The circumstancial complement in French
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The circumstantial complements (French: les compléments circonstanciels) are words or group of words and indicate in which circumstance the action takes place: at what time, in what place, in what way, for what purpose, for what cause, with what or by what?
It completes the verb and can be deleted or moved.
There are many categories of circumstantial complements:
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The circumstantial complément of time (French: le complément circonstanciel de temps) is abbreviated CCT and makes the understanding more precise
To find the CCT, you most often ask these questions after the verb or the complement:
Examples
CCT | Questions | Translation |
---|---|---|
Je rentre demain matin. | Je rentre quand ? | (I am leaving tomorrow morning) |
Pendant deux ans, j'ai vécu en Italie | J'ai vécu en Italie, pendant combien de temps ? | (I had lived in Italy for two years) |
Les enfants partiront à l'école quand tu seras là | Les enfants partiront à l'école quand ? | (The kids will leave for school when you'll be here) |
The circumstantial complement of place (French; le complément circonstanciel de lieu) is abbreaviated CCL and indicates where the action happens.
To find the CCL, it is most often to ask the question after the verb and the complement.
CCL | Questions | Translation |
---|---|---|
En France, je suis très célèbre | Je suis très célèbre où ? | (In France, I'm very famous) |
Samantha a dû partir chez sa mère | Samantha a dû partir où ? | (Samantha had to leave her mom's) |
Pierre est venu me voir à l'école | Pierre est venu me voir où ? | (Peter came to see me at school) |
The circumstantial complement of way (French: le complément circonstanciel de manière) is abbreviated CCM and indicates how the action takes place.
To find the CCM, it is necessary that you ask these questions after the verb and the complement.
CCM | Questions | Translations |
---|---|---|
Il mange au restaurant en criant | Il mange au restaurant comment ? | (He eats at the restaurant by yelling) |
Les enfants jouent bruyamment | De quelle manière joue les enfants ? | (The children play loud) |
Nous attendons la série avec impatience | Nous attendons la série comment ? | (We are waiting for the show eagerly) |
The circumstantial complement of purpose (French: le complément circonstanciel de but) is abbreviated CCB and expresses the objective that someone intentionally wishes to achieve or, on the contrary, avoid.
To find the CC de but, is it necessary that you ask these question after the verb or the complement:
CC de but | Questions | Translations |
---|---|---|
Marie révise sa leçon parce qu'elle veut avoir une bonne note | Marie révise sa leçon pourquoi ? | (Marie is revising her lesson because she want to have a good mark) |
Je viendrai plus tard pour le discours de ton père | Je viendrai plus tard dans quel but ? | (I will come later for your dad's speech) |
Il s'entraîne chaque jour afin de devenir le meilleur | Il s'entraine chaque jour en vue de quoi ? | (He practise every day to become the best) |
The CC de but is usually introduced by prepositions like: pour, en vue de, afin de, dans l’intention de and many others.
The circumstantial complement of cause (French: le complément circonstanciel de conséquence) is abbreviated CCC and expresses the result of an action.
This complement is used as the result of the cause which is also a circumstancial complement that indicates what happens first.
To find the CCC, it is necessary that you ask these questions after the verb and the complement:
CC de cause | CC de conséquence | Questions | Translations |
---|---|---|---|
Ils étaient trop malades pour aller à l'école | Ils étaient trop malades pour aller l'école | Ils étaient trop malades avec quel résultat ? | (They were so sick to go to school) |
Ta soeur a couru au point d'avoir fait tomber son téléphone | Ta soeur a couru au point d'avoir fait tomber son téléphone | Ta soeur a couru de manière à obtenir quel résultat ? | (Your sister ran to the point of dropping her phone) |
Je préfère dire la vérité à en perdre mon travail | Je préfère dire la vérité à en perde mon travail | Je préfère dire la vérité pour quel résultat ? | (I prefer to tell the truth even if I lose my job) |
The circumstantial complement of means (French: le complément circonstanciel de moyen) is abbreviated CC de moyen to avoid the same abbreciation as the CCM. It indicates the tool, the utensil, the part of the body, the instrument, the means of displacement used to accomplish the action.
