French that stays.
One-to-one lessons online or in Berlin, small online groups around paintings from the Musée d'Orsay. And two weeks in Douarnenez, where you really speak it.
You understand more than you say.
Six years of school French. And in a café in Quimper all you can manage is Bonjour.
You read the menu without trouble. Ordering is still left to your partner.
Apps explain the subjunctive. Nobody explains why your ear refuses to hear the French R.
You do not want to be perfect. You want to belong.
That is exactly where we start.
Three pillars. A method I developed and tested myself.
I have taught French as a foreign language for twenty years. My method rests on three pillars: real conversation, immersion in the language, and comprehensible input between lessons. Online, in Berlin or in Brittany.
Real conversation
A large part of every lesson is conversation about things that concern you. You collect expressions and sentences in your notebook, and with my shadowing dialogues spoken French gets into your ear and your mouth.
Immersion
In Brittany, of course. But in Berlin too we go out, to the francophone film festival, to an exhibition with a French guide, to the crêperie. Online the experiences are fictional, but just as surprising.
Comprehensible input
I have written a series of workbooks with grammar, vocabulary, reading and listening, with answers. You work with them between lessons at your own pace and make lasting progress.
How a lesson works
- 50 minutes online or 60 minutes in Berlin-Schöneberg, at my place or in a café
- Expressions and sentences you collect in conversation stay in your notebook
- Shadowing dialogues for pronunciation
- Workbooks with answers for the time between lessons
- Small online groups of up to six, 90 minutes a week
- Aligned with the Common European Framework (A1 to C2)
Where are you right now?
Slide the gauge to the level that feels honest. The page adjusts to you.
A1 means a few words. C2 means almost at home. Not sure? Pick one step lower, we fix that quickly in the first call.
You understand more than you say.
The classic point where many get stuck. You read well, understand a lot, and the courage to speak is missing. That is exactly where we start.
One-to-one, in a group, or before the exam.
One-to-one lessons in packs of ten, online group courses in two seasons a year, and a summer crash course for the oral Abitur exam. Group courses start in March 2027.
One-to-one lessons
350 €Ten lessons, entirely tailored to you
More French in everyday life, for a professional project or simply to speak with confidence at last. We build the course together, at your pace. From the eleventh lesson the pack of ten costs 300 euros.
Online group, spring
320 €Sixteen evenings with ten paintings from the Musée d'Orsay
Every week the same group of up to six people at your level. Ten paintings from the Musée d'Orsay, family scenes and people at the table, lead us through the themes of everyday life. You prepare, then we talk.
Online group, autumn
480 €Twenty-four evenings through to February
The longer season for everyone who wants to keep going. Up to six people, the same group, the same time. Sign up early, places are limited.
Abitur crash course
360 €Eight double lessons in the summer before the exam
For students before the oral Abitur exam. I know the syllabi of several German states and have coached many young people through the exam. With corrections and a clear study plan.
In every package
- Free 15-minute introductory call
- Level assessment and a personal plan
- All materials, workbooks and dialogues included
- Notes and corrections after every lesson
- Reachable for questions between lessons
Not sure which package? We settle that in fifteen minutes.
Book a free callFree and without obligation, online or by phone.
And then: Brittany.
Two weeks in Douarnenez, an old sardine port at the end of the world. Three hours of lessons in the morning, coast, market and crêperie in the afternoon. Alone or as a pair.
- Format
- Alone or as a pair
- Length
- 2 weeks, 10 teaching days
- Lessons
- 3 hours a day, Monday to Friday
- Place
- Douarnenez, Finistère
- Next dates
- 7 to 18 June 20272 places left
I come from France and explain in German what you feel in French.
I am Catherine. After studying literature in Strasbourg I crossed the Rhine to Konstanz, studied education in Switzerland and now live in Berlin. I have taught French as a foreign language for twenty years. I share my three passions with you: the language, books and Brittany.
More about meVoices
For twelve years I was afraid of the phone in France. After three months I called the plumber myself and he understood me. Catherine explains things so that they find a place in my German head.
No textbook, no vocabulary lists, but every week exactly the situations I was facing. Job interview, flat hunting, the first email to the boss. That made the difference.
We were sceptical whether two weeks would do anything. On the second Thursday we argued about politics with our hosts at the dinner table. In French. Twenty years of holidays in France had never got us there.
Questions that come up before the first call.
I do not know my level. Is that a problem?
No. In the introductory call we listen briefly, and in the first lesson I place you on the Common European Framework. The gauge further up this page gives you an idea beforehand.
How does a lesson work?
A large part of the lesson is conversation about topics that interest you. The expressions and sentences that come up go into your notebook. You also get shadowing dialogues and workbooks with answers for the time between lessons.
Are the lessons really individual?
Yes. There is no fixed syllabus everyone goes through. I prepare every lesson for you, based on your level, your goal and whatever still stuck last time.
Can I just practise speaking?
Speaking is always at the centre. But it does not work entirely without structure: whoever understands a few rules speaks freely sooner. I keep grammar as small as possible and as large as necessary.
Are lessons only online?
No. One-to-one lessons are online (50 minutes) or in Berlin-Schöneberg (60 minutes), at my place or in a café. Group courses are online. And twice a year I offer a two-week language stay in Douarnenez, Brittany.
How do the online group courses work?
Every week you meet online for 90 minutes with the same group of up to six people at your level. You prepare the lesson, then we practise together. The thread is ten paintings from the Musée d'Orsay that lead us through everyday themes. The first season starts in March 2027 with A2 and B1.
Do you also prepare for the Abitur?
Yes. In July and August there is an online crash course of eight double lessons for the oral exam. I know the syllabi of several German states and have coached many students through the exam.
How do I pay?
By bank transfer against invoice, per package. If you have questions about paying in instalments, just ask.
What happens in the introductory call?
Fifteen minutes by video call. You tell me where you want to go, I tell you honestly whether one-to-one, group or Brittany fits. Then you decide at your leisure.
15 minutes that make the start easier.
We talk briefly about your goal, your level and your everyday life. Afterwards you know whether one-to-one, group or Brittany fits. Free, no obligation, by video call.
- Pick a slot in the calendar, confirmation arrives by email.
- 15 minutes by video call. No test, just a conversation.
- Prefer to write? bonjour@inspiringfrench.com
