Our Teachers

From Saumur (Pays de la Loire), she has been back in the Netherlands since September 2022, after having lived here in 2020-2021.

Why did you choose the Netherlands? I discovered the Netherlands in 2020 when I lived in Nijmegen. I really liked the atmosphere of the country, being able to cycle and enjoy the nature with my friends. The Netherlands is a country rich in culture and I want to discover it better now that confinements are over!   

What do you like about the Netherlands? I love being able to go everywhere by bike and bitterballens!

Why did you choose to teach French? I have always wanted to teach, I love passing it on and helping others. I am also passionate about foreign languages and the French language, so teaching French was the perfect combo! 

What is your advice to progress faster? Take the plunge, always try, even if it means making mistakes! And also, watch some series or French programs!

From Les Landes,
in Haarlem since 2017.

Why did you choose the Netherlands? About ten years ago I undertook academic research on a manuscript in the library of the library of the Portuguese Synagogue of Amsterdam. As part of this work, I started to come for long journeys to Amsterdam for my research. So the Netherlands came into my path at that time. 

What do you like about the Netherlands? The efficiency, the straightforward way Dutch don't beat around the bush for three hours or waste time, the green of the polders, the bicycle paths, the possibility of travelling alone on foot or by bicycle without danger, the "gezellig attitude" of Dutch. 

What is your advice to progress faster? Learning French has to coincide with a passion or talent. Do you paint? Subscribe to an art magazine in French. Do you like cooking? Sign up for a French forum on the subject. Are you an archaeology fan? Take advantage of your holidays to participate in a work camp in France. In French, this is called: " to kill two birds with one stone".

Born in Bordeaux, in the Netherlands for almost 24 years.

Why did you choose the Netherlands? By chance during military service, then love... and work. 

What do you like about the Netherlands? The "toegankelijkheid" principle of Dutch cities. They're accessible in many ways, you can cycle around like in a village, and Amsterdam offers as many cultural activities as megacities such as Paris, New-York or London. But here, you don't need a guest list to get into a café and if you want to, you can go to the opera in a jog!

Why did you choose to teach French? I wanted to make a radical career change for the second part of my working life.

What is your best memory with your students? The passion in Manon's voice after she read aloud Aragon's poem "The Rose and the Reseda", on Zoom...

What is your advice to progress faster? To listen to a podcast about a topic that you like once a week in French.

She grew up in Dijon, she crossed the North Sea from London to the Netherlands, 6 years ago.

Why did you choose the Netherlands? (Brexit!) But also, and above all, to find my partner who had chosen this destination to pursue his passion for music.

What do you like about the Netherlands? Here I like the fact that I can cycle at my leisure without having to race! I think life in Amsterdam is much quieter and calmer than in other major European cities.

Why did you choose to teach French? I chose to teach because it's a green profession (according to Naomi Klein!).

What's your advice for making rapid progress?  Learn to put aside your apprehension so that you can dare to communicate. It's essential, but easier said than done! A slightly more practical tip: create a little routine that will provide you with a daily rendezvous with the language. Like, for example, watching the junior news programme on ARTE, live or replay every day!

From Perpignan, but more precisely  the Pyrenees on the border with Spain.

What do you like about the Netherlands? The way of life, the energy of the Dutch people, the accessibility by train/bike and the landscape.

Why did you choose to teach French? I hesitated for a long time between studying languages and art. I finally took the path of languages and teaching because I love travelling and being in contact with different cultures. Also, teaching allows me to continue to be creative through the content of the courses or as a hobby in my free time. I do not regret this choice at all because teaching is an extremely rewarding profession.

What is your best memory with your students? I have many, it's hard to choose! But I would say when my students are simply happy to come to class with a smile on their face, to talk about their daily lives, to share and spend unforgettable moments together.

From Beaune (Burgundy),  in the Netherlands since September 2022.  

What do you like about the Netherlands? I'm still discovering the country, but the cycling culture fascinates me.

What is your best memory with your students? When I was teaching older people in Spain, they were very keen to show me their own culture. This intercultural exchange was quite incredible and I particularly remember the month of Carnival, during which one they gave me a mountain of typical Galician food, so much that I had to find kind souls to share all this food with me. 

What is your advice to progress faster? Dare to speak the language even if you don't do it perfectly, dare to ask questions, to make mistakes. Outside the classroom, exchanging regularly with non-native speakers makes you less afraid to express yourself. Everyone speaks a different language from their mother tongue, and you feel like you are all "in the same boat". This fosters mutual support and collective progress. 

From a little town named Saint Georges Les Bains, next to  Valence. In the Netherlands for 4 years.

Why did you choose to teach French? French language opens up a whole range of other subjects: history, politics, art... And teaching allows you to meet different people from all over the world.

What is your best memory with your students? Once, a student wanted me to taste fresh herring and brought me one during a conversation class. With a good bottle of wine. The smell in the room was terrible, but it was a good moment of sharing. I also loved the herring...

What is your advice to progress faster? Review your course notes (!), watch cool TV series in French. Don't be afraid to talk if you are travelling in France. French people can be impatient, but they are very talkative so if you say a few words in French, they'll quickly be flattered and talk to you... for hours.

Originally from Anjou, in the Loire Valley. In the Netherlands since August 2022, after 10 years in Vietnam.

Why did you choose to teach French? I chose to teach French, or rather just to teach, because I like to assist children and adults in their discoveries, to question, to reflect and... to learn!

What is your best memory with your students? My best memory as a teacher is to see children starting to speak French spontaneously after a few months of lessons, it's magic!

What is your advice to progress faster? For me, motivation is the key to success. This will come from the learner, of course, but it is up to the teacher to offer fun and interactive learning that will allow the child (and the adult too) to stay motivated to learn while having fun.