To find the CC de moyen, it is necessary that you ask these questions after the verb and the complement:
CC de moyen | Questions | Translations |
---|---|---|
Je me rends à l'aéroport en métro | Je me rends à l'aéroport par quel moyen ? | (I am going to the airport by metro) |
Versez 2cl de lait en remuant avec l'aide d'une cuillère en bois | Versez 2cl de lait en remuant avec quoi ? | (Pour 2cl of milk stirring with a wooden spoon) |
Mon ami a réparé sa voiture avec la nouvelle batterie | Mon ami a réparé sa voiture avec quoi ? | (My friend repaired his car with the new battery) |
To recognize a circumstantial complement, we must find a group of words that we can delete or move.
Example:
Le lundi, les étudiants vont à l'université. (On monday, students go to college)
Les étudiants vont à l'université le lundi
Therefore, a circumstantial complement follow the verb or a complement. There can be two circumstantial complements in the same sentence
Je vais à l'école demain. (I am going to school tomorrow)
The grammatical nature of a circumstantial complement can be
Nature | Examples | CC | Translations |
---|---|---|---|
Noun | La nuit, je me sens seule | CCT | (At night, I feel alone) |
Pronoun | J'aimerais partir avec eux à Paris | CC de moyen | (I would like to go with them in Paris) |
Adverb | Marchez discrètement ! | CCM | (Walk slowly !) |
Infinitive verb | Mangeons sain pour avoir une meilleur santé | CCB | (Let's eat healthy for a better health) |
Gerund | Il marche en chantant | CCM | (He walks by singing) |
Proposition | Nous resterons jusqu'à ce que tu ailles mieux | CC de conséquence | (We will stay until you get better) |
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Hello everyone!
My name is Wanda, I'm 27 and I'm French.
I have a Master's Degree in Teaching French as a Foreign Language from the University of Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris, as well as 3 years of teaching experience (face-to-face, remote courses, or group classes).
I can teach you everything from grammar to culture, but I am particularly able to help you get a better pronunciation! Indeed, I also have a Master's Degree in Linguistics, for which I wrote a thesis about the pronunciation of people learning French as a foreign language =)
Regarding pronunciation, I'll help you without any judgment and only if you express the need to improve!
I studied one year in Japan (Osaka) where I gave French classes at the University of Kansai. During this time, I met a lot of people from various background and I became very open-minded and comfortable with different cultures.
What I like the most in teaching French is getting to meet and know people from different cultures =)
So, I'll be waiting for you! =)
See you soon,
Wanda
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Wanda is a fantastic teacher, she's always up to solve problems and doubts. She teaches from grammar to speaking, with a good emphasis on pronunciation and phonetics which are essential in French!
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Very social and helpful teacher with an excellent grasp on how to improve your french in a structured fashion. The informal style is very pleasant and will help you acquire the language in a natural, unforced fashion. The teaching materials and tools used are geared to your level and are a great help in smoothing out the learning curve. Recommended for anyone who enjoys a learn by doing approach with the help of proven teaching tools and documents.
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Hello,
My name is Tiska. I am a French Teacher with experiences with adults and teenagers in Public Education (USA) and Language Schools. I am holding a Master Degree in FLE (Teaching French as a Foreign Language).
Join a small group of learners of 2 or 3 for conversation lessons with me. An article or video to watch before the lesson and a conversation with personalized corrections during the lesson. This option saves you at least 10 euros per lesson on Colanguage.
Group opening:
Monday and/or Wednesday from 17:30 to 18:30 (French time).
Level: intermediate (B1)
Also, standard French lessons
- level A2 (low intermediate)
- 2 hours a week
- ask for schedule
Don’t know your level? Ask for a free level test.
I give Skype lessons to people who need or want to improve their French language. I like to use material from the internet (videos, article etc.) to introduce a theme which leads to a lesson and a conversation.
I like to create engaging learning with my students. I will give as homework a document to watch or to read with comprehension exercises so the time we have on skype is only speaking practice and explanation if needed.
I can help you prepare DELF-DALF Exams or work on specific needs (as professional French).
Really like to speak about all the subjects with the student especially those the student like so it gives the motivation to speak in the foreign language.
The free first lesson is organize to know your tastes, your level and your needs so we can plan the next lessons about the objectives you fixed.
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TISKA is a very prepared, kind and helpful teacher. i love studying with her because she makes the lesson to be intereesant and nice. she understands my needs and gives me the right homework.
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Hi
I am Kelly, i teach frenhc in Switzerland and online. I've experience since many years.
I can help you for DELF/ DALF, pass an exam, or for professional goals.
