Claire Gooch

BA, Dip, CLAIT, CTLLS, PTLLS

Hello! My name is Claire; I live in London with my husband, two children and house-bunny, Twiglet. I’m a French Tutor here at Wolsey Hall.

First let me tell you a little about me. I was born in France, near Arras, Pas-de-Calais, but have a Polish family and my grandad served in the RAF in the UK during World War 2. I grew up in France and have always loved learning languages, so I studied English at Arras University and got a Diploma in teaching French as a foreign language too. I then finished my degree at the University of Swansea on an Erasmus student exchange program. I started my career, as a Secondary French teacher in London, where I taught Years 7 to 11 and became the Head of the French department. Over the years I have marked exams for exam boards, conducted official orals and been a part of the rewriting of a French course book. After I had children, I wanted to work from home and have a flexible schedule, so I started teaching French online with the Open University, and I still do. Being part of the distance learning world for over 15 years has given me a real understanding of the joys and challenges it brings. I have also tutored children from as young as six to retirees who have relocated to France.

Some fun facts about me: I volunteered at the London Olympics at a couple of different venues to interpret for athletes and the Press. It was great fun! I love to travel because I enjoy immersing myself in new and beautiful cultures, and I play the piano. My husband is very proud that I work for Wolsey Hall because he is South African and Nelson Mandela studied with Wolsey Hall! My daughter Joy-Anna did her IGCSE’s with Wolsey Hall which means I have a good understanding of how students feel on their courses, but I can also relate well to how parents feel when their children are homeschooled. I am a real believer in home education.

I believe learning languages isn’t just about putting letters and words together; it’s about new cultures and opening your mind to new things. I want to introduce and encourage an experience for my students that is bigger than just books and rules.

Subjects: French