FRENCH WORLD ONLINE

C. H.

American Student

January 9th, 2024

“Merci Annie.

I regret to say that I will not be able to have a lesson until next week. I return to London this Saturday. I meant that I am sad that I can’t have a lesson this week. (…)

I very much enjoy working with you and hope to keep taking lessons.”

B. S.

Project Manager

January 25th, 2023

… “Annie has proven to be a very committed Trainer who always makes her lessons captivating and knows how to motivate people by selecting adequate and interesting study material. With ease, she can tune and respond to her students’ needs and mental states in real time. Annie knows how to communicate new material in a succinct and interesting way. (…)

Having studied a couple of languages previously and being a trained teacher myself, I have no hesitation in recommending Annie as a Teacher…”

Val Ferguson

Retired Head Teacher

October 12th, 2022

“Annie is an excellent teacher.

She is warm, patient and she really wants her students to do well. My French has improved greatly since I have been working with her.

I have no hesitation in recommending Annie to anyone who wants to improve their French.”

George B.

Journalist

July 31st, 2022

“Dear Annie,

Thank you very much for arranging classes for us last year with the excellent Caroline”

George

—————————

Hi Caroline,

Just a little note at the end of our course to say thank you one more time. I really appreciated your patience and expertise. I learned a lot. You have given me confidence when speaking and writing French. Thank you so much"

George

Nick Black

Founder

November 20th, 2020 

“Annie is a professional, passionate and dedicated language teacher. Over 3 years she took me through both B1 and B2 levels successfully (100% pass rate). She also helped find a network of language teachers for employees of my business. Annie was already very fluent with Zoom and online tools before the COVID pandemic and has transitioned to online learning flawlessly.”

Tina A.

Mother of a 6 year old Student

August 11th, 2020

“Hi Annie
How are you?  I just wanted to thank you for all the work you’ve done with the girls. They had fun in their lessons with you, we’re hoping their new school is covering more of the  French syllabus, but if not we’ll be in touch.
Tina x”

Mhairi Gray

English Teacher

May 28th, 2019

“Annie is a dedicated and enthusiastic teacher who makes learning fun. I’m currently living in a remote village in France and required a teacher who was experienced in delivering French lessons on-line. This mode of learning suits me perfectly, and Annie has been flexible in accommodating my times for lessons. I highly recommend French lessons with Annie, the progress I have made in 10hrs has been well above my expectations.”

H. K.

Syrian student

completing a Master's Degree in neuropsychology

March 13th, 2019

“Ms. Annie is a wonderful French tutor, with her help I was able to acquire my DELF B2 certification. She is easy to talk to and I am comfortable discussing sensitive topics with her, in order to learn how to handle such conversations in French. 

In addition, she always tries to find ways to make things I don’t like doing more fun and easier so I’m never bored during the lesson. We also do different things each lesson, so it is never a routine and I’m always looking forward to the next one.”

Gorm Thomassen

CIO

AKO Capital

August 24th, 2018

“I can strongly recommend Annie as a French teacher. Despite having a busy job and three kids, Annie has brought me from zero to a level of French sufficiently good to enjoy French literature and handle most practical aspects of owning a property in France. Annie has a true passion for languages which she combines skilfully with her broad interests and personal charm to make every lesson enjoyable. She is also very good at mixing in alternative learning methods including French books, magazines, films and TV programs which has given me a fascinating insight into French culture. As a keen linguist myself, French is the fifth language I learn and Annie ranks among the best language teachers I have worked with and by far the most friendly!”

Helen R.

Mother of two teenagers on an intensive French and Photography Course

August 7th, 2018

“Good morning Annie 

Mark and Diana enjoyed their day with you yesterday and lots to say about their visit to Soho - photography gallery and chocolate 😊. They both agreed it was good for their French as well as fun. 

They are looking forward to seeing you today.”

Stephen Riley

Chief Executive Officer

Cubico Sustainable Investments

April 18th, 2018

“I was a student of Annie’s for 4 years when I wanted to learn French for business and would highly recommend her. Her lessons are enjoyable and effective - but you have to remember to do your homework between lessons! I was a complete beginner and was really pleased with the progress I made.

J'ai étudié le français avec Annie entre 2011 et 2015 quand j'étais PDG dans une grande compagnie française (ENGIE). Je devais pratiquer et améliorer mon français pour le travail et les leçons étaient en général au bureau. Annie est une excellente professeure et les leçons étaient vraiment agréables. Je recommande.”

