Private one-to-one tuition · Français
Private French lessons, written around one person.
One tutor, chosen for you from our selected network of French specialists. One programme, built from what you actually need French for. In London or online, from complete beginner to near-native.
Who it is for
Who books private French with us
Private tuition is bought for a reason, and the reason changes everything about how the programme is built. These are the briefs we are given most often in French.
The professional with France on the file
A Paris office, a French counterparty, a set of documents you are tired of reading in translation. You need register and speed, not tourist phrases.
Meeting language, email register and telephone French, built from your own material and your own sector vocabulary.
The one who learned it at school
Twenty years of half-remembered conjugations and a strong sense that it is all still in there somewhere. It usually is.
A first month spent finding out what genuinely survived, then building on that foundation rather than restarting you at zero.
The family with a house, a move or a partner in France
You are in France often enough that being politely excluded from the conversation has stopped being charming.
Everyday French for the mairie, the builder, the school gate and the long Sunday lunch — with the listening practice that actually makes those work.
The pupil or student who needs the grade
GCSE, A-Level, IB, or a DELF or DALF diploma with a date attached to it.
A tutor who knows the specification and the mark scheme, working backwards from the exam date with past papers and examiner technique.
The Learn&Co method
A selected network first. Your match, second.
We do not go looking for a French tutor once you enquire. The selection has already happened — our network is built slowly, from specialists we have interviewed, observed and chosen to work with.
What happens after your enquiry is the second layer, and it is personal. Maria hears the brief, chooses the specialist inside that network who fits it, and introduces you on a chemistry call before anything is committed.
“Amazing at understanding what people need and matching students with the perfect tutor…”
A network selected before you arrive
French specialists we have already interviewed, referenced and chosen — for teaching skill and subject depth, not simply for a passport.
A conversation before a tutor
Twenty minutes with Maria: what you need French for, by when, and how you learn well.
Matched from the network
The specialist who suits your goal, level and temperament is identified inside the existing network and named to you, with Maria overseeing the match. No rota, no directory, no algorithm.
A chemistry call, then oversight
You meet them before anything is booked. Monthly reports, a founder check-in at week six, and rematching if the fit ever stops working.
The tutors
What a French specialist brings that a generalist cannot
Every tutor in our network is a native or fully bilingual speaker — that is the baseline, not the offer. What we select for is what happens after that.
They can explain French, not just speak it
The subjunctive, the pronoun order, the passé composé against the imparfait — explained by someone who has taught them a thousand times to English speakers and knows exactly where you will trip.
They know which French you need
Parisian professional register, the French of the Midi, Québécois, or the specific formality of French administration. These are not interchangeable, and your tutor is chosen accordingly.
They teach the ear as well as the mouth
Most learners can read far more French than they can hear. Structured listening — real speech, at real speed, with the elisions intact — is part of every programme.
They bring the culture in with the grammar
Film, food, politics, music and the etiquette of a French table. In French these were never separable from the language, and the lessons treat them that way.
Life in the language
French isn't a subject. It's a way of being somewhere.
Ordering properly in a Lyon bouchon. Following the argument at a family lunch in the Landes. Reading Le Monde without the dictionary tab open. Saying the thing you actually meant, with the tone you actually meant it in.
That is what your programme is built towards — not a syllabus, but the specific French life you are trying to live. Your tutor brings the culture in with the grammar, because in French the two were never separable.
Real French, not textbook French
Register, idiom and the shortcuts native speakers actually use — including the ones no course book prints.
Culture as content
Film, food, news, music and history chosen around what you already love, so practice never feels like homework.
Confidence to speak first
Structured speaking from lesson one. The goal is not a perfect sentence, it is a conversation you enjoy.
In practice
What the lessons actually look like
The most common question after price. Here is the shape of the thing you are buying.
- An hour a week, or considerably more
- One hour a week is the standard rhythm and the basis of our guide prices. Before a deadline, a move or an exam, clients often run two or three, or a short intensive block.
- Online, in person in London, or both
- Most clients learn online with the same tutor throughout. Face-to-face tuition at home or at your office is available across London and is quoted individually.
- Your material, not a course book
- Your contracts, your emails, the podcast you cannot follow, the syllabus you are sitting. A course book appears only where it genuinely earns its place.
