I spoke very little French when I arrived in Biarritz, and certainly none with confidence. Having had 10 months of lessons now, one a week for around 2 hours and all at my pace, I have covered an enormous amount and am an intermediate level I would say. This means I can hold conversations with doctors and my daughter's school, getting my point across and understanding their language. This is hugely empowering and makes all the difference to living in a foreign country.
Latifa accepts the pace at which you want to work and the style in which you want to learn. I am conversational, I am probably a frustrating student because I want to enjoy the language but not to have lots of homework! I therefore learn slower than many, but find my lessons hugely sociable, flexible and interesting. We talk about the local culture, politics, international differences, films and share funny stories. Latifa uses scripts, games, textbooks, online resources and more to help you find the tools that most suit you. She introduces people to each other, helps them find local amenities and is as much a friend as a teacher. This in itself helps you to build your confidence and play with the language.
A huge bonus is that Latifa is very skilled with other languages. As English is my first language, she is able to understand the mentality of speaking English, why things don't translate easily and why I am looking for a word or a structure that maybe doesn't exist in French. A french teacher who cannot speak fluent English cannot offer you this, and it makes a HUGE difference. She also understands the impact 'culture shock' and addresses this in the lessons, helping her students to adapt to more than simply the language. This is a very personal skill that not everyone can offer. My priority is to enjoy using French and to be able to show my community that I am making an effort. Latifa enables me to do this without it becoming a chore. I am extremely grateful for her expertise, flexibility, and mostly her friendship.'
Alissa R., Edinburgh, Scotland, living in Arbonne, France
Tiffany and I have lived in France for six months. When we arrived we spoke zero French. We have had 50 lessons of French with Latifa now. She is a magnificent French teacher and a great person. We have learnt a lot. We look forward to our French lessons each week. Here is one of our methods to learn with papers on the wall.
Tiffany and Adam - Chrischurch, New Zealand, living in Biarritz, France
Latifa : me encanto tomar el curso de francés contigo, fuiste la mejor profesora de idioma que he tenido! Muchas gracias por tu paciencia, amabilidad y buena onda!
Delfina O. - Tucuman, Argentina, living in Biarritz, France.
Latifa was my first French tutor when I came to France - speaking absolutely no French ! She is kind and patient and was able to help me get a basic grasp of the language very quickly. Because she is married to an American, her English is impeccable, and she was able to relate words and ideas in English and their French meanings so that I could progress rapidly and with better understanding. I had several tutors after Latifa (required by France for my visa - as my ONLY choice would be Latifa !!) and none of them were even in the same universe ! I highly recommend her method of teaching - she pulls out groups of vocabulary and grammar and you learn to build on the groups step-by-step. I progressed faster with Latifa in 6 weeks than in the year and a half after working with her. The investment in learning a new language is worth a lifetime of new opportunities and experiences gained as a result - and Latifa is the key to learning French !
Nikki L. - Dallas, Texas, living in Paris, France
liebe latifa, du warst mir eine grossartige lehrerin. ueber fast 2 jahre bast du mir unermuedlich die franzoesische sprache mit so viel gedult und einsatz beigebracht. durch dein besonderes haendchen fuer die individuellen persoenlichkeiten und interessen deiner schueler machst du einem das lernen zum erlebniss. die lehrausfluege und skype unterhaltungen so wie deine hilfe bei dokumenten uebersetzungen ist fuer mich von unschaetzbarem wert. erlebnislernen raus aus dem klassenzimmer...danke an eine grossartige lehrerin.
Simone G.- Germany, living in Anglet, France
After more than 3 years in France I have had multiple language teachers. Latifa is the best by far! The thing I appreciate the most is her individual focused approach, planning her lessons around the needs of each individual student, whether that need is to understand your child's teachers or to pass your language exam for university entry. Latifa also possesses a perfect knowledge of the English language that enables her to recognize the differences and difficulties between the two languages and enables her to explain and simplify the French grammar. She makes you feel at ease from the get go and her love for the region and the language is contagious, she goes out of her way to inform her students of local events and news, taking the language out of the classroom and into a daily adventure.
Thank you latifa for all your hard work, in the class and in preparation. You are one in a million!
Arina V.S., from Cap Town, South Africa, currently living in Anglet, France.