Madame Frenchy
Madame Frenchy is also me, Christelle, with a passion for foreign cultures, intercultural exchange and meeting other people. Throughout my career, I’ve been lucky enough to have immersive experiences in the USA and Ireland, as well as a year in London with my 3 children in 2016. It was then that I realised that immersion was essential for a deeper understanding of the language and culture, thanks to sharing daily life with locals.
After 18 years working in banking, I decided in 2016 to change my career path and focus on teaching French as a foreign language. I obtained my Master 2 FLE at the Université Catholique de l’Ouest in Angers, and then I started teaching French to students from very different cultures, ages and backgrounds with great pleasure.
I’m lucky to be surrounded by so many people! We’re a family of 5. There’s my husband, Manu, who works in banking, and our 3 children: Amaury (19), who is currently in Barcelona perfecting his language skills, Clarence (15) and Victoire (9), both of whom go to school in Angers. We also have our lovely dog Vénus, who has been an integral part of our family and our happiness for many years now. Unfortunately, this is why we will not be able to take in your pet. We’re a family of sports enthusiasts and we also love music and singing, which I’m still actively involved in as part of a band with my older brother.
As you will no doubt have realised, we love languages and foreign cultures, which are a source of mutual enrichment for us. We all speak fluent English as well as a little Spanish and some German.
Our entire family is committed to making your stay an unforgettable experience of intercultural exchange. As for the rest, you’ll be in the expert hands of Madame Frenchy! I’ll be sharing all my tips and cultural favourites with you, past and present. So see you soon at Madame Frenchy’s!
After an initial work experience at Citibank, Dublin, Ireland, where I was offered a position, I chose to return to France to join my boyfriend (at the time, my husband today) and have such an immersive experience afterwards. But as we settled into life, got married, had children, a house and a dog, the experience of living abroad faded.
Then we had our daughter and that’s when I finally decided to go abroad and answer the question “Am I cut out for teaching? “. Parental leave gave me the opportunity to move with my 3 children to London for a school year in 2016-17 and try a new profession. I was a French teaching assistant and conversation teacher at Mill Hill School. The experience exceeded all my expectations: I was on my own but we were lucky enough to meet some incredible people: an amazing Head of French, an incredible nanny for my then 21-month-old daughter, great schools for the boys and fantastic friends and colleagues.
I learnt a lot about teaching French and pedagogy, because being French doesn’t immediately make you a good teacher.
I prepared students for school exams and in particular for A-level and GCSE exams, which are based on oral skills.
With the students, I organised many activities and events at school : French theatre competition, International French Day, French cuisine in the canteen for the Journée de la francophonie, debate competition, etc.
This experience was the kick-off to my new professional adventure !
When I went back to university, I decided to do a placement in a school abroad, in order to experience a new way of learning French in a different cultural context. So I chose to go to Columbus (Ohio, USA) to the Kenwood School. This school is unique in that it offers the opportunity to learn the American curriculum in French from primary school onwards ! I was very impressed by the ability of these young pupils to learn, speak and think about the world in which they live, and especially in a different language. I think this literally gives them a wider range of values and skills.
Every morning, they have their routine: before entering the classroom, they greet their teacher and express their mood. I was also amazed by the Pledge of Alliegiance to America, which they say with such pride. Every day they also had the clock test to see whether or not they remembered the last lesson.
Travelling is always a great opportunity for everyone, especially those working in the education sector. It opens up our minds and allows us, as teachers, to discover new teaching methods!