- Written up every month
- Your tutor writes a monthly progress report against the objectives agreed at the start, and Maria checks in with you at week six.
Corporate clients
Trusted by global businesses
Language programmes delivered inside law firms, hedge funds, publishing houses and global property groups.
Partner schools
Working with leading schools in the UK and Europe
Exam preparation, tutor placement and curated exchanges with demanding independent schools here and with partner schools across Europe.
Real clients, real results
French learners, in their own words.
Verified reviews from Learn&Co clients learning French.
“I engaged Learn&Co to help my daughter boost her grade in her French GCSE. She had previously been doing well in French at school but due to staff changes her marks started to fall. There was practically a year when the French tuition was…”
“I began being tutored by Maria in 2018 when I was getting ready to start French A level. I'd taken my French GCSE in year 9 so felt like I'd forgotten everything by that point 2 years later. Maria put me through my paces, coming up with…”
“I have been working on my french with Anne-Camille through virtual classes for the past few months, and I've absolutely loved the experience! As a Parisian, Anne-Camille has a rich, native comprehension of the french language. She has an…”
“I’ve been studying with Maria for just under a year now and couldn’t recommend her enough! She’s a wonderful person and a great teacher. I’d always wanted to learn French and finally decided to get going and start studying. I found Maria…”
“After being lucky enough to get the opportunity to move to Paris, and having learned little/no French at school, I started lessons with my tutor with the goal of reaching conversational (and maybe one day being able to work in) French.…”
“I had the privilege of being one of the first people to experience Maria’s language immersion trips with a fantastic long weekend in Paris. It was one of my best experiences; I improved my French far more than expected, having previously…”
“I started taking lessons with Maria about six months ago in order to try and get my rusty French to a good enough level that I could use it professionally in my work as a lawyer. I cannot recommend her highly enough. Her enthusiasm and…”
“We came across Learn&Co thanks to a recommendation from a friend at Hyperion Insurance Group. He was so happy with their corporate language training that we decided to contact them and set up a trial lesson. It’s now been over 6 months…”
“I have been taking classes to improve my French and Spanish with Learn&Co for the past year and I have to say I’m loving it. I’m impressed with the quality and structure of the lessons. I feel like I’m making great progress. A few months…”
“Could not recommend more highly — a wonderful tutor. I have been tutored by Maria through work for a year and it has been a fantastic experience. The lessons are well structured (split between grammar, presentation, conversation, question…”
“When I was looking for help with my French DALF studies, Maria was the third personal tutor I tried and I was impressed by her enthusiasm and professionalism right from the start. After working with her for over a year and a half, I have…”
“Maria is such an inspiring and amazing tutor who helped me to achieve a high A in my French A-Level, something which I thought would never be possible. She always knew exactly which areas I needed to focus on in order to improve (something…”
“I was immediately drawn to Maria's professional website and once I spoke to her I knew that she would be a perfect tutor for my son who is preparing for Common Entrance having never studied French before! Her warm disposition meant that…”
“I started French tutoring with Maria about 4 months ago and it has been incredibly beneficial. I work for a large financial corporation and I wanted to increase our business presence in the French speaking countries in North Africa. Maria…”
“Working weekly with Maria for over a year was extremely advantageous and beneficial to my French speaking skills. Maria was always very patient, optimistic and dedicated to teaching me the various ways to improve my language. Over our time…”
“Maria is exactly what I had been hoping for in a French tutor. She is a lively, interesting and intelligent person so that we always have interesting and stimulating conversations on a wide variety of topics which continually expand my…”
“I took some group French classes, and despite attending for a couple of months, I didn't end up learning anything. I felt quite discouraged after wasting money and time on it. I decided to look for private lessons for a while, and although…”
“The best way to make dramatic progress in any language is through an immersion stay, allowing you to speak and hear it all day long. This week-long immersion trip was brilliantly designed to boost our skills within a really fun…”
“I had a fantastic immersive French experience in the hills in Vercours. Whilst the highlights were obviously the ability (and requirement) to speak French for 6 hours a day and really force myself to push the boundaries on what I could…”
“I always enjoy my French lessons with Anne-Camille. They are fun, varied and interesting. My interests, and other items that we discuss, are often incorporated and in a very natural way. She is very patient and always positive. With the…”