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Kelly is always on time, patient and friendly. She answers all my questions about the French language and culture. She is a good teacher and I recommend her. Kelly is always on time, is patient, and friendly. She answers all my questions about the French language and culture. She's a great teacher and I recommend her.
Kelly P.
Thanks Jo. I am also very happy to have you as a student.
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I am a serious and reliable person: availability and professionalism are the qualities that best characterize me. I have already had experiences in the field of tutoring and I have also prepared several students to study for the Trinity/Cambridge, DELE and DELF exams.
I am perfectly competent in foreign languages, but I am also able to help students in other subjects (humanistic or not). I have got a Master's degree in Modern Languages and Literatures and my language skills are certified.
Lessons include conversations in the language chosen and I normally share teaching materials previously chosen according to the needs of the student. When necessary, we will start the lessons with a review of grammar and then address the topics requested by the student.
Lessons are mainly aimed at middle school and high school students, but I also provide preparation for university exams.
As a private teacher, I find it important to discuss with the student on issues related to the modality of the lessons and the objectives of they pursue. I am very patient and I use very flexible teaching methods.
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Laura is a young teacher with a degree in languages. Her teaching method is based on her university books, teachers' advice and direct experience with her students. The material she uses during the lessons is well-structured and planned. With her, you will be able to learn a new language very easily.
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
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I am Diane a language tutor that has been helping students of any age and race and I am also a TEFL certified instructor.
Since I am a native Filipino Speaker, I can teach my students conversational Tagalog which includes 1 grammar rule per lesson and pronunciation as well as vocabulary to enable them to communicate with people when they travel to other places or simply with people not from their country. Aside from conversations, we will talk about our culture, cuisine and tourist spots. When I teach I use role play, dialogue, games, Audio/video files and the like which will engage my students well.
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Very nice and experienced teacher. She has a very good teaching method with slides and exercises created by her. Highly recommended for those who are new to Filipino, but also for those who would like to improve and move up to a higher level.
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
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1 - If you are looking for a well-structured French program to take you from a beginner level to advanced level to be able to travel to France, i have developed with success my own program which includes 70 worksheets from basic to advance level.
2 - If you are thinking taking any DELF exam, I can help you as I have experience in this field (3 years with Ensemble en Francais - online school).
3 - If you are a VCE French student, I definitively will be able to boost your skills to do well at the exam due to my experience as VCE French teacher and also as a VCE assessor.
4 - Finally I have also an extensive experience in teaching French at the primary and middle school level
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Francois is teaching our daughter in French at the moment. She is a total beginner and they started from scratch. Both work for one hour daily and agree on homework which is being checked in the next lesson. The lesson via Skype is working well with the exchange of material Skype as well. We can definitely see progress.
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Training is my passion. I like interacting with people. I am passionate about reading, watching movies, and music. I love to explore new places and have keen interest in arts and literature.I love meeting new people because every person is a whole new world you can learn from. I am also a keen reader and an enthusiastic traveller.
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she have books and she knows how the delf / dalf works, she gives me some advises that i didn't find in youtube video
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Hello, my name is Claus !For many years I teach students from all over the world as a professional teacher of the German language. With a lot of experience and patience I lead my students to their to teach successfully and with fun. I offer you general language courses of B1- C2 with test preparations, as well as courses in Business German (prerequisites are language proficiency in German from level B1 +!).
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Thanks for your support. I learned a lot from you and my last German test went very well. I will be happy to contact you again if I need your help again. With kind regards
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Hello,
I am a multilingual teacher with experience in teaching French to German, Japanese, English, Bulgarian and Italian-speaking students, etc. (levels A1 to C1).
I have been teaching French for 8 years in Luxemburg and now in Bulgaria for 4 years, to teenagers, housewives, businessmen, employees, doctors, etc. I can also help you with DELF and DALF preparation. I give lessons via Skype, Zoom and Microsoft Teams in several countries.
My teaching method for each class : a grammar point together with listening, a lot of speaking with conversation questions or games. While you speak, I write all the new words you need to express yourself, illustrated by pictures or translated in your language.
I do my best to make you feel comfortable to speak and for you to have a pleasant time. According to me, using humour will help you learn more easily.
Whether you need to learn French for business, integration in a French-speaking country or studying, I will be happy to help you. Do not hesitate to contact me for a free trial lesson.
