Meet Patricia Le Foll | French teacher

We had the good fortune of connecting with Patricia Le Foll and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Patricia, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I taught economics in my country, France, and decided that I should start my own school. I did not think about risks thanks to my determination. I didn’t know though that this school would be born in the USA, in Philadelphia, neither that it is French that I would be teaching. It is for family reasons that I moved to America, and I taught French because it is my native language, and I am also a French writer who loves French as a language. I also knew that I would not be able to be the best teacher to teach economics in English to Americans! I taught in several language schools and at Temple University for six years, when I felt ready to create my own school after six years. There were some risks, but again I was happily determined that I was going to make it, and my school was successful for as long as I remained in Pennsylvania, twenty-three years. Again, I moved for family reasons to Tucson, and kept some of my Philadelphia students online and created A la Maison de France, in 2017, my new school. I am probably a risk taker, but I am aware that not having dependents made it simpler.

What should our readers know about your business?
I teach from the students’ perspective, meaning I remember what learning a language is, and it helps me understand the different difficulties learners encounter. I, myself, have learnt several languages. Nowadays, I mostly speak English, French and Spanish, but when I travel in a country with a new language, I study it so as to be able to communicate, even if superficially. I like to learn, but it also helps me to not forget what my students are doing.
As a language teacher, I am a good listener, what I want for my students is for them to speak as much as they can, even as beginners. I have written the book for the first level of beginners, and the book for the intermediate levels. I wrote funny dialogues or odd stories so as to provoke conversation. I start my intermediate level by a couple of jokes in French, to set a fun tone for the classes.
For advanced students, I help them discover contemporary French literature, I show films, and organize trips to France. There are many opportunities to keep students’ interest going, and my happiness along with it.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Definitely, we would go to the Desert Museum, and to see the petroglyphs of Saguaro National Park. In the evening, I would pick a show and dinner at Congress Hotel. We would stroll along 4th Avenue, and visit shops. Another great place for dinner with music is JoJo’s, near the History museum. We could spend an afternoon at the MSA Annex – San Agustin visiting the shops settled in containers, among which there are great places for food and drink. The dinner would be at San Agustin kitchen, preferably outside in the large court where musicians play, as well as children. If my guests are coming from France, I also show them Tombstone, Bisbee, Chiricahua. Well! So many great places and things to do in Tucson, and in Southern Arizona, that I could write many more paragraphs, about San Xavier Del Bac mission, about the fauna and flora, about the friendly Tucsonans, about the many ethnic restaurants, Vietnamese, African, French, Italian. I love to organize trips! The next trip to France I organize is in June, in the meantime I welcome my friends and family to discover Tucson.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I am a volunteer with refugees, and discovered The Shoutout series reading about Abby Hungwe, Director of Owl & Panther. So, I owe this find to knowing this great lady. I am married to Robert Berrier who always supports me. When I started my first school, as well as the Tucson one, it is the pleasure that all my students have given me by enjoying their classes and by their learning “forever” with me. I have kept many students for many years, that’s the reward for any teacher. Acquiring a language lasts beyond learning, through fun practice.

Website: https://alamaisondefrance.com