Bienvenue!
I am a native French speaker originally from Nouvelle-Aquitaine. I have 25+ years of experience teaching French, and qualified as a teacher in the UK (PGCE). I am DBS checked and teach all ages and levels; for many years, I taught French at the university of Bristol, and more recently I ran a French club at a local primary school in Stroud, and currently volunteer with the u3a French group in Stroud.
I offer engaging and relaxed classes for individuals and groups, from holiday French to GCSE and A-Level revision, in Stroud and beyond. Group classes are listed below. I also offer 1 to 1 classes and taster sessions.
Steph
Contact
hello@frenchcentral.co.uk
07455938682
Group courses
French tenses refresher FULL
Friday 09/01, 16/01, 23/01 and 30/01 6pm-8pm 4 week course in January 2026 (4x 2 hrs) Brush up on your tenses with this intensive course and have fun along the way. Suitable for anyone who already has some knowledge of the present, past (passé composé and imparfait, the future tense and the conditional mood. There’ll be plenty of opportunities for you to practice your spoken French too. Tea, coffee & biscuits. To book a place or for further info, please drop me a line hello@frenchcentral.co.uk
Get to grips with l’argot FULL
Saturday 28 February 2026 9:30-11:30 We will look at the different language registers, and you will learn how to jazz up your French to make it sound more authentic in real world conversations. Aimed at learners who have a fairly good level of fluency.
Focus on the passé composé FULL
Friday 6 February 2026 10am-12pm This course is aimed at lower intermediate learners who are confident using the present tense and have little or no knowledge of the past tense, or leaners who need a refresh. There will be plenty of opportunities to practice conversation during the course of the lesson. All materials are provided by the tutor as well as refreshments.
Beginner(ish) French evening class 1 space left
Fridays 18.00-19.30 in Lightpill/Rodborough This is a lively and interactive course aimed at those who have a little French and want to refresh their knowledge and build their confidence speaking French. The course will introduce new structures and vocabulary gradually. You will build up your confidence in all four skills, with an emphasis on speaking and listening. All materials are provided by the tutor. To book or for enquiries: hello@frenchcentral.co.uk
£20 per session (first session £10)
Community groups
Le Cercle français de Stroud is a friendly group of proficient non-native French speakers; immersive, French language only. On se réunit une fois par mois pour discuter en français, voir un film etc. C’est gratuit :)
Pour plus d’informations, ou pour vous joindre à nous, contactez-moi au: 07455938682
Le groupe francophone Les P’tits Loups de Stroud a pour but de réunir les parents et les enfants (de 0 à 15 ans) qui communiquent en français à la maison. Le club est ouvert à tous les parents, quelles que soient leur nationalité et leur langue maternelle, qui possèdent une bonne connaissance du français et souhaitent la partager avec leur.s enfant.s en leur parlant en français au quotidien dans le cadre de leur vie familiale. On se retrouve régulièrement pour faire vivre la langue française et encourager les enfants à la parler, dans un contexte ludique. Rejoignez-nous ici: www.facebook.com/groups/lesptitsloupsdestroud/
French book club: we are a friendly group who meets once a month in the evening; we read - and discuss - books in French, discovering francophone authors from around the world. Every month we read a different book and meet over coffee for an hour and a half. Anyone with an intermediate level (B2) is welcome to join. If you are interested, then we’d love to hear from you! hello@frenchcentral.co.uk
2026 programme:
January: Tant Mieux (2025) Amélie Nothomb. Friday 20/01
February: Mon Mari (2021) Maud Ventura. Wednesday 25/02
March: Un Soir d’Eté (2024) Philippe Besson. Wednesday 25/03
April: Truismes (1996) Marie Darrieussecq. Wednesday 29/04
May: Trois Femmes Puissantes (2009) Marie NDiaye. Wednesday 20/05
June: Trois (2022) Valérie Perrin. Part 1. Wednesday 24/06
July: Trois (2022) Valérie Perrin. Part 2. Date TBC.
August: Le Quai de Ouistreham (2010) Florence Aubenas. Date TBC.
September La Traversée de la Mangrove (1992) Maryse Condé. Date TBC.
Resources
Here are some free resources that I recommend for language learning:
https://www.waterstones.com/book/bescherelle/9782218065910 all the verb tables you’ll ever need, in one book, or use the bescherelle online conjugueur here: https://conjugaison.bescherelle.com/
https://www.wordreference.com/ my go-to online dictionary
https://quizlet.com brilliant learning platform with quizzes, flashcards, games
https://francaisfacile.rfi.fr/fr/ news for learners of all levels , with exercises
https://www.youtube.com/@francaisavecfluidite interesting videos and learning tips (astuces) from French teacher Fabien; on Instagram too: https://www.instagram.com/francaisavecfluidite/
https://apprendre.tv5monde.com/fr TV5 Monde has a really good range of learning resources, whatever your level
https://open.spotify.com/show/04xgaUm233iT1Th8hWGDyN great podcasts in an accessible format
https://lyricstraining.com/fr/#google_vignette for learning through songs
The Connexion - News and guides about France in English French news in English. Also helpful advice about immigration, Visas etc.
https://www.coe.int/en/web/common-european-framework-reference-languages/table-1-cefr-3.3-common-reference-levels-global-scale understanding CEFR levels/finding your level
https://rm.coe.int/CoERMPublicCommonSearchServices/DisplayDCTMContent?documentId=090000168045bb57 for CEFR descriptors in French and in English here: https://rm.coe.int/CoERMPublicCommonSearchServices/DisplayDCTMContent?documentId=090000168045bb52
Language-related accounts I follow:
https://www.instagram.com/monsieur_proff/
https://www.instagram.com/sophiasgaler/