Louis M.

I am a native French tutor with over 10 years of experience and 7,000+ hours of one-to-one teaching, specialising exclusively in French for international school students across the IB MYP, IB Diploma, A-Level and IGCSE programmes.

My path into teaching is unconventional. I hold a degree in applied mathematics, which gave me a structured way of approaching problems, something I bring directly into how I prepare students for exams. I began teaching during my university years, initially in maths and sciences, and spent time delivering educational workshops to children in underserved communities in northern France through a civic programme. That experience shaped my ability to adapt to students of very different backgrounds and abilities.

Eleven years ago I moved to Italy, where I built my tutoring practice working with international families in Milan. Over time I developed a reputation for exam preparation, particularly oral assessments and Internal Assessments, and began taking on residential tutoring placements in Monaco, Geneva, Verbier and London. In London I worked with students at the Lycée Français preparing for A-Level French as a first language, competing directly with native speakers.

In 2023 I co-founded a boutique education consulting practice in Milan serving international families across the IB curriculum. I have recently returned to full-time independent tutoring, which is where my passion has always been.

I am currently enrolled in the DAEFLE (Diploma in Teaching French as a Foreign Language) awarded by the Alliance Française de Paris and CNED, and hold a CPD-accredited Safeguarding certificate. I teach in five languages: French, English, Italian, Russian and Spanish.

My approach starts with understanding the examiner before touching any content. Most students prepare by studying French, I prepare students by studying the mark scheme. Once a student understands exactly how their grade is built and what examiners reward, every lesson becomes more targeted and efficient.
From there I run a diagnostic assessment to identify each student's specific weaknesses and triage them: some gaps are fixable in days, others require sustained work. Grammar errors, for example, can often be corrected quickly with focused practice. Vocabulary gaps take longer. I prioritise accordingly so students make the fastest possible progress before their exams.
A key part of my method is teaching students to go beyond the curriculum. Examiners reward cultural depth and independent thinking. A student who can connect a classroom topic to a real-world reference, a historical figure, a social movement, a relevant quote, will always outscore one who stays within the textbook. I work with students to build that layer of knowledge around every theme they study.

My tutoring approach begins with a diagnostic assessment that I designed to identify each student’s strengths and weaknesses. Based on this analysis, I create a clear and structured roadmap to help students reach their highest potential. For IB students in particular, I focus on developing a deep understanding of the assessment criteria, while also sharing practical strategies and techniques that help maximise marks in exams and coursework. At the same time, I work on building confidence so students become more comfortable and effective using French in both written and oral contexts.