From Normandy, in the Netherlands since 2 years.

What do you like about the Netherlands? The atmosphere of the country, its architecture and its open-mindedness. I am under the spell of Amsterdam, a magnificent city, you can feel that Dutch people have a lot of style, each house front is carefully flowered and maintained. It's a pleasure to see this attention to detail and aesthetics.

What do you miss about France? What I miss most in France are my friends, some of the atmosphere of the seaside of the Normandy coast, and some of the museums like the Guimet museum.

Why did you choose to teach? I chose to teach to share my passion with students, to introduce them to be curious and interested in another culture and in another language... 

What is your advice to progress faster? My advice for rapid progress is encouragement, confidence and kindness. It's also forgetting that we learn because we have fun...

Originally from Angers (Maine et Loire), in the Netherlands since June 2023.  

What do you like about the Netherlands? I really like the Netherlands! The way of life is very pleasant: it's relaxing, you take the time to live, to discover the surroundings by bike, to walk along the canals and admire the architecture and landscapes. Cheeses are delicious, and so are bitterballen and roombrotjes! The Dutch people are very friendly, they don't hesitate to chat with us.  

Why did you choose to teach French? I'm a teacher of Modern Literature, and teaching French at secondary level had already been my job for several years in France, so I wanted to continue this practice, which is a real passion of mine: passing on knowledge and seeing how pupils develop in their learning are close to my heart. The opportunity to diversify my training by teaching French as a foreign language is professionally enriching: it allows me to put in place new teaching methods, to discover other aspects of teaching. And all this with different age groups: from 4-year-olds to adults, it's fascinating!  

What's your advice to progress faster? There's nothing better than talking to others: daring to ask questions, to say that you don't understand something, that you need more tools, more time, and so on. Have the self-confidence to progress and practise the language constantly! 

From the Basque country (South-West of France).  

What do you miss about France? Mountains, because I am from the Pays-Basque, in the South-West of France.

What do you like about the Netherlands? The atmosphere of the beautiful cities of Amsterdam and Utrecht, and the Stroopwafel... ! 

Why did you choose to teach French? I chose this job because I'm passionate about intercultural exchange and I love foreign languages as much as transmission. During my university studies, I had the opportunity to teach a wide range of people, of all origins and levels (Japanese as well as Brazilians, Russians and Croatians, ...). I have also taught abroad, especially in the Netherlands. 

What is your advice to progress faster? Immerse yourself in the French language every day, even if it's just for 10 minutes, by reading short articles, listening to a podcast or watching French series! Regularity is one of the key factors in learning.

Lived in Toulouse before moving to the Netherlands in 2018.

Why did you choose the Netherlands? My husband responded to a job offer, and we decided to embark on this new family adventure.

What do you miss about France?  The proximity with my family and friends.

What do you like about the Netherlands? The way of living. Using a bicycle for all types of journeys and in any weather! And spring with its long days and fields of flowers is always magical!

What is your best memory with your students? When a student called me to tell me that she had passed her French exams. Her professional future depended on it. She was so happy.

What is your advice to progress faster? My advice is to practise the language as often as possible, in different ways: singing, reading, chatting, listening to it...

Comes from Maisons-Laffitte, a nice little city around Paris and has been living in Belgium for 2 years and a half. 

What’s your favourite memory with your students? I love the little "goûters" organized by my students in Malaysia who are crazy about food. Once we wanted to make a picnic in one student's garden... For me, it should have been a chilling experience in a garden, with finger food that we may have prepared, discussing and enjoying the weather. But it turned out to be a Durian picking race! (So very adventurous and eating durian all day!) 

Why did you choose to teach French? I like to exchange cultural things and meet people from all around the world! At first, before being a teacher I went to China as a French language assistant. Then I noticed that I like to guide the learners in their study of French especially when they start. I prefer the beginner levels to see how my students blossom! 

What is your advice to progress faster? I think the key to success is to attend a course. Try to do the homework as well, or at least to read it beforehand. And especially, cherish the experience of learning, speaking, writing and sharing as much as possible (even with mistakes)... Enjoying yourself is the best way to learn! 

From Mons, in Belgium, she has been back in the Netherlands since August 2023.

Why did you choose the Netherlands?   I missed living in the Netherlands (and Europe in general) so I decided to come back after spending 7 years in Canada.  

Why did you choose to teach French?   I love seeing my learners progress and achieve their goals. And when I'm preparing my lessons, I never see the time go by. I can spend hours looking for new ways to make learning fun and dynamic.  

What's your best memory with your students?   When I lived in Ecuador, I taught future French teachers. We were about the same age and I loved discussing all sorts of different subjects with them. Today, two of them live in France, and one lives in the United States!  

What's your advice to progress faster?  Watching series in French (with subtitles in your mother tongue at first) helps a lot with understanding. And if not, dare to take the plunge and make mistakes! The important thing is not that the message is perfect, it's that it's understood. 

Originally from the Netherlands.

Why did you choose to teach Dutch? I think it's very important that people living in the Netherlands feel close to the language and the culture. 

What is your best memory with your students? My satisfaction is when students progress and say that they have practised Dutch outside the classroom.

What is your advice to progress faster? Practice the language outside the classroom as much as possible: listen to Dutch conversations in the street, in cafés and restaurants, listen to/watch films, series and programs in Dutch. Read comics and books. Combine learning Dutch with your passions. Practice Dutch with your Dutch-speaking colleagues and neighbours. 

From Marocco, live in Amsterdam for 5 years.  

Why did you choose the Netherlands? Out of love !

What do you miss most about France? Theater plays and gastronomy !

What do you love about the Netherlands? The lightness of life...

Why did you choose to teach French? To share my love of the language and the friendly atmosphere of the classroom, and to appreciate the progress made by my students.