La fin de 2010

Here we are, I had my last lesson before Christmas today. I thought it would be the last one of the year but it won't be. This reflects how the year has been: very busy. Better than 2009, 2008 and 2007.

This year, the City has seen dozens of new tall buildings - I love watching them grow - numerous corners hidden by building works to undercover a beautiful new buidling, a new shopping centre, like the 'One new chance' between Bank and St Paul's stations. It's funny, I was there on the opening day, but never went back. I just don't think about it. When I think 'shopping', I don't think about this place, and it's not because it's far from me, non non non!

We have also seen all these empty shops from the recession reopening under new names. Therefore, we now have new places to grab lunch from, and many are of the healthy kind, a new Daunt bookshop (I just fell in love), a Paperchase (the best for notebooks, journals and diaries as far as I'm concerned), as well as new clothes and shoe shops. Jones is still there, I wonder why, I've been quite disappointed by their shoes, I would like to see Minelli or San Marina in the City. One can dream.

I confirm cupcakes, Prêt-à-manger, sushis, Cafe Nero and Costa Cafe are still popular. But I don't go to Starbucks anymore. I fell out of love ages ago. The same for the gym. I couldn't bear to give my money anymore to FF, they didn't deserve me. And I lost weight. Girls, you don't need to go to the gym to lose weight/be fit. The streets are all yours to run/walk free and you can treat yourself to cheap evening classes in your local Public Hall, whose money will go to an individual instead of a big company who clearly doesn't care about you.

This year was also the snowiest I've ever seen in London, that's been wonderful to see, days of white landscapes to drive through, watch through the train windows, when I could get a train, eh oui. That was the problem: snow and trains don't mix (well). So much for global warming, it's going the opposite way. I should improve (I mean) start my 'Skype' teaching. It is the future. If you want lessons, please contact me. I do take on new motivated students.

Starting to learn a new language is a great new year's resolution, you're going to learn about a new culture, make your brain do some gymnastics and have the satisfaction of conversing in French, Italian, Spanish, Greek, what's your pick?

Snow back to reality

Today, I can't travel to my lessons, the trains are down. So life begins again! Because life isn't all about work, although it looks like it way too often.

So this is what I'm doing on a such an unusual day: taking pictures (send them to: papa, soeur, not maman, because maman has said 'no' to technology, and that includes mobile phones)*, ringing family, being dad's geek on the phone - I'm his helpine, and I'm no geek - reading a few 'Le Nouvel Observateur' articles from my October issue, Facebook talking with friends in Switzerland and New Zealand.

The first didn't have a busy day at her office job and talked about her move to London in the next few years, and the second one was finishing her 'mum of two' day on the other side of the world. With both, we ended up talking about languages: with the latter, her oldest is bilingual, mixes languages and makes very funny sentences with bits of French and English. With S, it was about Québécois, Swiss and French expressions, art, love and the future.

With N, we also talked about her other-half progress in French. Not an easy task for our boyfriend to learn such a language!

Snow gets people talking, it's unusual, pretty and peaceful. It forces us to stop and contemplate.

It makes strangers talk in the trains, stations, near snowmen.

There is always the one living in 20°C temperatures who sends her compassion because, where she is, it's 25°C. Well, I'm happy to be with the snow to be honest, it's a lot rarer than 25°C! We will get this next year. It's something to look forward to. Like snow in November, how cool is this?

Daily life

What is the life of a City tutor?

Getting ready in the morning, vite vite! I can't miss this train or there won't be another one before 15/20 minutes, and I can't have that. In the train, it's make-up time, email and text checking. Who has cancelled? Who wants to change their lesson day or time? Who is ill? Who can't be bothered so will use a bad excuse? Never mind, if it's a late cancellation, I am paid. Fair enough. I've prepared my lesson, I got up for you, my first student. The worst is when you cancel and I'm already in the train, no, I don't like that. My warm bed was better.

The train is also a time to catch up with my book of the moment. It is also a moment when everything can change, as you read above. As it's email and text catching up time, one can receive very good or very bad news and then the mood of your day can change.

The good news, like today: someone has recommended you, and you have a new student in your usual teaching area the following week, awesome! Or you're received a big payment. The bad news can be: someone stops lessons, someone is ill again (this usually means 'lost motivation', inventing or making symptoms worse to cancel), someone you have recommended has messed up. That's bad news. It's all about trust and recommendations in this business. The big rule is: don't mess up, don't be badly organized with your admin, invoices, timesheets, or agencies won't call you again.

Midday: you can't eat because you're teaching. If you're lucky, you can grab a chocolate/fruit/biscuit in the reception area of a very nice company. 2pm: you're done and can not quite eat right now, as you've got a train or tube to catch: "god, que j'ai faim!!!"

2.30: in the train, ahhh, bar eating (sandwich if I'm lucky). Lovely. Drink, email/text check: no big news, great. Nice rest.

3pm: home, lunch? Opening proper mail (yes, with real envelopes), parcels...Collecting the parcels delivery people have left at the door, what do they think they're doing?

4-7pm: evening lessons, this is when you teach in homes, small houses, big houses, mansions, teenagers, children, usually learning for exams, or adults learning for pleasure, love or business.

When I say 'learning for love', I mean learning a language to communicate with the person's partner's family. Christmas is coming, that's important. Imagine spending 3 days in your partner's family without understanding anything except 'yes', 'no', 'bread', 'snails'. You're not going to enjoy the moment the same way. It can be frustrating. So people from mixed couples decide to make an effort to learn the language of the other. And what an effort it is, it's hours of personal work studying vocabulary and verbs, listening to CDs, the radio, watching films to immerse oneself in the language. Years of labour, but so rewarding.

