About Isabel
Experience meets good vibes
Bonjour ! I'm 28, I'm French, and I've been teaching French online for 4 years. I'm a huge language nerd who happens to speak five of them. After realizing that a career in law in France wasn't for me, I packed my bags and started teaching Spanish and English in language schools and companies around the world. Eventually, I decided to focus 100% on teaching my own language : French. I'm passionate about history and linguistics. I love talking about geopolitics, genetics, geography, astronomy,manga, black holes, and the multiverse. And I absolutely love food. People say I'm funny.
Languages I speak
- FrenchNative
- PortugueseNative
- EnglishFluent
- SpanishFluent
- ItalianB2 University of Sienna, Italy
Words and where they come from
A love of language.
My obsession with linguistics comes from my passion for history, especially migration and the way languages evolve when people and cultures meet. Growing up around Portuguese and Spanish, with roots in Galicia, made me fascinated by the way languages evolve, and by how much they can tell us about a culture and the people who speak them. I'm also a huge etymology nerd, I have a Latin dictionary at home ans I love using the origin and history of words to make vocabulary more memorable. That curiosity shapes the way I teach too. I often compare French with my students's native languages. Whether Russian, Arabic, German or something else, from grammar to pronunciation, to find the explanation that makes things click. Speaking five languages myself has taught me that sometimes you just need the right comparison to understand something.
The story behind the language
A love of history.
History has been my thing for as long as I can remember. I was the kid asking for history books for Christmas. I'm fascinated by pretty much every period and place, because understanding where we come from and what we've done helps us understand who we are as a species. I have a Master's degree in Public Law, which involved a lot of history and politics. That passion naturally finds its way into my lessons, because for me, teaching French also means sharing the culture, history, politics and traditions that shape my country. That said, I teach French, not history! I only bring it in when it's relevant or when a student shares that interest, and quite a few have actually chosen me because they do.
Methodology
How I teach.
Lessons are conducted in English, Spanish, Portuguese or Italian. Each student begins with a free trial, which is an essential part of the learning process. It allows for an assessment of the student's level, previous experience with French and language learning, objectives and interests, as well as the methods that have or have not worked for them in the past. It also provides an opportunity to assess mutual compatibility in terms of working style and personalities. The program follows a clear progression for every level while remaining highly flexible, with content, pace and methods continuously adapted to each student's needs and progress. Lessons focus on practical French: expressing needs and opinions, maintaining conversations, handling everyday situations and understanding natural spoken French, including common slang. Oral practice, especially conversation, is a central component of the methodology. Grammar and vocabulary are systematically reinforced through conversation with a significant proportion of each lesson dedicated to active speaking and listening practice. Lessons are based on a shared Google Doc, accessible to the student and include visual materials, diagrams, images, written explanations and listening resources. All teaching materials are created independently, prepared in advance, regularly updated and individually tailored to each student. No generic worksheets or ready-made online materials are used. Homework is not assigned as part of the standard program. However, students who wish to practise independently can be provided with tailored recommendations for exercises, books and other learning resources.
Beyond the lessons
A little more about me.
What I love most about teaching is the human side of it. My students come from all over the world and I genuinely look forward to seeing them again each week. Over time, real connections develop, and the exchange goes both ways. I get to discover different cultures, perspectives and ways of life . For me, that international exchange is what makes this my dream job. I love the idea that two people from completely different parts of the world can meet through a language and have so much to learn from each other. Travel is also a big part of my life and I'm always happy to discover new places and cultures. Outside of teaching, I paint, I play music,take care of far too many plants, watch an unreasonable amount of documentaries (ARTE is a favorite), and love films, series and reading. I'm also very passionate about food.