Engaging French lessons with hands-on approach

Bonjour, Salut. Je m'appelle Michael Stoler. And I want to share my love of the French language with you. I have been studying, speaking, and reading French since I was in the sixth grade. I have visited France twice, as well as other French-speaking countries. In college (Harvard University), I studied linguistics, the science of language, so I have learned to probe deeply into how languages work in terms of pronunciation, grammar, usage of words, and etymology (where words come from). I took several courses in French language and literature, and I continue to read books, including comic books, listen to music, and watch TV and movies in French. I have also studied various languages related to French, such as Latin, Portuguese, Spanish, and a little Italian, not to mention English, so I can point out connections to those languages to help you learn. I try to engage with my students as much as possible, and make the learning the language fun by introducing the same elements that I enjoy: videos, songs, readings, and comics. I try to speak in French from day one, and encourage students not to try to translate in their heads into their native languages, but rather to associate French words directly with concepts. I try not to tell students answers, but rather to teach them to figure them out themselves based on what they already know. I really enjoy the challenge of understanding each student's unique needs and abilities and tailoring my teaching to them. So if you are interested in learning one of the great languages of the world, and I hope that after a quick chat with me you will be, let's go on a voyage of education together!