Matthew Hobbs

Head of Retail

Colliers International

June 10th, 2018

“I thoroughly enjoy working with Annie. She is fun and interesting. She speaks clearly and has a very effective teaching style that results in me speaking freely about genuinely challenging subjects. I wanted to speak French more fluently so I could hold interesting conversations with French people. We certainly do that. We discuss political, economic, spiritual, family life, hobbies – anything and everything.

Annie is also teaching me how to think like a French person – and that means having a point of view on any given subject and debating on it. We British aren’t entirely comfortable with debating, but it’s been a voyage of discovery - I’m learning to quite enjoy it!

An hour of French conversation can seem daunting, but Annie’s relaxed and playful attitude makes it easy. Finally, when I’m tired, Annie will happily take over and do the talking for both of us. Just what I need sometimes! We have a lot of fun and laughter throughout the lessons – it’s a genuinely enjoyable experience.

Keep up the good work Annie!”

Jenny and Andy Aldworth-Williams

Private Students

April  27th, 2018

“We have been learning French together with Annie now for over two years- it is a testament to her fantastic teaching style that we have even managed to keep the lessons going each week even with a new born! The lessons are tailored to what we are interested in- so for us we have lots of conversations about local events and life in France. To improve our listening skills, we listen to the news and then talk about it together. We are also working through key areas of grammar- and Annie helps to bring out the learning points clearly in the textbook. We really enjoy the lessons each week and find that the time flies.

Annie is reliable and punctual. We have the lessons at home at a time that suits us each week. Each time we visit France on our holidays we notice that our standard of French and our confidence in engaging with French speakers has improved so it’s been a great experience.”

Gerry Lewis

Chauffeur  

Lloyds Register

December 5, 2016

“Annie has been a revelation for me over the past year & has pulled out some long dormant French language skills that I haven’t used for ages. I have to do my lessons at work & she has always been both punctual & extremely professional.
My French has improved markedly with Annie’s help.
Her naturally warm, sociable & easy to talk to personality is a real plus.
If you want to learn French effectively & have a lot of fun at the same time I can highly recommend booking a lesson with this amazing lady!”

Lorenzo Libutti

Football Commercial Manager

Chelsea Football Club

December 4, 2016

“Annie has been a great teacher since day 1. I have been having Skype lessons around twice a week and my french has gone from level zero to a very good level in only a few months.
Her lessons are not only interactive but fun and efficient as well.

Cannot recommend enough!”

N. M.

Mother of a high functioning autistic student

June 10, 2016

“I am so grateful to you for your help and your cheerful and enthusiastic nature (which Simon has really picked up on, through your teaching and communication). He feels very at home in your class which is wonderful since he is often quite stressed about life (nothing specific).”

Nicky Maitlis

City Lit student

May 27, 2016

“The tutor, Annie, was excellent. Not only was she incredibly patient, warm and lively in her teaching methods but she had some excellent "tricks" and mnemonics for helping the class to remember pronunciation sounds and vocabulary. She was definitely an inspiration to the class, and her small group-work helped people to feel more at ease with each other. Time flew by thanks to the varied tasks she set everyone. All the more impressive, as I understand she was a last minute replacement. She worked hard and her excellent organisation of the lesson was evidence of this.”

Jo Kanellopoulou

Greek student

Working in the Travel Industry  

February 13, 2016

“I just wanted to say a big thank you for bringing this wonderful language back into my life after so many years. Every lesson with you was fun, informative, cultural and stress free and I now feel much more confident communicating in French and maybe one day I will be a fluent speaker! :)”

Adamopoulos Family

from the United States

Group family lessons at home 

December 14, 2015

“Bonjour Annie,

I wanted to let you know we had fun using our French while on Holiday in Provence. I found I understood a lot more than in times past, and it was fun using what we have learned so far.

Thank you again for your time and great teaching!”

J. Pahlsson

Swedish Student

Regent's University London 

December 9, 2015

“Dear Annie - I passed the exam. She was impressed. Just wanted to let you know.

Many thanks for your help and you are a very good teacher.

Stay in touch.”

Ibrahim Alghdiah

Student from Saudi Arabia now studying in the University of Strasbourg in France

May 13, 2015

“I want to tell you thank you very much because you have helped me go to France . This is my dream and also you taught me the French Language. Thank you very much miss Annie”

Alexia Krepiakevich

Canadian Student  

March 30, 2015

“I worked with Annie for 10 sessions of french tutoring and she was fantastic. She tailored the lessons for me, challenged me and made my french progress just over 2-3 weeks. I highly recommend her for efficient and thorough french coaching!”

