French Coaching for Teens
One-to-one French coaching for teens
Personalised work with a certified teacher who knows school from the inside, and helps students grow beyond it.
Confidence, voice, and lasting progress in French.
Coaching presentation
This coaching is for your teen if they want to:
- build or strengthen their foundations in French
- speak with more confidence and express their ideas clearly
- receive structured support for school, exams, and long-term progress
One-to-one online French coaching for teenagers in secondary education.
This is not a catch-up service. It is a real coaching relationship, designed to help your teen grow in confidence, develop their own voice in French, and build the kind of relationship with the language that lasts well beyond exams.
Coaching is open to learners from around 14 onwards, with possible exceptions for younger learners depending on maturity and motivation.
A free introductory session is available below to discuss your child’s needs, level, and school context. Rates are shared transparently in the FAQ, so the session can focus entirely on your child.
- Certified French teacher • Years of experience
- School support & exam preparation (GCSE, A Level, DELF Junior, etc.)
- Confidence, structure, and steady progress
Meet your coach
I’m Thomas, a certified language teacher.
My career began teaching English in French high schools, before moving to Australia, where I taught French in secondary education and went on to become Head of Department, responsible for curriculum coordination and exam preparation. During this time, my classes achieved first-in-state results in Victoria.
Over the years, I have prepared students for a wide range of language exams, including GCSE, A Level, VCE, DELF and DALF. This experience has given me a precise understanding of exam requirements, assessment criteria, and how to guide teenagers with very different learning profiles.
Although my background is in school teaching, my coaching is not an extension of school. School teaches French as a subject — rules, structures, exercises. My work is different. I help each student grow into French as their own language: to express their ideas, develop their voice, make their own connections, and build the kind of confidence that becomes part of who they are.
What teenagers seem to remember, years later, is not only the French they learned, but the experience of being taken seriously. That recognition — being seen as a person, not as a level — is, in my view, the foundation of real learning.
“His empathy and altruism go far beyond the role of a simple teacher: he understands you and supports you in succeeding.” — Former student
How I work
Lessons are not built around French as a subject. They are built around ideas, conversations, and topics that matter to the student — with French as the medium through which they think, express, and grow.
Each session is a real exchange. Students talk, listen, read, and write about things that interest them: their lives, their questions, the world around them. They learn through French, not only about it.
Grammar and structure are taught when needed, in plain words, and immediately put to use. Comprehension and expression develop together. Over time, French becomes part of how the student thinks, not only something they study.
“It wasn’t like any other class. A safe place where we could improve our speaking with no fear. No boring worksheets — we studied films, music, books from all over the French-speaking world. He kept us interested while giving us all the tools we needed.” — E, former student
Who this coaching is best suited to
This coaching is designed for teenagers who need serious, personalised support — not occasional help, and not a catch-up service. It is particularly well suited to:
- students preparing for school exams and certifications (GCSE, A Level, VCE, DELF Junior and equivalent)
- teens who have lost confidence in French and need to rebuild it patiently
- learners who benefit from clear explanations and individual guidance adapted to their pace
- families looking for long-term, consistent support rather than short-term fixes
This coaching is best suited to students who are willing to engage regularly, and to families who value personal growth, depth, and long-term progress as much as academic results.
“Thomas always finds innovative ways of teaching and motivates us. He builds relationships with students based on mutual respect, and never lets down his students, even years after teaching them.” — L, former student
What parents observe
Students who work with Thomas consistently tend to reach a higher level than their school peers — not because the lessons are harder, but because the foundations are stronger and the work is steady.
Over time, parents typically observe:
- more confidence in speaking, including outside lessons
- the ability to express ideas, opinions, and personality in French — not only produce correct answers
- a relationship of trust with their coach, which often becomes one of the steadier presences in their school years
- steadier performance in school assessments and exams, as a natural consequence of deeper foundations
- a real interest in French, and in their own thinking, that was not there before
“My daughter has made remarkable progress in French. He helped her validate her A2 level, and she is now preparing her B1 level with him.” — Parent
These outcomes depend on regular engagement and a willingness to work consistently between sessions. They are not promised — they are what we typically see when the conditions are right.
Free introductory session
You can book a free introductory session below.
This session is an opportunity to meet Thomas together with your teen, to discuss your child’s current level, needs, and school context, and to understand how the coaching works in practice. It also gives you and your teen the chance to see whether this support feels like the right fit.
The chemistry between coach and student matters. For younger learners in particular, this short meeting is often the most useful step before deciding anything further.
Rates are shared in advance so the session can focus entirely on your child’s needs, not on pricing.
Payments are accepted in EUR, GBP, and USD.
F.A.Q
What are your rates for private French coaching?
Teens (1:1 French coaching)
Lessons are adapted to each student’s level, school context, and pace, and designed to support consistent progress over time. The same coaching format applies whether the focus is general fluency, school support, or preparation for specific exams (DELF Junior, GCSE, A Level, Junior Certificate, Leaving Certificate, VCE).
- Single lesson — £31 / €35 / $42 — a flexible option for occasional support
- 10-lesson package — £290 / €330 / $400 — recommended for steady, regular progress
- 20-lesson package — £542 / €620 / $740 — for students engaged in long-term coaching
Each lesson lasts 50 minutes. The 10-lesson package is valid for 4 months from the date of purchase; the 20-lesson package, for 6 months.
Coaching follows a weekly rhythm — one lesson per week, with reasonable flexibility for school holidays, illness, and the occasional reschedule. The validity period is set with this rhythm in mind, not as an open-ended option. Consistent weekly practice is one of the most important factors in real language progress, and the package format is designed to support that consistency.
