Speak French with Confidence
In Melbourne & Online!
About Sophie
Salut! I'm Sophie, a Parisian-born French teacher who's been calling Melbourne home for 14 years.
I teach French to Aussies of all ages, learning French for dozens of different reasons: VCE French students in need of a confidence boost, former VCE students going on a trip to France, francophiles and retired people in need of brain-gym.
As an expat living in an English-speaking country, as well as a French teacher, I believe languages are meant to be spoken, not just learnt.
Before teaching French, I was a language student myself: in addition to English, I learnt 4 foreign languages when I was younger (in order: German, Ancient Greek, Breton, Italian).
Despite my experience with learning languages, I wasn't prepared for the shock of living my life in English. You see, in French schools, I mostly learnt written English (and written German, Ancient Greek…). I was really good at reading and not too bad at writing. But understanding real-life English conversation was tough (no teacher ever prepared me to live in a shared house with housemates from Dublin, Liverpool, Texas, Darwin, New Zealand…), and speaking wasn't easier. I could speak, true. Like a novel or a newspaper article. Weezz a frenche axcent, messieurs-dames! At first, I thought I'd never be able to hold a real, deep conversation in English.
That's when I met Fred! Fred had just arrived from France and was traveling by himself around Australia. Fred knew maybe 15 words in English. But Fred was putting so much effort and enthusiasm into communicating that it didn't matter. Everyone he met would end up understanding enough.
What did Fred have that I didn't have? Confidence and kindness. Confidence in his own ability to communicate and kindness for himself and his imperfect skills.
So, instead of waiting to understand every word and reply in beautifully crafted sentences, I started to trust I could understand enough and I decided to speak even if it wasn't perfect.
I developed strategies for when I didn’t know how to express an idea and I made a point to ask if I couldn’t understand something. The more I talked, the more confident I became and the easier it became to hold a conversation.
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Because I learned the hard way that nothing can prepare you to have a conversation, except having many imperfect conversations, I now teach French in a way that helps you actually speak, with confidence, even when you don’t have the perfect words.
Whether online or in person, I create a warm and friendly environment where you are supported to build confidence, one sentence at a time. In my lessons, we focus on the skills that make real-life communication easier: speaking little and often, building useful phrases, learning how to rephrase when you’re stuck, and practising without shame.
Over the years, I’ve helped:
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VCE students feel calmer and more confident for oral exams,
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Travellers feel ready to handle real French conversations (even with messy grammar).
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Adult learners finally stop “waiting until they’re ready” and start speaking …
If you’d like a feel for what it’s like to learn with me, you can read a few student words on my testimonials page.
When I’m not teaching French, you’ll find me zooming through Melbourne on my trusted bike, rain, hail or shine (and sometimes all three in one day 😉). I’m also raising a small human with my partner, and and we share our home with a cat who believes they run the place. I love good books, great coffee, and baking sweet treats to share.
Ready to find your confidence but not sure where to start? Fill in the contact form and set up a free 15-minute chat with me. I’ll ask a couple of quick questions about your French goals (and what’s been getting in the way), then help you choose the best next step.
About Sophie French Tutor
Sophie French Tutor started with me — Sophie — a Paris-born French teacher who’s been calling Melbourne home for years. My teaching style is built around one core idea: languages are meant to be spoken, not just learnt in a textbook.
So we focus on real conversation, practical strategies, and building confidence kindly, one imperfect sentence at a time.
As Sophie French Tutor has grown, I’ve brought in a small team of teachers I trust completely — qualified French teachers who are also experienced language learners themselves.
They’re based across Australia and Europe, which means we can offer more flexibility while staying connected to real, living French.
Whether you learn with me or with someone from the team, you’ll get the same supportive, conversation-first experience.
Meet the teachers
Matilde
Originally from the South of France, Matilde now lives and works in Portugal.
She graduated with a Masters Degree in FLE (teaching French as a foreign language) and has been teaching French for over six years, in person in Germany as well as online.
In addition to being a native French speaker, she is also fluent in Portuguese, German and English.
Matilde is a friendly and dedicated language tutor.
During free time, Matilde enjoys spending time with her family, travelling (especially in Portugal), going to the theatre and walks in nature or at the beach.
Camille
Camille lives in the beautiful city of Bordeaux, the French wine capital ! Before that, she’s also lived in the US, Germany and Italy and traveled on 5 continents, including Australia :). She loves meeting people from foreign countries and discovering different ways of living.
After getting her Master’s degree in applied foreign languages, she worked in the tourism industry for a few years until COVID. Camille then became an online French tutor and she loved it ! She's now been teaching French for 4 years online and offline and has a certificate from the CAVILAM and Alliance Française de Vichy.
She likes to help her students get confidence and improve their French with fun and kindness. She's looking forward to help you !
Astrid
Originally from a small coastal town in northern France, Équihen-Plage, located right on the English Channel, Astrid is a native French speaker with a rich multicultural background. She began her career as a social worker in France before moving to Leipzig, Germany, where she earned her Diploma of Education and lived for six years. Now based in Sydney, she is fluent in French, German, and English, with additional notions of Spanish.
Her professional experience spans working with diverse age groups and cultural backgrounds, always integrating languages into her practice. This passion for sharing her culture led her to pursue the DAEFLE qualification to teach French as a foreign language.
In her free time, Astrid loves exploring beaches, spending quality time with her young family, and relaxing with their cat.
Sonia
With over 15 years of experience teaching French as a foreign language across multiple continents, Sonia brings a truly international perspective to language education. Her career has taken her from the Middle East to South Asia and now to Melbourne, where she continues to share her passion for the French language.
Sonia holds a Master's degree in Language Didactics and is a certified DELF/DALF examiner. She specialises in preparing students for official French language certifications and has extensive experience working with diverse age groups and proficiency levels—from young learners to adults, and from beginners to advanced students.
Fluent in six languages including French, English, German, Turkish, Arabic, and Kabyle, Sonia understands firsthand the challenges and rewards of language learning. Her multilingual background enriches her teaching approach, allowing her to connect with students from varied cultural backgrounds.
Whether teaching online or face-to-face, Sonia creates engaging, student-centred learning experiences that build confidence and practical communication skills.