Alexander Derricott

Digital Security and ID Market Analyst at IHS

January 21, 2015

“Annie Gentil has been an excellent French tutor. I have been studying with Annie for around two years now and my French has improved massively. When I first started learning with Annie my French was at a very poor level and was full of slang and other problems. Annie systemically tackled these problems and allowed me to develop my French to a level were discussions in the workplace and difficult topics, such as politics and economics, can be dealt with easily. Annie is a kind and friendly person who comes across as truly passionate about the French Language. I thoroughly recommend her services.”

Vangelis Livadiotis

Developer in FX

Credit Agricole

January 6, 2015

“Annie took over after a series of teachers we had at our company and was able to quickly pick up where we left off, enhance our current skill-set and seamlessly progress us to the next levels. The teaching was always done in a fun and professional way and I would recommend her 100%!”

Melanie Southan

Government Services

March 29, 2014

“I was lucky enough to have 2 terms of French teaching with Annie at a Government Department. The lessons were well-prepared, imaginative and always fun. I definitely left them with more energy than when I went in. Annie adapted to the needs of the class and got to know our strengths and weaknesses really well. My written and spoken French has improved (still a long way to go) but most importantly, I am excited about learning French again and have gained a lot of confidence. Thank you Annie.”

John Dennett

Data and ECM Professional

 November 12, 2013

“Annie is a responsive, engaging and creative telephone coach who has a clear talent for building confidence. Highly organised and with a very good ear for language appropriacy and grammar. Recommended!”

Dr Konstantinos Tasopoulos

 Chef de clinique aux Soins intensifs

Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève

November 7, 2013.

“I am writing this short letter to fully recommend Annie Gentil.
I recenty relocated to Geneva Switzerland, in a post I really wanted. I had studied French years ago , and my knowledge was frankly very rusty.
Not only that, but my new employers requested me to pass a certain test in french and demanded a certain result (C1 which is quite advanced).
I found Annie by chance on the internet and read some excellent reviews.
From my personal experience, I can say that Annie in a matter of minutes evaluated my level of knowledge correctly, and set a (quick) plan for improvement. We started from scratch and built from there. She is not only a very good teacher but also a very interesting person. She has a unique way to convey knowledge and she is aware of the demands of today's market. I had french lessons for years and years and still was unable to engage myself in a conversation. Annie changed that completely.
Eventually I passed the exams with extreme ease and thus relocated to Geneva (where everyday is like having a french lesson for hours....)
Thank you Annie.”

Alexander D. 

Cass Business School Student  

September 12, 2013

“Annie has helped me massively improve my french over the last few months. I was a difficult student as I had lived out in France for a while but had taken no lessons therefore I picked up an array of bad habits and some very poor grammar. Annie has managed to correct all of the parts my french was lacking; a difficult job when the person already has prior knowledge of the language. She teaches to a very high standard which has allowed me to progress from bar slang to civilised conversation. She gives comfortable lessons while still managing to achieve the desired goals. Worth every penny.”

Elizabeth Chapman

Sollicitor at Linklaters 

 December 12, 2012

“Annie provided one-to-one French tuition for me in the run-up to a secondment to Paris. She was quick to find out exactly what I wanted to improve - for me, my spoken French and general confidence - and her lessons were tailored perfectly to that goal.
Annie is particularly good at keeping things interesting. Although our lessons were often very early in the morning and generally for two hours, she was always on time, engaged, and very personable.
I would highly recommend Annie to anyone looking to improve their language skills. She is warm and friendly, but also professional and very good at what she does.”

Britta Buchholz

German Banker

Lloyds

July 24, 2012

“What is great about having Annie as a French language teacher is that no lesson is boring. I started the training in order to be able to understand and even speak some (basic) French with our clients based in Belgium and France. Since starting the training my knowledge and confidence has increased tremendously and at the same time I also have great fun during my lessons with Annie.”

Hannah MacKenzie

Head of Commodities Operations

Société Générale 

June 5, 2012

“Annie has been giving me french tuition for the past year. Her lessons are always engaging and fun to participate in. She utilises an excellent mix of aural practice, where we explore topics of current affairs and news as well as discussing more personal themes, grammatical practice, text book work and listening exercises. My lessons are taken with another person and Annie always ensures that we both get equal attention during the lessons. I would highly recommend Annie as a language instructor as she will ensure that you get the best help and motivate you to achieve the best that you can from learning a new language.”

D. V.

Pinsent Masons LLP

May 28, 2012

“I would like to provide some feedback following our trial language session with Annie today.

We were very impressed with the style of teaching, level of knowledge and general approach to the lesson that Annie displayed today. She was quick to improvise (when it became clear that we were not all suitable for teaching at lesson five) and adapted the content / style of teaching so we could all play an active role in the session.”