“My tutor was fantastic, she really helped me increase my confidence with French and our lessons were the perfect balance between grammar and chit-chat. My tutor would always recommend films/podcasts etc that were specific to my interests,…”
“Maria is a very talented language teacher who adaptable, motivating, and makes learning fun. I really enjoyed her teaching style; she geared the material to my interests using materials drawn from many real world sources as well as…”
“My son needed 3 As for his conditional offer for Oxford University and French was the weak link. We had had a tutor who just taught him general French. We chose Maria because she seemed to know more about what was needed for A-level. She…”
“Maria coached our son for his French iGCSE. She met him not long before the exam at a time when his school was predicting that he was unlikely to gain a good grade and he had convinced himself that he was simply no good at French. Within a…”
“I thoroughly recommend Learn and Co, I loved my sessions with my tutor. My tutor helped with my French GCSE, she made the lessons personalised and engaging, bringing in topics that I enjoy, as well as working on necessities such as grammar…”
“Absolutely wonderful. Tough but also insightful; I have worked with Maria over a few years and progressed from a word to A level. She is focussed and hard working and I happily continue to see her every week. I have had face to face and…”
“Couldn't recommend Maria more. We worked together for two years on my Spanish and French A Level, and she helped me get the grades I didn't think were possible! She knows how to adapt her lessons to suit each student and keep them engaged…”
“I was looking for a mix of help with social chat in french, developing my professional french and rebooting my grammar and written french that had suffered from years of underuse. Maria is funny, engaging and highly skilful as a teacher.…”
“Maria has been helping me learn Spanish this year and has also taught me French for a few years now. I have consistently received top grades (at A-Level and in university) because of her help. She provides lots of support and makes…”
“Maria is a superb, dedicated and gifted tutor with a meticulous approach to exam preparation--I cannot praise her highly enough. She worked with my sons in the month’s coming up to their French A levels –and worked miracles. She has a…”
“I really enjoyed my lessons with Maria. They were fun and interactive even when they had to shift to virtual lessons because of Covid. I feel much more confident in my french grammar and listening abilities. Maria recommended some fab…”
“My son has been working with Learn & Co for around a year, to supplement his French GCSE studies. The lessons are well organised and tailored appropriately and we have seen a marked difference in his grades over that period, which he…”
“Couldn’t recommend more highly. I have enjoyed my lessons for a year, and there is always a depth of material to improve all aspects of your studies. I look forward to my lessons every week and found I have vastly improved to a stage where…”
“Maria's enthusiasm and joy of expression are infectious. She works hard to find the most appropriate way to express the student's ideas in the target tongue, and delights in the detail of her mother tongue. This made classes enjoyable and…”
“Maria is an outstanding tutor - focused, professional, personable and thoughtful about the needs and learning styles of her students. We are very pleased with the tutoring our daughter has received as she moves towards sitting her French…”
“I was tutored for roughly six months and absolutely loved it. Great care goes into matching the right tutor with the student. My French improved massively in a few weeks and I made significant progress in the subsequent months. Would…”
“Maria helped me A level French and Spanish, and was especially helpful in improving my essays. I am now going to study French and Spanish at Cambridge next year after she helped me to get A*s in both subjects, I would definitely recommend…”
“Maria is an exceptional Language Tutor, with an eye for understanding the specific needs and abilities of her clients / students. I approached Maria for tuition in the French language at beginners level, and am very pleased with my overall…”
“Maria helped my son hugely with preparation for his French GCSE. He went from a predicted grade 4 to a 6 - thanks in large part to 1 hour of French each week with Maria. Maria is also a really lovely person and my son enjoyed the lessons.”
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“I had a great experience with this tutoring agency. My tutor was very good and helped me to get an A* in my French a level. They have very good resources and my tutor offered me great support. I highly recommend this agency.”
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“Cannot recommend Maria more! I have been taking lessons with her for more then two years and the level of my French jumped significantly! I recommended Maria to all my friends and now we are fighting for her time! Nataliya”
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“To all those searching for a French tutor, I cannot recommend Maria Toubbe highly enough. She turned my French A2 around and got me from a low B to an A* on results day. She is absolutely brilliant and works wonders”
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“Marion has moved my understanding of french to a level that is giving me the confidence to push myself on a daily basis. I now try french books, music and movies, and I am really enjoying learning. A great tutor.”
