Alice · Student journeyFrom the quit-and-restart cycle to everyday fluency
A communications professional from Hong Kong, based in England. She had started French intensively several times and quit every time. The block wasn't the language, it was the lack of a real routine.
- Hongkonger · works in communications
- A1 → fluent everyday French
- 1 lesson / week, then longer sessions
The strategy
Real life, not the textbook
Alice didn't know how often to book, so I made the call: one lesson a week, maximum, and we grew the length gradually (30 minutes, then 45, and up). Rather than nous habitons and mon petit-ami, we built her French around the life she actually lives: her job in communication, her cat Alina, her café and bakery runs. Everything anchored in real, spoken French, with an ultra-structured recap sheet after every lesson.
Spoken French
On instead of nous, mon copain, rising intonation for questions instead of complex inversion.
Useful vocabulary
Her job (je bosse dans la comm'), the Oxford-London train, her cat, weekend routines, café orders.
Recap sheets
Grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation and native expressions, filed after each lesson so nothing overloads.
Lesson 1 · Talking about your cat
Il a quel âge, ton chat ? (How old is your cat?)
Elle s'appelle comment ? (What's her name?)
On a adopté le chat ("we" = on in real life, not nous)
Lesson 4 · Everyday questions
On est quel jour aujourd'hui ? (What day is it today?)
T'es née quand ? (When were you born?)
Il est quelle heure chez toi ? (What time is it where you are?)
Lesson 10 · Café & routine
Quel est le dernier coffee shop où tu es allée ? (Last coffee shop you went to?)
Ce soir, tu cuisines ou tu commandes Uber Eats ? (Cooking or ordering tonight?)
Lesson 13 · Real feelings
Je peux pas faire du sport pendant 1 semaine (I can't work out for a week)
Je suis frustrée (I'm frustrated)
Voir un kiné (to see a physio)
Concrete progress
At the start (hesitant A1)
“Je vis seule... non, je vis avec petit-ami et chat. Je travaille communication.”
English translation
“I live alone... no, I live with boyfriend and cat. I work communication.”
Now (natural)
“Je travaille dans la comm'. En ce moment j'habite à Oxford avec mon copain et notre chatte Alina. La semaine prochaine, je dois être à Londres tous les jours pour le boulot, donc j'y vais en train.”
English translation
“I work in comms. Right now I live in Oxford with my boyfriend and our cat Alina. Next week I have to be in London every day for work, so I'm taking the train.”
The result
Alice broke the start-and-stop pattern for good. By anchoring French in her real life, she built a natural reflex to speak, with solid grammar (présent, negation, reflexive verbs) and authentic, modern, relaxed French.
Tired of starting French and giving up?
Like Alice, the key is a structure that fits your real life. Let's build yours.