8-11.30pm:
back home, quick dinner, emails again, there are always evening news, because that's when people have time to write (kids are in bed, that helps). Responding to new inquiries, lessons preparation for the next day. Diary updates. Some tutors don't seem to have a diary, that's insane! Paperchase is one of the best places to buy one. And I don't recommend buying any diary as it says a lot about you. Sobre, c'est mieux.

TV, invoicing, DVD catch up (rare). Swapping books on www.readitswapit.com, buying books on Amazon. And collapse in bed.

My first week - First episode

Cheeky?

I was looking forward to meeting my new Greek student. He had to be Greek, with a name like that. Well, it was quite entertaining to say the least. In our first lesson, he told me my writing sucked and that we don't say 'th' like 'v'. Yes, ok, I know, but I'm your French teacher, so you're not here to teach me in English, thank you;-) My boyfriend has desperately tried to teach me how to say 'th' properly, to no avail. But that's what makes me sexy.

I really liked the fact he was so honest [so rare these days, in France, people are direct, I generally don't miss it]. I'm glad someone expressed the fact I really need to make an effort with my writing. Because I will, if I can remember; because, before, during and after a French lesson, my mind is racing on all sides, thinking about:

Before the lesson:
-How long am I going to wait for at reception? (I don't mind, but it's cold there these days).
-I'm hungry.
-The tube is good these days, I' m impressed.
-Oh no, there's toothpaste on my boots, I always do that:-§
-I like these nice receptionists, their smiles cheered me up so many times after a long day

During:
-How nice my students' handcuffs/shirts/heels are
-What does his wife/her boyfriend look like?
-Why does he still not know 'aller' takes 'être'? It's not like we haven't been over it hundreds of time, because I'm a very good parrot.
-What homework will I give? Do I bother? Will he do it?
(I say 'he' because my 'she/elles' do their homework)
-S:He will have forgotten that next time, but I'll still say it. I know one day, s/he will remember.
-Wow, he remembered this hard word I said 2 months ago, nice surprise!
-How does he do it to look so good? (He's just told me he was out 3 nights in a row this week). I wouldn't.
-I'm now older than most of my students.
-I wish he didn't say f*** so often, it's a French lesson, not a swearing lesson.
-Nice office
-It's a shame I'll never see his/her office (if we're always in a meeting-room). You can rarely ask for a tour of the building.
-Oh yes, fruits on the meeting table, this is luxury (I know, I'm easily pleased). I like rich companies. I can tell you some are even these days.

After:
-(most lessons) That was a great lesson!
-S/he had a free therapy session (and me)
-Will he follow my advice?
-I wish I was a better 'live dictionary'
-There should be internet in all rooms, it would be nice to check out 'Le Monde' or 'Youtube' for French songs on a big screen.

-I'm really making the most of my oyster, not many people use theirs 4 to 7 times per day.
-Please remove all these sweets in receptions, they're not good for me.
-I need to run for my next lesson!!


And a lot more...

Next time, when a student stands you up (poser un lapin à quelqu'un)

January, I can't wait to see what happens

January 2009, I am going back to work tomorrow, but really, it started today. Because you can not feel on holiday on Monday 5th January, when you know you should be preparing all these lessons.

When does a teacher think? I suppose it depends, for me, the gym is a great place. Despite the very loud music (I wish I had the courage to ask them to turn it down), there are thousands of thoughts that come to mind, like: "I hope I won't have anyone else cancelling his/her lessons permanently this week, I hope everyone will pay me early-earlier, I hope the witch will be nice tomorrow, I hope I can get up, I'm going to have a great time reading in the tube' (about Imago therapy, if you want to know) etc.

My first ride of the year in the tube was today, to go to and back from the gym. A single stop ride, but a few things happened: I've learnt that I've already spent my transfered money (from my lost card to my new card) in December, therefore, I had to buy my first monthly oyster of the year, and was happily surprised to see that the rise was only of about £1.60.

What else did I think about today?

At last I finished these chocolates, I'm eating no more.

It's great that I have a lot of new students in January and to see the usual ones resuming this week and next. I've missed them, or 99% of them rather.

It's freezing in my flat, bless the electrical radiator.

Why do I still live in a place without isolation and heating functioning properly? (because the landlord is very flexible and I'm very near the tube station, this is priceless).

I still haven't rung my mum to say 'Bonne année', she must be sulking..

When am I going to pay some rent? Tomorrow I think.

Is this Turkish guy contacting me for French lessons really wants French lessons or a new girlfriend? After many years of practice, it's quite easy to spot the timewasters, and there are ways to dissuade these.

How nice it is to start a new year with the person I finished 2008 with.

Start the text of my website.

This week shall be very interesting, à plus!

2009 language teaching recession?

What is going to happen to us, language teachers, in the City? Everyday, there is another article about redundancies in another bank. A lot of freelance teachers in the City teach bankers, traders, CEOs, lawyers, government staff, etc. You get the idea. A minority of us also teach these people's children, wives and husbands.

But what happens when 1/6 of them become redundant, or/and the language training funding gets cut or disappears? I don't know. This is just a fear. But I have already been told once, a few months ago from a City boy's wife: "We are not sure whether my husband will still have a job in January, so we're not starting the lessons now".

So far, none of my students has been made redundant. This is not all about the possible decrease of my earnings, it is also the fact that I would be really affected if one of them lost her/his job. I care for all of them...well 99%.

So far, I have had more work since September than I had earlier in the year. This can not be bad. However, one of my teacher friends' timetable has decreased, and he can not be the only one. But it is getting better for me.

Mais let's see what happens in December, the year isn't over yet, and I'm sure there are a lot more surprises to come.