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“My tutor helped me push my IB Grade from a 4 to a 6. I would most definitely recommend. They help you identity your weaknesses and provide you with the relevant exercises to improve your french.”
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“The lessons helped me so much in preparation for my French A-Level and I ended up receiving an A* in my French exam! I definitely recommend Maria for anyone studying French!”
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“Re-learning French with Learn&Co has restarted my curiosity of taking on a new language, and I was able to learn in such a friendly and thoughtful setting!”
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Investment
One rate, four ways to commit to it.
Every client receives the identical service — the matching, the chemistry call, the bespoke programme, the reporting and the founder oversight. The only thing that changes is how many hours you commit to, and the hourly rate falls as you do.
Guide prices are based on one hour of private online tuition a week and include VAT. Face-to-face lessons in London, additional weekly hours and intensive programmes are quoted individually.
Flexi
4 hours
Month to month
£75/hr£300 in total
Discovery
12 hours
Up to 3 months
£71/hr£855 in total
Momentum
24 hours
Up to 6 months
£68/hr£1,620 in total
Mastery
48 hours
Up to 12 months
£64/hr£3,060 in total
Every private plan, whichever you choose, includes
Bespoke programmes — not lesson bundles.
- A discovery call with Maria, our founder
- Personal matching from our selected network
- A chemistry call before you commit
- A programme written from your objective
- Specialist tutors, vetted and selected
- Monthly written progress reports
- Week-six founder check-in
- Rematching at any point, at no cost
Not sure which plan? Maria will recommend one on the call.
Before you book
Private French lessons — your questions, answered.
- How much do private French lessons cost?
- Private French tuition is bought in hours. Flexi is 4 hours at £75/hr (£300 in total); Discovery 12 hours used within up to 3 months at £71/hr (£855); Momentum 24 hours within up to 6 months at £68/hr (£1,620); Mastery 48 hours within up to 12 months at £64/hr (£3,060). All prices include VAT. Face-to-face lessons in London and intensive programmes are quoted individually.
- How is my French tutor chosen?
- The selection happens before you enquire: every tutor in our network has already been interviewed, referenced and chosen by us. When you come to us, Maria listens to your objective, level, temperament and timetable, then names the specialist inside that network who fits the brief. You meet them on a chemistry call before anything is committed.
- What if my tutor is not right for me?
- We rematch you, at no cost and without any argument. Fit is our responsibility rather than yours, and rematching is a normal part of the service rather than a complaint.
- How long does it take to learn French?
- It depends on your starting point, how often you practise and what fluency means for you. As a guide, a beginner doing one hour a week with some independent practice is typically holding confident everyday conversation within a year. We agree milestones at the outset and review them in the monthly reports.
- Do you teach in person in London, or only online?
- Both. Online lessons are available anywhere in the world and are what our guide prices are based on. Face-to-face French lessons are available across London and some surrounding areas, subject to tutor availability. Many clients run a hybrid of the two.
- I am a complete beginner. Is that a problem?
- Not at all. Beginner programmes are built around speaking early and often, so you are holding simple real conversations well before you have finished the grammar. Roughly a third of our private French clients start from nothing.
- Can you prepare me for an examination?
- Yes — GCSE, IGCSE, A-Level and IB French, the DELF and DALF diplomas, and the TCF and TEF tests used for French residency and naturalisation. Each has its own preparation page, and the programme works backwards from your exam date.
- Could I learn in a group instead?
- Yes. We run small-group French terms of ten weeks, never more than six people, live in Central London and online from Tuesday to Thursday. Private tuition is faster and entirely your own; groups are more sociable and less expensive. Maria will say honestly which suits your goal.
- How quickly can I start?
- Most clients have a proposed tutor within a few days of the discovery call and a first lesson in the week that follows. A highly specific professional or dialect brief can take a little longer, because we would rather match well than match quickly.
Ready to start French?
Twenty minutes with Maria.
Tell her what you need French for, where you are now and how much time you honestly have. She will tell you how we would approach it — and who, from our network, she would match you with.
Maria Toubbe
- 20 minutes
- A conversation, not a sales call.
- With Maria
- Our founder, every time — not a call centre.
- No obligation
- Advice you can use even if you never book.
20 min · video call · free
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