Which English are we actually working on?
"Help with English" covers several different projects, and naming the right one is most of the work.
English as a school subject
Grammar, comprehension, written expression and oral practice for the English component of a French-language or Swiss curriculum. Assessment here rewards accuracy and structure as much as fluency.
The baccalauréat English paper
Text commentary, structured written expression and the oral component. These have their own conventions, and marks are lost to form as often as to content.
Confidence in speaking
Students who read and write reasonably well but freeze when they have to talk. This is a distinct problem with a distinct solution, and it responds quickly to the right practice.
How the lessons are built
Allma, a native English speaker, teaches with a personalised methodology: each lesson starts from what the student specifically needs — vocabulary, grammar, spoken expression, or preparation for a particular exam — rather than a fixed programme applied to everyone.
- Identify the actual gap
Not "English in general", but the specific skill that is costing marks or confidence.
- Work on it directly
Vocabulary and structures put immediately into the student's own sentences, spoken or written.
- Attempt it under real conditions
A short performance close to the actual exam or situation.
- Correct one thing well
Feedback on a chosen difficulty, then reuse of that correction in a new situation.
Preparing the baccalauréat English paper
Allma's teaching experience is built in particular around preparing students for the English component of the baccalauréat: understanding what the commentary exercise actually rewards, structuring a written answer, and rehearsing the oral presentation and discussion.
