Not long after my move to Paris, I realized that preparing (for a full year) using DuoLingo unfortunately had not provided me the pronunciation skills, listening comprehension, grammar or real-life vocabulary I needed in order to properly communicate here. At best, I spoke like an app. Mainly, I didn't understand what anyone said or how to correctly read words off a menu. Fast-forward 3 months: I just had my first haircut entirely in French (complete with a casual conversation during it) and then went hopping from record store to record store asking for recommendations and help finding albums. What difference lessons with Marine can make! It's literally been life-changing to finally be able to immerse myself in my surroundings and make this place feel like home. I couldn't be more grateful to her or my friend who recommended her lessons. I would call it miraculous, but it's simply a testament to how good of a teacher Marine is. The sessions just fly by. They're fun, relaxed and casual. Marine is interesting, hilarious, encouraging and infinitely patient. It really feels like the best possible atmosphere to learn, because it also boosts that much-needed confidence. The classes are dynamic and tailored to my needs and each one opens a new door; whether it's going to the bakery, talking on the phone, meeting new people or playing a French song on the guitar (!). The balance between practical vs. grammar is perfect and Marine has a way of explaining even the most idiosyncratic rules in simple ways that always stick. I leave the sessions feeling in control of the topics, even the most complex. I truly couldn't recommend Marine more wholeheartedly. I look forward to each session and can't think of an easier or more fun way to learn French. The special appearances by her cats and her incredible art never hurt either! read more

I've been studying French with Marine for 1.5 years. Each lesson is very fluid and dynamic. We can have an in depth grammar lesson, a good French book reading, a casual discussion about a topic that interests the both of us or all three. My comprehension and speaking skills have improved dramatically with Marine who keeps me motivated and interested. read more

I have been trying to learn French on and off for the past 5 years. I have tried, Rosetta Stone, Online courses, classroom settings etc... Marine is by far the best French tutoring experience I have had. The biggest obstacle for me has always been having the confidence to make mistakes and staying motivated with the more challenging grammatical structures of the language.With Marine I never feel judged if I make a mistake and every mistake is made into a learning opportunity. Marine is very patient, engaging and informative in her approach to teaching. I have seen my speaking, writing and reading skills drastically improve since we have started working together. Marine is also incredibly flexible with scheduling and always arrives on time (she's also a great artist!) I highly recommend her to anyone who is looking to learn/improve their French skills! read more

I've been working with Ian for a few months now and I am really enjoying my lessons. Ian is a great tutor and holds me accountable. I definitely recommend this school to anyone learning French! I do my lessons virtually and it is flexible to my busy schedule. read more

Marine est super! I've been studying conversational French with Marine for almost 2 years now. She is a great teacher - patiente et gentille. When I started I only knew a few basic phrases. Now I can have a simple conversation with most any French speaker. I was able to tour Normandy and visit museums, restaurants, and shops speaking entirely in French. There is no better way to learn French than one-on-one with a good French teacher. read more

Marine is a natural educator: patient, creative, passionate about sharing her language and culture with others & and most importantly, lots of fun. We've been doing weekly lessons for a little over a year and my French comprehension, grammar, & pronunciation have exploded in every way as a result of studying with her. I didn't learn this much even after living in France for 6 months. I particularly enjoy when we get to dramatically read, act out, and then pick apart the ever-tragic Baudelaire: "Il me semble que ce tour de clef augmentera ma solitude et fortifiera les barricades qui me séparent actuellement du monde. Horrible vie! Horrible ville!" Bwahahahah! Love it!! read more

Marine est géniale! The lessons are always fun and engaging! I have taken lessons with Marine in person and online and the quality of the lessons is great in both formats. I took french for years in grade school and university but never experienced any progress in my speaking skills in particular. Working one-on-one with Marine had helped me finally make real progress for the first time! She is very honest and doesn't ignore problems in your speech. It's clear her goal is to help you improve not get away with bad habits. Very excited to keep studying with her and move toward fluency! So glad I signed up lessons! If you are considering lessons I would totally recommend Le Chat Noir- you won't regret it! read more

I went through a ton of online and electronic material, but there's a inherent difference with being able to speak directly with someone. Marine is great...both as a human being and as a tutor. My listening has greatly improved, and my confidence is perhaps too high. I still don't understand everything that she says, and I don't know how to say everything that I want to say, but soon I intend to be a guest actor on Lupin or La Revolucion. read more

Great one-on-one lessons at a very reasonable price! I recently relocated to Montreal for work and was looking to improve my French before making the move. Marine is very personable and makes the lessons interactive and fun. There's a heavy focus on conversation, which is exactly what I was looking for (I took 3 years of French in high school and still remembered some of the grammar, but hadn't actually spoken it in who knows how long). These lessons helped give me a little extra confidence before heading to my new city. Merci beaucoup, Marine! read more

Marine is an excellent French teacher and delightful person. I've been taking conversational classes with her for a few months and they've greatly boosted my confidence in speaking French, not to mention they're a lot of fun! Would highly recommend for aspiring French speakers at any level read more

If you are looking for a natural and efficient way to learn a new language, look no further! Marine immerses you in the culture and language and makes each session fun and relaxing! Learning a new language can be super intimidating, but she quickly puts you at ease and really gets you to put your knowledge to practice! I cannot recommend her more. read more

Can't recommend Le Chat Noir highly enough! Getting individual instruction has helped me improve my French so much more than I thought was possible. My instructor is fantastic - patient, thoughtful and entertaining. I look forward to my lessons every week. read more

When I met Marine my French consisted mainly of poorly pronounced "Bonjour" and "Au revoir". I've had a couple of sessions with her and it seems like the best way to learn a new language. When I think about learning a new language it's so that I can have conversations with people in that language. With Marine's tutoring that's exactly what you're doing, just hanging out having a conversation. She'll teach you the vocab & the grammar but you'll also get the slang, accents and all the cultural tips about how people in France really speak! The lessons are engaging and she's totally patient, giving you no reason to feel embarrassed or have a bad time. Not only is each lesson completely personalized to you and to that particular day, you know you're learning real conversational French instead of just the stuff in textbooks. Learning French with her is a fun time and leaves you feeling like you really will be able to speak the language with confidence! read more

When I first started studying French with Marine, I only had experienced a couple of group classes at beginner's level. I didn't know what to expect from her private lessons which turned out be a right choice. Being advanced now, I can say, Marine has a very patient approach for students of any level. I was able to study at my own pace and focus on weak areas (especially the prononciation) after an extended time. Generally I don't succeed in language studies but thanks to her engaging style of teaching, I have been studying French for more than 4 years now. Her diverse cultural knowledge and interest also have helped as well. Lately, we have discussed the French literature and engaged on more advanced styles of writing. read more