New Year, new language

Welcome to 2014 Fe-liners, well we are already five days in but I feel like today is the day that life returns to normal and we knuckle down and get back to work! The beginning of the year is all about resolutions and this week the Fe-line team and myself will be bringing you a week long series of New Year’s Resolution posts.

My own New Year’s Resolution is pretty simple this year: learn to be a Mum. I have other objectives and goals for my businesses but motherhood is the theme of 2014 for me. My due date is now only four weeks away and I am very excited.

For others their New Year’s Resolutions will be to start their own business or learn a new language, so I thought I would interview one half of the brains behind language school, Cours French/anglais en Dordogne, Emilié Millinship  who could tell us all about both of these things.

The business is run by Emilié and her identical twin sister in the Dordogne in the South of France. They teach English to French people and French to English people. I know the twins pretty well as they just so happen to be my cousins (the entrepreneurial spirit is strong in our blood). I am always impressed with the way their business is changing and the way they adapt quickly, for example introducing Skype lessons to their menu, so that they can teach people from outside their region and outside of France.

Why did you decide to go out on your own and start Cours French/anglais en Dordogne?

For various reasons but it was obvious after working abroad for some years as French teachers to try to do it here as many foreigners were settling in our region and the airport of Bergerac was developing. Nothing was being done in terms of language schools so we decided to have a go!

What is the best thing about what you do?

“Socialising with different people from different cultures and languages, it’s also very rewarding to see the progress each of them have made, that’s why we are here: to make their life in France easier.”

A lot of people try to learn a language but fail, what are they doing wrong?

“We think it’s a question of what interest they put in their apprenticeship, and in this field we are trying our best to make the class as enjoyable as it can be by varying different activities and adapting these activities according to the student’s interests in life and needs. This is exactly what makes the difference from a group class, our one to one classes are totally adapted to the student according to personal needs. It’s difficult for our students to do wrong actually!”

You have dual nationality and you have lived in France and the UK, do you think there are any differences for French and British women when it comes to running a business?

Well, being men or women is not what makes the difference. However, the big difference is in how businesses are considered in France. Building your own company is definitely not as common and exciting as in the UK, it’s not the first thing French people would think about, that’s something which is slightly changing with new generations though…

How would you help someone to keep their New Year’s Resolution and stay motivated to learn French?

We would encourage them to watch films in French with French subtitles, read French magazines and listen to French songs! That definitely helps! And if you can, come and experience life in the Dordogne!

You now teach via Skype with people in the UK, is this as effective as face-to-face?

The more we do Skype classes and the more we think it’s a very good way for the following reason: we concentrate totally on the lesson, it’s like a window, we open it to practice French and nothing else can interfere. It’s different from face to face but we find it very comfortable! New technology has its advantages!

If you fancy packing your bags and heading down to Dordogne for a language learning holiday (I can’t recommend the area enough) or if you would like to find out more about Skype lessons you can contact you can contact Emilié via , visit their website or like them on .

Love and learning new skills,