Rates are shared transparently so that families can decide whether this format and level of commitment is right for them.
How long is each lesson, and how often do you recommend?
Each lesson lasts 50 minutes.
Most teens take one session per week, which allows them to build confidence and progress steadily without adding unnecessary pressure. This rhythm works well alongside school commitments and helps keep learning sustainable over time.
Depending on your child’s goals, level, and availability, we may suggest combining sessions with light practice between lessons, or adjusting the pace during specific periods such as exam preparation. During the introductory session, we discuss a rhythm that feels realistic and supportive for your child’s age and workload.
Are lessons online, and on what platform?
Yes. All lessons are online, conducted via Google Meet.
Students also learn to use the Google Suite (Docs, Drive, Slides) as part of their coaching. Shared documents are used to write together, organise materials, and keep a clear record of work between sessions. Over time, this gives each student a tidy digital workspace for their French — and useful experience with tools they will continue to use throughout their studies.
In what language are lessons conducted, especially for beginners?
Lessons begin in the student’s own language when needed — particularly for beginners and when explaining new concepts. Clear understanding matters more than forced immersion, especially in the early stages.
French is introduced gradually and used more and more as the student develops confidence and ease. Over time, the language of the lesson shifts naturally: from mostly English with French introduced step by step, to mostly French with occasional explanations in English where they help.
The aim is for French to become familiar and lived — not imposed before the student is ready to receive it.
That said, immersion outside the lesson is strongly encouraged. Watching French films, cartoons, and documentaries in the original French (ideally with French subtitles), listening to French music, and being regularly exposed to the spoken language are among the most important factors in real progress. Consistent exposure to spoken French between sessions does more for fluency than any in-lesson exercise can.
We are happy to provide personalised recommendations based on your child’s age, level, and interests.
Do lessons follow the school curriculum?
Yes — when a student is working towards school exams or a specific syllabus, lessons are adapted accordingly. I structure my work around the curriculum your child is following, so that the coaching supports rather than competes with what they are doing in school.
That said, the curriculum is the starting point, not the ceiling. Alongside what school requires, I focus on the underlying skills that make real progress possible: clear comprehension, confident expression, solid grammar foundations, and the habit of using French as a living language rather than a set of exercises.
This balance allows students to perform with confidence in school assessments while building skills that continue to serve them long after the exam is over.
Do you help students with written expression and organisation?
Yes. Written work is a central part of the coaching. Students learn not only to write correctly in French, but to organise their ideas, structure their paragraphs, and express themselves with clarity and precision.
This includes sentence construction, transitions, paragraph organisation, and the development of more precise vocabulary — as well as feedback on the underlying logic of the writing: how ideas connect, what is missing, and where the expression can be sharpened.
These skills support French exams directly, but they also strengthen how students think and write more broadly — including in their first language and in any academic work that follows.
How do you support students who lack confidence or feel blocked in French?
Many teenagers who appear stuck in French are not lacking ability. They are blocked by fear of making mistakes, by the pressure of being graded, or by years of being asked to speak before they felt ready. These blockages are reversible.
Lessons are one-to-one, calm, and built around what the student can do, not what they cannot. Mistakes are expected, named without judgement, and used to build the next step. Each session is paced so the student leaves having said, written, or understood something they could not before.
Confidence does not return because students are told to be confident. It returns because their experience of French changes — slowly, lesson by lesson — and because they feel taken seriously as people rather than measured as learners.
How do you help students develop critical thinking in French?
Critical thinking is woven into the coaching from the start. Even at lower levels, students are invited to give opinions, justify choices, react to what they read or hear, and organise their thoughts in French — not only produce the “correct” answer.
As they progress, this work deepens. They learn to construct arguments, weigh ideas, comment on texts and current topics, and develop the precision and maturity expected at higher levels (A Level, IB, DELF B2 and above).
The aim is not only to perform well in exams that demand analytical writing and discussion, but to help students experience French as a language they can think in — not only translate into. This, in our view, is what separates a student who knows French from one who has truly grown into it.
How do you involve parents — do you share feedback or progress notes?
Yes — and we believe parents play a real role in their child’s progress. A child cannot truly grow into French if the language exists nowhere outside the lesson. We encourage families to make small but consistent room for French at home: watching films, cartoons, and documentaries in the original French, listening to French music, and where possible, introducing simple moments of French into the family routine.
On the communication side, parents are welcome to join the beginning or end of a session with questions for Thomas about the coaching itself. For administrative matters — absences, rescheduling, packages, and practical questions — Ninon, our Head of Administration, is available by email and responds promptly. At the end of each academic year, every student receives a written progress report from Thomas, covering what has been worked on, observed progress, areas of focus, and recommendations for the year ahead.
What happens if we need to cancel or reschedule a lesson?
Each family receives our general terms and conditions upon registration, including our full policy on cancellations and rescheduling. Ninon also sends a personal email walking you through these details and answering any practical questions before the first lesson.
The principle behind the policy is simple: occasional rescheduling, communicated in advance, is part of normal life and accommodated within the validity period of each package. The structure is designed to support regular, weekly engagement rather than stop-start attendance.
Is there a minimum commitment, or do families book session by session?
Yes. Teen coaching follows the academic year, from September to July, with one lesson per week at the same time each week.
The yearly structure is intentional. Teenagers progress through stability and rhythm — a regular weekly slot, the same coach throughout the year, and continuity that allows real depth to develop. Session-by-session booking is not offered for teens, though it is available for adult learners, whose context differs.