Looking forward to hearing from you,
Katia
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I am really excited about Katia as my teacher. I think she is a very good teacher. And a nice person too. She customise the lessons according to my wishes what i would like to learn. She is very experienced with skype. It all runs very smoothly. I am looking forward to the next lessons and i highly recommend her as your teacher. Miriam
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Training is my passion. I like interacting with people. I am passionate about reading, watching movies, and music. I love to explore new places and have keen interest in arts and literature.I love meeting new people because every person is a whole new world you can learn from. I am also a keen reader and an enthusiastic traveller.
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Very helpfull teacher with excellent tips on how to improve your french. The informal style has a lot of merit and can help you aquire the language in a natural, unstructured and unforced fashion. Recommended for anyone who prefers a learn by doing approach.
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Dear future student,
My name is Mélanie, I am 40 years old, I am Belgian and I live near Brussels in Belgium.
I have 7 years of experience in teaching French as a foreign language. I have a degree in Modern Languages and Literature. I have an agrégation in higher secondary education. French is my mother tongue. Additionally I have a C2 level in Spanish.
I have taught adults (beginner - advanced) in various training institutions (CLL, CVO Semper, ...). I have taught both large and small groups. I can therefore adapt my teaching methods according to the number of people.
As far as my teaching methods are concerned, I create communicative exercises.
I always try to get the student to express themselves as much as possible. In case of groups, I create individual exercises, in groups of two or four.
I give homework in which the students have to write a short text related to a grammatical concept they have seen. I also give additional grammatical exercises.
I also test my students' knowledge. For example, during the course, I listen to my students and comment on their oral productions. I also do small listening comprehensions and reading comprehensions.
I can also explain certain grammatical points or translate certain words into the student's language if it is needed, but generally I always try to teach in the target language.
If my student is looking for a job, I can also help him/her to write his/her CV and cover letter and also prepare his/her interview.
If my student works in a company, I can also prepare exercises specific to the company's field. I have given courses to warehouse workers for Delhaize, to plumbers, to students in Tourism.
I also taught asylum seekers.
As far as teaching material is concerned, I use a lot of material from Zexperts fle https://leszexpertsfle.com/toutes-les-ressources-fle/ which I adapt to the objectives of the lesson. I also look for exercises in FLE manuals such as Totem, Edito, Alter Ego, Expression orale... Naturally, I adapt the exercises according to the needs of the student. I also look for songs in YouTube.
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I have had about 10 lessons in French from Mélanie. We treated a lot of different subjects such as grammar, talking and listening exercises. Mélanie is a very good and patient teacher and I learned a lot in these lessons on how to communicate in French.
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Bonjour! Veux-tu apprendre français? ou l'améliorer?
My classes are structured according to my students' needs, I use different teaching methods and I rely on listening each of my students' expectations and goals. Dynamism and constant learning are my purposes in my classes.
I have worked as a French teacher for more than ten years.
I have academic studies in English and French from Montréal, Canada, where I lived for several years. I have a Bachelor in Teaching French as a foreign language from the Université de Bourgogne.
I learned French at an early age in immersion in a French-speaking region and I studied French formally for 11 years, obtaining a native level.
À bientôt!
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After one lesson, I knew that Natalia would be a great fit for me. She made the conversation fun and stimulating. Natalia was very patient with me. Yet, she also encouraged me to speak french in a way that I had not spoken before. By the end of the lesson, my french stream of conscious was more fluid than it had ever been. I know that each lesson will be the highlight of my week.
Natalia L.
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Sarah is an excellent student, she is so motivated! She is learning French very fast and each class I see how she is able to speak and understand so much more. I am sure she will be speaking fluently soon!
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Bonjour! Veux-tu apprendre français? ou l'améliorer?
My classes are structured according to my students' needs, I use different teaching methods and I rely on listening each of my students' expectations and goals. Dynamism and constant learning are my purposes in my classes.
I have worked as a French teacher for more than ten years.
I have academic studies in English and French from Montréal, Canada, where I lived for several years. I have a Bachelor in Teaching French as a foreign language from the Université de Bourgogne.
I learned French at an early age in immersion in a French-speaking region and I studied French formally for 11 years, obtaining a native level.
À bientôt!
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I really enjoy my lessons with Natalia! She is a very talented teacher. So far she has helped me to improve a lot my vocabulory, grammaire and my conversational skills, in general. I like that all the time we talk in French, which is very useful if you already start from a certain language level (like my case). But also, she can explain in English , if I need. She chooses a lot of different topics for conversations, and for grammaire she uses the best learning materials which exist on the market! Thank you Natalia!
