Carine Balcan

Even when I come to a lesson unprepared (because, well… life happens), Carine still manages to make the session highly productive. She expertly guides me through the trickiest questions in the mock exams, ensuring I understand not just the answers but the reasoning behind them. Her lessons always provide valuable takeaways that help me—not just for the upcoming exam but also for real-life conversations. Learning with Carine is never stressful; she makes even the toughest topics feel approachable and engaging!

Today, we focused on production écrite. Carine does a great job of helping me overcome any challenges I face by clearly explaining how to approach the questions. Her guidance gives me a solid structure to build my writing from. Talking with a native teacher helps me learn how to say things naturally, including common expressions that I don’t find in textbooks. Thank you Carine :)

Carine has taught me how to ask better questions when I’m uncertain about a term or an activity, the best way for me to phrase my questions so I can get the right kind of guidance to help me give a strong answer. Thank you Carine for all your help. Going through the exam papers with you has been really beneficial, especially in understanding how to approach the questions and structure my answers. I also really appreciate the time you take to practice the role-play dialogue with me—it’s helping me feel more confident. Your ability to break down complex questions and activities into simpler steps makes everything much clearer. The tips you provide on what to focus on are really helpful, and they’re making a big difference in how I approach my studies. Merci!

Every session is truly productive. Carine helps clarify challenges, keep the focus on what's being asked, and provide valuable guidance on grammar and conjugation. Her constructive feedback is incredibly helpful in improving my approach to answering exam questions. Merci Carine :)

Today, we focused on listening comprehension and phonetics. She explained very well why certain sounds are dropped and others are combined, making it much easier to understand and apply. She also pointed out that some vocabulary words in the textbook aren’t very useful in real conversations and instead introduced words that are actually common, whether in informal or formal situations. It was really helpful.

Carine's advice on how to construct clear and effective statements/questions have been incredibly helpful. The way she provides explanations in clarifying any confusions I had were on point, and concise. I also appreciate the practical advice she offered on how to think and what to say when feeling stuck. Each lesson has significantly boosted my confidence in using the target language and prepare for the upcoming exam. Her approach makes learning much more manageable and truly enjoyable.