GENEVIÈVE LARIVÉE French Tutor & Translator

French all around.

I was born and raised in Montréal in the beautiful province of Québec, Canada, in a French speaking family. I learned English as a second language at school but never got to really practice it. My family, friends and colleagues were all speaking French, so the opportunity to work on my English was limited. When I moved to Seattle in 2007, and was immersed in the language, I found myself in the hot seat!

 

Learning a second language is uncomfortable!

At first, I was nervous to go to the grocery store or the post office. What if someone tells me something that I cannot understand? Well, it happened often! I had trouble understanding people and they had a hard time understanding me with my beautiful French accent. Conversations were going too fast; it was easy to lose the thread. New situations were challenging; I didn't have the vocabulary necessary to express myself. I was afraid of making mistakes, wanted to get it perfectly right away and was one of the people saying "I am not good at learning languages". Nonetheless, lots of mimes, laughs and hard work later, I learned English!

 

The learning journey.

With my experience in mind, the desire to help people learn French came naturally. My hope is to create a safe and inspiring environment where people can make mistakes, experiment with the language and learn at their own pace. With the challenges that come with learning a new language comes the gratification of doing it better and eventually well, and the delight of doing something you are passionate about. Learning a new language as well as teaching it is a very rewarding experience. It broadens your vision of the world and enriches your whole life. It builds your confidence and allows you to discover a new part of yourself.

 

Making your vision come true.

Learning French might represent to you the desire to connect with a biological heritage from your family, the aspiration to travel more and communicate with the locals, the dream to establish yourself in a French speaking city, or a passion for the beauty and musicality of the language. The French language is seen as a poetic and romantic language and these might be qualities that you wish to incorporate in your own life. Your appreciation for the language and desire to learn will get you there!