{"id":6397,"date":"2021-03-10T04:44:49","date_gmt":"2021-03-10T03:44:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.frenchfacile.com\/about-us\/"},"modified":"2024-06-20T11:52:47","modified_gmt":"2024-06-20T10:52:47","slug":"about","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.frenchfacile.com\/en\/about\/","title":{"rendered":"About"},"content":{"rendered":"

About<\/h1>\n

Welcome here!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Moi, c’est Catherine.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I’m Catherine.<\/p>\n

I have been a French teacher for 10 years<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

I’ve developed easy ways to remember those pesky grammar and conjugation rules. <\/p>\n

Not to mention all the exceptions we have in French!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Yet,<\/p>\n

A long, long time ago (yes, I’m almost a dinosaur), I too made French mistakes at work. <\/p>\n

And that really penalized me.<\/p>\n

I too have learned foreign languages (Spanish, English, Dutch and a little Arabic) and I know how it is difficult.<\/p>\n

I was (and still am) angry at the current educational system (which is not great).<\/p>\n

But one day, I stopped bitching and decided to take control of my life.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

And here is my (thrilling) story summarized in 2 min 36…<\/p>\n

\"fl\u00c3\u00a8che<\/span>\"FrenchFacile\"<\/span><\/p>\n

FrenchFacile<\/p>\n

Random Studies<\/strong><\/h2>\n

18 years old.<\/p>\n

I want a decent job and training so that I can be socially respected.<\/p>\n

I love languages and traveling.<\/p>\n

So I didn’t waste any time and decided to go to university in another country.<\/p>\n

I was therefore learning a second language (Dutch) during my university studies.<\/p>\n

First failure.<\/p>\n

It is difficult to master a foreign language\"\ud83d\ude05\"…<\/p>\n

I give up and come back home…<\/p>\n

But nothing is lost. Thanks to this one year experience, I’m almost bilingual in French and Dutch and I can use this asset in my first jobs as a student.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Spanish<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Still on the road, towards Spain.<\/p>\n

I am applying to a Spanish university for a degree in foreign languages.<\/p>\n

I had a 0 level in Spanish.<\/p>\n

This time, it works!<\/p>\n

I follow my curriculum with success + Spanish classes and I integrate with the population. <\/p>\n

4 years later, I have my university degree in foreign languages and I am also bilingual in French and Spanish. <\/p>\n

Learning a language seems long and difficult.<\/p>\n

And it’s true:<\/p>\n

It is necessary to learn the basics of grammar and conjugation but also to practice daily with native speakers for several years.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, I am learning a little German and Italian without spending much time on it, so I am stagnating at A1 level \"?\".<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

English<\/strong><\/h2>\n

As you can hear in my videos, my English is not perfect!<\/p>\n

I learned English in school from the age of 12, then in college and the classes were pretty poor.<\/p>\n

That’s why I’m upset with the school system \"\ud83d\ude24\".<\/p>\n

You may have experienced the same story with learning French.<\/p>\n

However, I dare to speak English in order to improve.<\/p>\n

I regularly take online English lessons (because there are no native teachers in my city).<\/p>\n

I often review grammar rules in textbooks or with apps.<\/p>\n

And I watch movies and other English programs weekly. <\/p>\n

Finally, I reached a C1 level in English but I still have difficulties in  speaking (this is the hardest for everyone).<\/p>\n

In 2010, as I love foreign languages, I decided to work as a translator. <\/p>\n

The slap<\/strong><\/h2>\n

But one day, a client pointed out some spelling mistakes (in French) in my work as a translator.<\/p>\n

French is a difficult language, even for us native speakers.<\/strong><\/p>\n

WHAT A SHAME! \"\ud83d\ude28\"<\/p>\n

I get a slap in the face.<\/p>\n

What?<\/p>\n

16 years of school + a specialization in French as a foreign language…<\/p>\n

I am angry at school, university, my teachers and angry at this French with its twisted rules!<\/p>\n

Overcoming laziness<\/strong><\/h2>\n

I need this job (and even a raise).<\/p>\n

And above all, I refuse to be looked down upon for a few (small) mistakes.<\/p>\n

I decide to (re)train in French.<\/p>\n

I will review all the spelling, conjugation and grammar rules.<\/p>\n

Alone.<\/p>\n

Actress, no longer spectator<\/strong><\/h2>\n

I devour the most boring French textbooks: Bescherelle, Bled, Grevisse, dictionaries, etc.<\/p>\n

Sincerely, the explanations are horrible.<\/p>\n

In my job as a translator, I spend hours checking every word and verb. <\/p>\n

I’m breaking down conjugation, past participle rules, homonyms, etc. <\/p>\n

I keep a small notebook, full of charts, cards and mind maps for 1 year.<\/p>\n

Surprise! I came across Frantastique<\/a>, an online French course.<\/p>\n

It’s flexible and fun.<\/p>\n

Why not!<\/p>\n

I went from level 3, 5 to level 5 (the maximum) in two months! <\/p>\n

Phew, it’s starting to take! Not so complicated after all.<\/p>\n

Sharing?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

2013. A few years have passed.<\/p>\n

I fell in love with French (my mother tongue) and teaching.<\/p>\n

Now, I have been teaching French to adults and children for 10 years. <\/p>\n

I am trained in alternative pedagogies, mindmapping and the Montessori method, which is very effective for children and even adults!<\/p>\n

Today I have settled in Morocco with my husband and our three children.<\/p>\n

I continue to learn other foreign languages: Arabic and Portuguese. But without a solid method, my level remains quite low.<\/p>\n

2021.<\/p>\n

I created FrenchFacile in order to organize, compile and improve my French language worksheets on grammar and conjugation.<\/p>\n

On the blog, you will find my easy method:<\/p>\n