PROFILE: C. Crochet

"My typical day usually starts at 8:30 am with morning lessons until 12:30 pm. After lunch it's time for afternoon lessons from 1:30 pm to 5:00 pm. Lessons normally take place in a classroom but I love the outdoors so when the weather is nice I'm always up for holding class outside. The cultural excursions provide a change once a week -- I lead the walking tour of Sancerre, accompany students on a visit of  Boucard Castle or to one of the numerous wine cellars in the region. Both schedule and activities change according to the season and current student enrollment. I always have the impression that time flies!"

What do you find interesting about your work?

 

"When I was younger I thought about becoming an English teacher but the idea of not being connected with English speaking people bothered me. Therefore I decided to study languages at University in Clermont Ferrand (400 km south of Paris) where I had the opportunity to go abroad. For instance I studied at Cork, Ireland. I did enjoy spending time in a foreign country where I kept on learning - vocabulary, way of life, culture, economy....Therefore, working at Coeur de France is a good compromise for me because I teach French while being in contact with foreign people.

What I like in this school is meeting children, adults and even retired people from all over the world. That is exactly what I would have missed if I had been a language teacher in a "collège" or high school. It's actually more than teaching French, it's also exchanging cultures. Remembering my stay in Ireland makes me imagine what the students might expect from the school and from their stay in general.

From time to time I'm surprised by Coeur de France students who sometimes know more details about French cuisine or regions of the country than I do! On the other hand, wine is one of my favorite subjects and it's usually me who teaches them a thing or two here!

Some lessons consist in excursions which is a way of letting students discover our region, habits, food and ... wine! This is a pleasant time during which the student-teacher relationship becomes closer and it's relaxing for everybody: learning with wine and cheese instead of a book can be fun!"

 

Any funny stories ?

"One time after an excursion I was driving some students back home. On the way we passing  through the farmland about 10 kilometers from school and I was telling them about the main crops in the region. Suddenly somebody said "Look at the tractor in the field!". This blue tractor was driven by ... my father ! So I sounded my horn and everybody waved at him. Straight after people asked me many questions about my family, my dad's work and so on. I think it made them feel closer to the French way of life in the countryside."