practice and learned how to keep students engaged by following the natural flow of conversation while keeping it in French. When I received the honor of teaching the introductory French class by myself while the professor was out of town, I went beyond expectations by creating a realistic café menu using all the vocabulary the students needed to review for their upcoming quiz. We used this to imitate real conversations involved in ordering food in French.
I am excited to tutor students in French for either a class or their personal edification. Having experience in creating lesson plans, I can teach independently or conform to the students’ study needs for a particular class. One day, I hope to teach English and French to immigrants in Canada to prepare them for daily life and help them receive citizenship.