Academic Support and Tuition in French and Italian
GCSE | IGCSE | A-Level | International A-Level | IB Diploma
Alongside complete courses, LinguaThinking provides additional academic support and tuition in French and Italian for GCSE, IGCSE, A-Level, and IB candidates worldwide. Lessons are based on individual students’ academic needs and foster consolidation of language skills, critical engagement with literature and culture, and the development of strategies and competencies needed for examinations, as well as real-world language usage and further study. Developing confidence and providing encouragement are central elements of every lesson.
Practical information regarding academic support, including scheduling and fees, is available in a separate document.
Academic support and tuition covers AQA, Pearson Edexcel, Cambridge, WJEC and International Baccalaureate Examination Boards.
French & Italian GCSE | IGCSE Tuition & Academic Support
Teaching is designed around each student’s specific learning needs, informed by discussions with pupils and parents and by close attention to schoolwork and ongoing progress. Lessons foster confidence through the use of evidence-based strategies such as retrieval practice and interleaving (systematic revisiting of material), supporting the secure development of verbs and topic-specific vocabulary. Students are also introduced to a range of consolidation strategies beyond the classroom, encouraging academic rigour in preparation for (I)GCSE examinations. Targeted practice is provided across the listening, speaking, reading and writing components, with careful attention to accuracy, fluency and the use of increasingly complex linguistic structures. This approach equips students not only for examination requirements, but also for further study and sustained engagement with language.
Speaking support (I)GCSE French & Italian
One-to-one lessons are structured to support confidence and fluency, with focused attention given to embedding topic-specific vocabulary that supports spontaneous interaction and extended spoken responses. Students are guided in developing opinions, sustained discussion, and producing coherent sequences of speech. Sessions also include targeted work on pronunciation and strategies for responding effectively to the picture stimulus, alongside strengthening use of complex linguistic structures. Teaching draws on long-standing experience supporting students in speaking examinations, supported by specialist resources developed for focused preparation.
Literary and Film Analysis for A Level and IB Candidates
Lessons develop advanced skills in literary and film analysis, encouraging students to engage analytically with intellectually stimulating texts in the original language. Students expand their critical vocabulary and learn to apply specific cinematic and literary language, enhancing their ability to examine films and texts in close detail while carefully considering the stylistic choices the authors or directors. Sessions foster understanding and appreciation of sophisticated and creative uses of the language within their cultural and social contexts. Guidance is also provided on essay-writing and the construction of original, well-reasoned evaluative arguments for A Level candidates and on approaching discussions based on extracts from literary works for IB students. Lessons draw on longstanding experience in literary criticism and academic writing.
French and Italian A-Level | IB Tuition and Academic Support
Focus varies depending on the academic requirements of the student, but may include expanding topic-specific vocabulary, refining grammatical accuracy, improving translation strategies, strengthening listening and summary-writing skills, or honing skills in literary or film analysis. Lessons are carefully structured to support confidence and secure progress. Considerable attention is given to the development of cultural knowledge through relevant and engaging materials. Authentic audio-visual resources drawn from French and Italian news sources, blogs, and podcasts are used to situate language learning within real-world contexts and to develop practical examples that can be used in the final oral examination. Students are guided in developing strategies to construct considered responses, evaluate ideas, and analyse texts and films in depth, supporting the development of advanced thinking skills for examinations and university-level study.
Speaking Support A Level French & Italian
The A Level speaking examination requires students to engage thoughtfully with pertinent global and cultural issues in Francophone and Italian contexts. Preparation therefore focuses on developing confident, spontaneous communication alongside critical thinking, and the ability to articulate and evaluate ideas with precision. Students are supported in expressing viewpoints, developing reasoned arguments, and analysing issues from multiple perspectives.
Particular attention is given to building and evaluating a rich range of examples drawn from contemporary Francophone and Italian society, since this knowledge and analysis form an important component of the assessment criteria. Students are supported to critically engage with sources and to develop skills in independent enquiry, so that they progress as independent researchers in their chosen language. They also work on applying accurate pronunciation, idiomatic language, and increasingly complex linguistic structures where appropriate. Sessions place sustained emphasis on authentic fluency and the careful embedding of topic-specific vocabulary. Teaching draws on long-standing experience supporting students in preparation for the speaking examination, including both the Independent Research Project (IRP) and topic-based discussion. These sessions therefore support the accurate and increasingly independent use of language for both practical communication and intellectual exploration. Students develop transferable academic skills — including autonomy, analytical thinking, intellectual flexibility, and cultural analysis — which provide a strong foundation for further study and or employment.