Jan Abel

City Lit student

November 30, 2011

“We all loved the teacher Annie Gentil who was very enthusiastic and that made the three hour class pass very quickly. Because we all got on so well, we would like to continue with the same teacher.”

Bob Buhr

Director Industrials - SG

November 1, 2011

“I have never been able to learn French, but I am now, finally. Annie is a wonderful teacher, very responsive to student needs, and always well organized and prepared. I recommend her enthusiastically!”

Daniel Harris

Owner DHA

February 28, 2011

“Annie was excellent as a french tutor. She understood my needs very well - and got me to the required level in under ten days! My work in Burundi was so much more successful because of Annie's superb support.”

Sue Corrigan

Principal Geoscientist at Tullow Oil 

November 22, 2010

“Excellent teacher, good inter-personal skills with the ability to communicate and teach the French language for everyday use”

C. Woods 

Moderator for the Cambridge International AS and A Level Speaking tests

June 30,2010

“The Examiner (Annie Gentil) was encouraging with her candidates and put them at ease. She did not however avoid, to her credit, covering a wide range of challenging questions in a very spontaneous way. Candidates were very much encouraged to work for the marks and the conversations heard were mature and interesting”

A. Loughe

Moderator for the Cambridge International GCSE Speaking tests  

June 05,2010

“Sympathetic and thorough examining with a wide range of questions that allowed candidates to give their best”

Tim Spray

The Stanley Works

January 5, 2009

“Annie fitted in with my work day and ran the training courses after work which was very helpful. Being French her knowledge was clearly excellent. The course was informal and training was by conversation on a wide range of subjects with occasional focus on specific areas (e.g. Subjunctive). This approach worked very well and achieved what I was looking for.
Annie is very personable, professional and punctual. I would certainly use her again.”

Peter Phillips

Chairman at Gray's Inn Estates Ltd Group

October 7, 2008

“Annie took a structured approach to my french language tuition, using my own interests (opera!) as a way of exploring the french language through french opera websites, magazine articles etc. This was in addition to a thorough approach to french grammar and vocabulary. The lessons were carefully planned, and her good humour and supportive approach helped enormously. I feel that my understanding of and use of the language progressed significantly under her tutilage.”

Becky Power

Creative Director at FullSIX  

August 11, 2008

“I spent one month with Annie in preparation for my move to Paris with my company. I found her to be an excellent teacher - she quickly understood my level and took a lot of time and care tailoring the lessons to my specific needs, including industry-specific subjects. She is easy to work with and put me at ease from the very first lesson, enabling me to learn faster. She has given me a strong foundation in French in a very short time.”

Chris Hagstrom

US Head of Prime Brokerage

UBS Investment Bank New York

February 26, 2010

“Annie taught me French via private lessons over two years. I learned so much from her, she was an excellent teacher and was amazing to work with. I still have my language skills from almost 10 years ago.”

John Burrage

Head System Control and Analytics for Regulatory Compliance

HSBC - November 14, 2006

“Annie was my french tutor for 3 years working on a one to one basis with one lesson each week. Annie was able to get my knowledge from virtually nothing to a point where I successfully passed my first ever french language exam. Her personal, friendly nature, and interest in all subjects made the lessons enjoyable so that I used to look forward to each session.
I would highly recommend Annie to anybody wishing to improve the language level at all levels.”

Caroline Richards

BP

October 3, 2006

“Annie successfully taught French to: British, American, New Zealand and Norwegian professionals through one-to-one lessons, improving their ability to the next level. The students French language ability ranged from absolute beginners to intermediate.
Annie’s style of teaching is informal, energetic and positive. Annie tailors the language teaching level and speed of progress to the individual. She keenly believes that all students are different and respond to different learning aids, thus she uses a range of resources including textbooks, grammar books, French literature, magazines, audio-cassettes and progress assessment.
Working with Annie is a motivating experience: her encouragement and constructive approach creates a learning environment to thrive in. As a result of Annie's tuition I am able to converse confidently in French in a business setting.”

Ursula T

Shell

September 28, 2006

“Annie is very sincere about her work and takes great pains to tailor teaching material to suit the needs and interests of her clients. She makes sure that teaching sessions are interesting and that the language skills of her student grow steadily and methodically. She is quite prepared to think out-of-the box to make exercises interesting and relevant which ensures that her student can benefit from the learning.”

Carol Aitken

Senior Sollicitor

Norton Rose

September 27, 2006

“Annie has been a fantastic French language tutor. Not only do the sessions deal with subjects in which I have particular interest but there is a good mixture of grammar, vocab, conversation and homework. Annie has plenty of energy and is able to share this energy to make lessons fun, even after a day at work.
Annie has also been flexible and patient as to dates and times.”