Tutor Profile

Joseph

Private French and Greek (Ancient) Tutor in London

After achieving all grade 9s (As) at GCSE, I obtained three As in Latin, Ancient Greek and French at A-level. I am currently studying Classics and French at The Queen’s College, Oxford University.

As a recent secondary school student myself, I believe that I am best placed to relate to my students. I understand the challenges and stresses of school life and therefore endeavour to implement a teaching approach that is both personal and practical. I believe that my success in public examinations was in large part due to strong study, revision, and exam techniques. Drawing from my personal experiences as a student, I aim to teach these techniques to my students (including all the tips and tricks that are commonly overlooked), enabling them to raise their grades not only in Latin, Greek or French but across the board.

I am intensely passionate about my subjects and can only hope that this passion is infectious. My areas of interest lie in linguistics, more specifically the reconstruction of Proto-Indo-European (about which I wrote an essay that was Highly Commended in the prestigious Fitzwilliam College Cambridge Ancient World and Classics Essay Competition 2024), and the development of late Latin into early French. I have a particular love for poetry and my favourite classical authors are Homer, Catullus, Horace and Vergil. As for French, I enjoy the writings of the 16th century French literary group known as La Pléiade (especially Joachim du Bellay) as well as those of more modern symbolist poets, such as Baudelaire and Rimbaud.

In my spare time I enjoy running and reading poetry.

Teaching Experience

My first experiences of teaching came from volunteering, first at a school for children with learning difficulties, then at a primary school in central London. During my time at secondary school I continued to develop my passion for teaching, delivering several lectures and teaching classes on Ancient History, Classical Literature, French Literature and Linguistics.

Tutoring Approach

I teach Latin, Ancient Greek and French for years 7-13. Within this scope, I cater to a wide variety of abilities to suit the student’s individual needs, be it 13+, GCSE, A level, University admissions or simply summer work in preparation for the coming academic year. In particular, I have an excellent understanding of the Oxbridge admissions process, including Personal Statement, admissions tests, written work, and interview. As a recent successful applicant I know what works and what doesn’t and can demystify what can otherwise be an intimidatingly confusing and opaque process.

I take a holistic approach to my teaching of languages, with a focus on the development of skills (such as essay writing, literary analysis and translation) rather than on the acquisition of specific knowledge. I understand the challenges of these subjects from a student perspective and aim to meet students at their level, concentrating on practical approaches, tips and tricks that they can use to excel in their studies. I am keen to adapt my teaching style to suit the student’s individual needs, but think that lessons that are highly interactive, with lots of opportunities for practice and questions, work best.

Ultimately, I believe that learning can and should be fun, and that enjoyment goes hand in hand with success. I am very passionate about my subjects and hope that that passion rubs off on my students too!

Qualifications

Latin A-Level

School · OCR · A* · 2025

Classical Greek A-Level

School · OCR · A* · 2025

French A-Level

School · AQA · A* · 2025

Latin GCSE

School · OCR · 9 · 2023

Classical Greek GCSE

School · OCR · 9 · 2023

French GCSE

School · AQA · 9 · 2023
Tuition onlineTuition at student's home (Travels up to 10 km)
  • This tutor states that they speak another language (in addition to English)
  • This tutor is a Student (self-declared)
  • This tutor is happy to teach online
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