Natalia L.
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Hi Irina. Thank you very much for your comment. It has been a real pleasure to work with you these months and to see how you have improved your grammar as well as your oral and written expression. You have a very good level of French and I will help you to improve it in the way you need. See you soon!
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Hi,
I m claudie , I m french and i have experience to teach french to foreign people.
I create in a school of langage in Spain a little faculty for my french lessons with a group from 15 years olds until 25.
The pupils were all the levels A1 until C2!
I was teaching as well with lillte children and adults in Spain and Rumania.
I m a very dynamic teacher with a lot of patient and empathy.
You will make a lot of progress!
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Highly recommended, very personable and the lessons are a lot of fun. Claudie is flexible when it comes to class topics. Adapts to your interests or profession. In my case, she adapted the lessons to my employer and integrated the homepage into the lessons (sales). We recommend!
Claudie S.
thank you very much, I really enjoyed the hours spent working French together on many topics and also our laughter !!
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Hello everyone!
My name is Wanda, I'm 27 and I'm French.
I have a Master's Degree in Teaching French as a Foreign Language from the University of Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris, as well as 3 years of teaching experience (face-to-face, remote courses, or group classes).
I can teach you everything from grammar to culture, but I am particularly able to help you get a better pronunciation! Indeed, I also have a Master's Degree in Linguistics, for which I wrote a thesis about the pronunciation of people learning French as a foreign language =)
Regarding pronunciation, I'll help you without any judgment and only if you express the need to improve!
I studied one year in Japan (Osaka) where I gave French classes at the University of Kansai. During this time, I met a lot of people from various background and I became very open-minded and comfortable with different cultures.
What I like the most in teaching French is getting to meet and know people from different cultures =)
So, I'll be waiting for you! =)
See you soon,
Wanda
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Wanda is a fantastic teacher, she's always up to solve problems and doubts. She teaches from grammar to speaking, with a good emphasis on pronunciation and phonetics which are essential in French!
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
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Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Very social and helpful teacher with an excellent grasp on how to improve your french in a structured fashion. The informal style is very pleasant and will help you acquire the language in a natural, unforced fashion. The teaching materials and tools used are geared to your level and are a great help in smoothing out the learning curve. Recommended for anyone who enjoys a learn by doing approach with the help of proven teaching tools and documents.
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
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Hello,
My name is Tiska. I am a French Teacher with experiences with adults and teenagers in Public Education (USA) and Language Schools. I am holding a Master Degree in FLE (Teaching French as a Foreign Language).
Join a small group of learners of 2 or 3 for conversation lessons with me. An article or video to watch before the lesson and a conversation with personalized corrections during the lesson. This option saves you at least 10 euros per lesson on Colanguage.
Group opening:
Monday and/or Wednesday from 17:30 to 18:30 (French time).
Level: intermediate (B1)
Also, standard French lessons
- level A2 (low intermediate)
- 2 hours a week
- ask for schedule
Don’t know your level? Ask for a free level test.
I give Skype lessons to people who need or want to improve their French language. I like to use material from the internet (videos, article etc.) to introduce a theme which leads to a lesson and a conversation.
I like to create engaging learning with my students. I will give as homework a document to watch or to read with comprehension exercises so the time we have on skype is only speaking practice and explanation if needed.
I can help you prepare DELF-DALF Exams or work on specific needs (as professional French).
Really like to speak about all the subjects with the student especially those the student like so it gives the motivation to speak in the foreign language.
The free first lesson is organize to know your tastes, your level and your needs so we can plan the next lessons about the objectives you fixed.
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TISKA is a very prepared, kind and helpful teacher. i love studying with her because she makes the lesson to be intereesant and nice. she understands my needs and gives me the right homework.
Review
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Communication
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Hi
I am Kelly, i teach frenhc in Switzerland and online. I've experience since many years.
I can help you for DELF/ DALF, pass an exam, or for professional goals.
Reviews
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Communication
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Kelly is always on time, patient and friendly. She answers all my questions about the French language and culture. She is a good teacher and I recommend her. Kelly is always on time, is patient, and friendly. She answers all my questions about the French language and culture. She's a great teacher and I recommend her.
Kelly P.
Thanks Jo. I am also very happy to have you as a student.
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