Hello ! I'm a British English teacher, don't hesitate to send me a message if you're interested.

Learn more about Matthew

• Parlez-vous couramment cette langue en raison de vos origines ou parce qu'un professeur vous a donné envie de l'apprendre ?

  English is my mother tongue! I have lived in London, United Kingdom almost all of my life, exuding a rather stereotypical posh British accent. As a native, I can recognise the most subtle errors that perhaps are not accessible to those who have not been surrounded by the English language all of their lives.

• Citez le personnage vivant, historique ou fictif qui est, selon vous, le représentant emblématique de la culture en question !

  I think Adele is a fantastic representation of British culture. Not only is she from Tottenham, North London, meaning she has an accent that is incredibly interesting to listen to, but she is also a great display of British wit and humour.
  
  I think British people have a sense of humour that is unlike any other, and perhaps I am biassed, but I genuinely think British humour is the best in the world. It would be a shame not to experience that, wouldn't it?

• Y-a-t-il, dans celle-ci, un mot, une expression, une tradition ou un comportement typique qui vous amuse particulièrement ?

  Something that I once heard Adele say that I found particularly amusing was: "I don't date celebrities. I ain't Taylor Swift dyou know whatimean?"
  
  Certainly, the spelling of the words is incorrect, however, it really captures her unique and funny accent. Furthermore, it displays a certain irony in that she is, in reality, on a similar (if not the same) level to Taylor Swift, yet she is still relatable to many of us through her accent and humility. I find that it captures the subtleties of British humour perfectly!

• En quoi savoir parler cette langue est important, que ce soit scolairement, professionnellement ou d'un point de vue plus personnel ?

  I believe that learning any language is important since it provides a gateway to better understand cultures from around the world. English is commonly viewed to be the 'universal language' and whilst I don't necessarily agree with this concept, it certainly allows us to communicate with people across the globe and to learn more about their cultures and way of life.

• Quelle est la difficulté principale de cette langue et ce qui peut favoriser son apprentissage ?

  Pronunciation! The English language is very peculiar in that letters may be written exactly the same yet the way we pronounce them is rather different. For example, the word 'rough' and the word 'cough'. In fact, there are 9 pronunciations of 'ough' found in British English with no discernible patterns for choosing amongst them. To overcome this, as I am sure you may have heard before, you must immerse yourself in the language as much as possible. This is not as easy as it sounds as it requires consistent effort and sometimes that is not always possible.
  
  Learning all the exceptions can be a tiresome and never-ending task, conversation classes are an excellent opportunity for you to expose yourself to these exceptions in a more fun and engaging way. Not only this, but they also provide a way for you to become more confident at speaking English in front of others, which is often a worry for many when learning a new language.

• Une anecdote en rapport avec votre métier ou votre scolarité à nous raconter ?

  I teach students of all ages, ranging from as young as 8, to over 50 years old. Certainly, there are many stories that I could tell!
  
  One that sticks in my mind most clearly is a class where I was teaching two students, both younger than 10 years old, playing 'whack-the-mole' where they had to whack the mole which showed the correction conjugation of the verb 'to be' (être) and ignore those which displayed incorrect conjugations. I could see how much fun this was for them and that made me very happy since learning any language, specifically at a young age where their motivations may be less clear, should be interactive and fun!

• Aidez-nous à vous connaître un peu mieux en évoquant vos différents voyages.

  I have been fortunate enough to travel to many different places. For example, I had the opportunity to go to Japan and South Korea around 5 years ago. It was very interesting to see how their way of life differs from our own. I suppose my presence also interested them too, with many asking for photographs since my appearance (blonde hair and blue eyes) is somewhat of a rarity in that part of the world. Japan is certainly somewhere that I would like to live in the future after my visit in 2019.

• Qu'est-ce qui fait de vous un Superprof, en + de cette capacité à s'exprimer en plusieurs langues ?

  I invite you to first take a look at some of the reviews that some of my incredible students have left on my page for the most honest response to this question.
  
  However, I think I am very conscious of ensuring that my students feel welcome in my classes as I understand how hard it can be to learn a new language as someone who has been learning French since I was 7 years old. It is why I take great care when informing my students of mistakes that they make to ensure that they do not feel discouraged. In fact, mistakes are good! Great even! They give us an opportunity to learn! Following the class, the document I provide will highlight and provide explanations to your mistakes so that you make less and less as the classes go on. :)