Client Testimonials

Isabelle Dupond's students include businesspeople, educators, students, and every stripe of francophile.

To anyone desiring to learn French;

This past September, during my two week visits to Paris, I had a daily lesson with Isabelle Dupond. My goal was to develop courage to use my limited knowledge of French in the shops and markets. I received so much more than I asked for. Isabelle is a real teacher. She focused on making my accent comprehensible to the French people. As for grammar and vocabulary, she worked on areas that I demonstrated were lacking. That is the work was custom made for me. During the two weeks, I began to think in French, and actually had simple conversations with shopkeepers. The time with her passed so quickly, because she created a safe and comfortable atmosphere in which to learn. Her sense of humor and playfulness helped make learning a pleasure!

I had studied French for a year with a couple of teachers in the U.S. I learned more from Isabelle in two weeks than I had learned in months from the others. When I told her how sad I was to leave her, she suggested we continue with Skype…I was pleased but a bit skeptical. It has really worked out. For two months we have “met” once a week. In addition to the lessons on the “Skype classroom,” she sends me exercises , and corrects them all over the computer. Given that I have a very busy schedule, the convenience of not having to travel for a lesson, and taking in the comfort of my own office has saved me precious time.

I recommend Isabelle highly to anyone who wants to learn French the way the French people speak the language. I feel certain she would be a wonderful teacher at all levels.

Sincerely,

—Irene Briggin
MD, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467-1826

When I first arrived in Paris, I could read Le Monde, but I was a total beginner with my speaking skills. I couldn't have a basic conversation or order dinner in a restaurant! My accent was horrible. I worked with Isabelle every week for a year and made amazing progress. I now run my own business in France and couldn't have done it without Isabelle and Your Paris Teacher.

—Ellen McBreen
Director, Paris Muse

My wife and I attended Isabelle's private classes for a week, after which time we were both extremely impressed with her skills as a language teacher. Isabelle has a unique way of structuring the lessons to ensure you achieve the best possible results. Her teaching methods were extremely beneficial in highlighting the importance of correct pronunciation. Together with her pleasant, relaxed personality, the time spent studying was effortless and enjoyable. We look forward to our next visit to Paris and of course Your Paris Teacher.

—Paul Raftery
Health, Safety & Environmental Consultant

I found Isabelle's private classes to be remarkably practical and effective. This is an opinion I share with other colleagues to whom I have also recommended Your Paris Teacher. Isabelle has a talent for recognizing the needs, problems, and gifts of each of her students. She prepares her lessons in a way that gives her students mastery of the language as quickly as possible. I recommend her highly.

—Sue Lonoff de Cuevas
Deputy Director, Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning
Harvard University.

After a year of taking classes with Isabelle, it is my pleasure to recommend Your Paris Teacher. She is an excellent teacher, motivated and highly trained. Her fondness for the French language is always evident and contagious. Isabelle has exceptional abilities to deal with people, especially foreigners, and she adapted her lessons to meet my specific requirements for learning business French. I recommend Your Paris Teacher without reservation.

—Karl Horwitz International President
The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation

Your Paris Teacher's French lessons were a life-saver when I arrived in Paris to take up a new job in journalism with rusty schoolgirl French. Isabelle's excellent, well-structured teaching fast-tracked me into comprehending and speaking the language, and she tailored each lesson for practical application on the next day's assignment, providing useful vocabulary and phrasing of questions. Her initial lessons on pronunciation are brilliant.

—Allison Culiford Journalist

Seven years ago, during one of my annual stays in Paris, I started visiting Isabelle for French conversation lessons. I was particularly impressed by her gentle refusal to allow any English to be spoken during the lesson. This made it impossible for me to rely on anything but my knowledge of French (plus a certain amount of miming!). I was also impressed by the diligent way that she took careful notes of all my errors, writing down in very clear handwriting the correct way to say it. Over the course of these last years, I have never failed to contact Your Paris Teacher whenever I come to Paris. The hours I have spent learning French conversation have been among the most rewarding moments of my trips to France.

—Bruce L.Kates, composer/ lyricist/pianist

Isabelle is a creative and entertaining tutor. Her lessons are bespoke to your requirements and the quality of her teaching ensures that all bases are covered. We have taken our lessons outside so as to experience real-life conversational situations such as at a cafe or in a wine shop. Her method of focusing initial lessons on pronunciation is unique and ensures that you are forced to learn to speak as a Parisian! Her approach of starting each lesson with 'What's new?' means that you quickly learn to talk about things that are of interest to you. Overall, a most effective and engaging way to learn to speak French!

—Martin Atkins, Harris-Lipman, Partner

As live in London I could only have monthly lessons at most with Isabelle. Then we tried Skype! Now I have weekly lessons and it is the almost the same as a face to face lesson — easy convenient and a new way to rapidly improve my French I recommend this as a great way to have regular lessons!

—Peter Lachmann, consultant paediatrician, London

I spent a week discovering French with Isabelle. I enjoyed it very much especially the book "Marie de Paris", which helped me really get to know Paris. Me and Isabelle laughed a lot together. Now, j'adore le Français !

—Sarah, 10 years old, Leeds