At The French Room, Ellie understands the journey of learning French as an adult because she has walked this path herself. She knows first-hand what it's like to feel lost in a sea of unfamiliar words and phrases, and she understands the frustrations and challenges that come with learning a new language later in life.
But Ellie didn't just learn French—she mastered it. And now, she's created The French Room as the perfect environment for you to do the same.
At The French Room, you'll find not only expert guidance and instruction but also empathy and understanding. Ellie cares deeply about each learner's success and well-being, because she's been there herself. She knows that learning a new language can be daunting, but please believe wholeheartedly that you can do it!
Ellie's expertise, combined with her personal experience, makes The French Room a uniquely supportive environment for adult language learners. Whether you're struggling to find the right words in a conversation or feeling overwhelmed by grammar rules, Ellie is there to help you every step of the way.
But perhaps most importantly, The French Room is more than just a place to learn French—it's a community. A community of fellow learners who understand the challenges you're facing because they're facing them too. Together, you'll support and encourage each other, celebrating successes and overcoming obstacles as a team.
So trust in your mind's resilience, and trust in Ellie and The French Room to provide the right environment for you to adapt, grow and thrive in your French language journey. With Ellie's guidance, expertise, and support, there's no limit to what you can achieve.
Ellie Louis - Founder The French Room
BA Hons - University of Sussex
Ellie's French background
I have had France and the French language in my life, one way or another, for over 30 years. I went to live in Lyon straight after university in 1991 and have never looked back!
I married a French man and have half French children. So I have a French family although I am English and now live in the UK.
I used my French language skills in much of my career before I set up The French Room, so I have had lots of exposure to the language in different contexts both formal and informal.
I first started teaching when I went to Lyon after graduating. I was lucky enough to teach English as a Foreign Language to professionals including EDF engineers, air traffic controllers and scientists. I also taught English to under-graduates at the university Lyon 3.
In my career outside teaching I led strategic change projects and although I wasn't teaching at this time, I was facilitating. And facilitation is my preferred teaching style, especially as I only teach adults. I have also run corporate training courses for public speaking and increased personal confidence, including at Cambridge University for the Wellcome Sanger Trust.
In 2010, I started teaching a French evening class at my children's secondary school. It soon became obvious to me that it was something that felt very natural and fulfilling. I have been doing it ever since!
I set up The French Room in 2015 and have calculated that I have now taught more than 10,000 live teaching hours of French. And I still find it as intriguing as I did back in my early days teaching English in Lyon.
Career before The French Room
I have had a fairly varied career.
I spent some years in supply chain management and am a qualified APICS Supply Chain Professional. I worked in logistics in Ex-Yugoslavia for The European Community Task Force during the conflict there. I continued moving boxes around when I came back to UK and worked for a company importing Crystal D'Arques glasses from France.
I was then very fortunate to work for Tesco PLC as the French wine buyer for several years.
I then moved into project management and worked in local government, in design and for a Swiss pharma company.
And since 2015, I have been the owner and sole tutor at The French Room.
