As a French and German tutor, I structure my lessons to focus equally on both oral and written skills. Each lesson is split into two 30-minute sections, allowing my students to engage in meaningful conversation while also receiving feedback on their written work.

In the first half-hour, we practice oral skills by having a conversation entirely in the target language (French or German). This encourages the student to think on their feet and become more comfortable using the language in everyday contexts. I choose conversation topics based on the student's interests or cultural elements related to the language, such as discussing a French song or a German movie. This not only helps improve their fluency but also exposes them to the richness of the language beyond its grammatical structure.

For example, I might start with a simple question like, “Qu’est-ce que tu as fait ce week-end?” or “Was hast du am Wochenende gemacht?” to get them talking about their recent experiences. Depending on their level, the conversation can then evolve into discussing a film, a piece of music, or even a more abstract topic like travel or the environment. Throughout the conversation, I offer gentle corrections, helping them refine their grammar and pronunciation, and encourage them to rephrase sentences to enhance their vocabulary and sentence structure.

In the second half-hour, we switch to discussing the written text I assigned them in the previous lesson. I typically ask my students to write about something that interests them, such as a French song they enjoy, a movie they love, or a book they’ve recently read. For beginners, I might assign a simple topic like “What did you do last weekend?” to help them practice basic sentence structures. As they progress, the topics can become more complex and abstract.

We begin this section by having the student read their text aloud, which helps with pronunciation and confidence in their writing. Then, we go over their work together, discussing what they did well and where they could improve. I focus on correcting grammatical mistakes, refining sentence structures, and helping them expand their vocabulary. By connecting the written work to something personal or cultural, I ensure that they see the language as more than just rules to memorize, but as a means of expression and discovery.

This method creates a balance between conversational practice and written refinement, while also immersing the student in the cultural aspects of the language they are learning.