"I took French in High School, but I don't remember anything."

"Oh, I tried learning French, but I'm really bad at it."

If I had dix centimes for every time I heard someone say something along these lines, I'd have at least 100 euros by now. People usually admit these things right after they learn that I've spent the past decade teaching French to students aged 13-70. People typically think that they're "bad" at French because it was a hard class. They feel like they "don't remember anything" because they actually don't remember speaking it.

Until relatively recently, the way we taught world languages in this country was fundamentally flawed. The long-prevailing pedagogy went something like this: make students memorize vocabulary and grammar rules. Then, rinse and repeat. Eventually, students will speak the language! And that's just not how it works.

In recent decades, teachers have begun to reassess the best ways of teaching world languages. Many of us became frustrated that we'd spend all of this time in class conjugating verbs, only to have our students completely blank when speaking in the target language. Placing such a focus on the mechanics of the language was not translating into real-world application. This is why so many former language students either "weren't successful" in language class: they weren't being set up for success

Increasingly there is a push in language instruction to emphasize the "three modes" of communication from Day One: interpersonal (writing & speaking, presentational (formal writing & speaking), and interpretive (reading & listening). Viewing these as the most important outcomes of a language class means that grammar and vocabulary memorization are mere "tools" in a student's "toolbox" of strategies to engage in communication. Overall, this paradigm shift has led to an astonishing shift in our student outcomes. The last time I took my French students to France, they actually spoke the language! Their grammar may have not been perfect, but they were able to effectively meet their own needs and communicate their ideas. 

At Denver French Tutoring, that's what matters.

Together, we're going to determine how you best learn language. I will teach you grammar skills and have you practice vocabulary, but that will not be our overall focus. From our first lesson, I will have you speaking and writing.

We will assess your goals, talk about your last world language learning experience, and decide which learning style fits you best.

Prepare to surprise yourself! You will not be learning French. You will be speaking it.