About Elise Gonin
Over the years I’ve learned that everyone comes to a language in their own way, but most get there through some combination of
curiosity, need, and luck. My route to English took a little bit of all three. Growing up in the south of France in my family’s
Bed and Breakfast, I had an early glimpse of the big world surrounding me. Guests from all over would sit at our dinner table,
entertaining us with stories in many languages. Sometimes I could understand them easily, and other times I heard only melodious
sounds, like music to my ears. These experiences quickly helped me understand the power of language, the need to communicate, and
the real joy of differences bridged and friends met through conversation. And yet, even with this knowledge, my own experience.
learning a second language was pretty chaotic.
Like everyone else in France, I studied English in middle school and high school. But over the course of seven years,
eight different teachers, and hundreds of hours later, my English was still a mess. English class left me feeling anxious,
frustrated, and bored, and I didn’t understand the point of learning a language unless I was using it for a purpose.
In 2012, I decided to move to the United States for two years to practice my English. Once I was fluent I would return to France
and resume my life there. However, once arriving, I quickly learned that the English people spoke in the United States was fast,
difficult to understand, and full of words I had never heard before. As I waited for my green card unable to take English classes,
I sat around sulking and feeling discouraged. One day, I turned on Netflix and I was hooked! After binge-watching eight seasons
of Desperate Housewives and one season of The Bachelor, it was like magic had happened. I was starting to understand what people
were saying, laughing at jokes, and even making my own jokes! I was finally understanding English.
Learning English in this way gave me a passion for teaching others. I soon relocated to Portland, Oregon, and began teaching classes
in English and French at a French immersion school. During my time there, I began to use the mantra, “Make it fun and they’ll learn,
” and that’s still my mantra today.
Today, I'm so happy to offer French online tutoring and provide families tools and tips to learn at home. Welcome to my community of French learners, speakers and enthusiasts!
Although I’ve always loved my time teaching, I’ve found that creating engaging French resources for teachers to use in their world
language classrooms is my passion. When I think back to that bored little middle school girl who could have learned English had she
been given the right resources to do so, it’s a no-brainer for me. I want to create resources that help students have their
own magical moment on their French language learning adventure.
As a teacherpreneur, I create a variety of French resources for my Teachers Pay Teachers store. Using my background in Art History,
my experience working in the Pompidou Center (a Modern Art Museum in Paris), and my passion for my country, I’m able to create
entertaining, engaging language resources to help students master the French language in a meaningful way.
Even though I’m no longer there, my goal is always to bring a little bit of France with me
- Elise -