German: the language other lessons are taught in
In most 7C and 7G classes, every subject except maths and French is taught in German. For a child who grew up speaking English, French or Portuguese at home, German is therefore not one subject among others: it is the door to history, geography and the sciences for the first years of secondary school. Schools offer ALLET classes, which add German lessons for three years before a regular class, and in the general track German is taught at two levels from 6G.
Sylvie holds the French agrégation in German — the most demanding teaching qualification in French secondary education — after the CAPES and a doctorate prepared in Salzburg. She taught for some fifteen years in secondary schools, has lived and taught in Germany and Austria, and has given her lessons online since 2020. Lessons are taught from a French-speaking base, which suits students for whom French is the stronger school language.
English: from first lessons to English-medium programmes
In the classical track English starts in 6C, or in 5C for students who chose Latin or Chinese; in the general track it is taught at two levels from 5G. In the European schools’ English sections, the IB in English and the Cambridge curriculum, it becomes the working language — close reading, extended writing and subject vocabulary.
Allma, a native English speaker, works with students from lower secondary to the first years of higher education, with experience built in particular around exam preparation: comprehension, written expression and the oral.
Understanding lessons
Reading a textbook chapter in the language of instruction, picking out the key terms, summarising what was understood. This is often what a student needs before any grammar.
Speaking
Preparing a short presentation, defending a view, answering an unexpected question. The tutor chooses which points to correct so that the student can rephrase and stay in the conversation.
Writing and grammar
Building a paragraph, linking ideas, choosing the right verb form and proofreading against precise criteria. The rule is then reused in a different piece of writing to check it has been understood.
A worked example: from an opinion to an argument
Giving an opinion on free public transport
The student starts with a simple sentence: “Free public transport is good.”
The tutor asks “Why?”, then “Can you give an example?”. The answer becomes: “I think free public transport is a good idea because it encourages people to leave their cars at home. For example, …” The student has moved from a judgement to a supported argument — what a written or oral task expects at secondary level.
If the student writes “It permits to reduce traffic”, a calque from French, we rework it into “It helps to reduce traffic” or “It allows us to reduce traffic”, then ask for another sentence with the same structure. The correction becomes something to reuse.
