French Decoded
The Real-Life French Academy
Ready to ditch the textbook and speak real-life French with confidence?
Catapult your ability to speak, think, and express yourself naturally in French to unlock deeper levels of connection with the French language, people & culture.
I see you, French learner. 👀
You’ve got the bases down. You’ve studied the grammar rules and conjugated your fair share of verbs in your time, getting yourself to an intermediate level. Pas mal! You can be proud of having reached this point. 🥳
But right now, you’re stuck in a funny place with your language-learning journey.
You can understand a decent chunk of that email, news article, textbook exercise, or slower-paced podcast you just consumed.
But as soon as “reality” hits with the genuine pace, complexity and nuance of the spoken language, you’re completely lost without a transcript. In social settings (think: fast-paced parties or dinners), everything blurs into background noise.
The reality is that real-life spoken French sounds different to anything you’ve ever learned in a textbook. Whether it’s the slang, shortcuts, or sophisticated sentence structure, suddenly, you end up spending all of your mental energy just trying to keep up, let alone formulate an impressive sentence in French.
And this is one of the core reasons why you still freeze when it comes to actually speaking meaningful French (above and beyond “un croissant, s’il vous plaît?”).
It can be frustrating, because you actually know A LOT of French, but understanding and speaking the language just doesn’t seem to click into place in the real world. And because of this, people think that you’re much more of a beginner than you really are - cue them awkwardly switching to English 🙄.
So, what’s going on?!
It’s time to activate your French and actually sound like YOU.
This is a complex, yet common, mental block on the journey to real-life fluency for most French learners. Put simply, there’s a gap between the amount of French you have sitting passively inside your head and your ability to actually access and activate your speaking abilities in French when you most need it..
This ability to activate your French in real-time is the secret to overcoming the mental block that keeps you from expressing yourself, advocating for your point of view, or showing off your personality. Not only can this block last for months, if not years, it can have a devastating impact on your confidence and enjoyment of the language!
It’s only when this mental activation of the language occurs that you can think fast enough on your feet to connect with confidence and inject things like your wit or sense of humour into the conversation.
The good news? Once you learn the skill of activating your French, your progress will explode.🔥
Introducing the Real-Life French Academy
The 12-week French language accelerator that gives you the confidence, tools, and habits you need
to confidently and naturally think, speak, and understand real-life French.
A programme for highly motivated intermediate & advanced
French learners
who want to catapult their progress
and activate their French language skills on a deeper level.
This transformational private coaching programme will help you to:
- Stop feeling stupid or scared when you speak French, because you know you’re coming across as far less competent than you actually are.
- Diversify your language toolkit, so you have more interesting responses than “oui” and “je suis d’accord”, ultimately enabling richer and more meaningful conversations.
- Speak French more fluidly, impressing French speakers with your ability to weave in idiomatic expressions, slang, and pop culture references.
- Move past the mental block of understanding oral French (which oftentimes sounds nothing like the textbook version!) so you can structure your speech and sentences more like a native speaker.
- Spice up your French so you can finally express yourself, share emotions, and show people who you truly are by showcasing your personality and sense of humour (not just babbling away like some 5-year-old version of you!).
- Show up more confidently in a wide array of French-speaking contexts like the workplace, meetings, social events and 1:1 conversations because you can finally access the French in your brain in real-time.
The Fast-Track towards French Fluency and Fluidity.
Let’s be real. Feeling stuck and stagnant with your French sucks! The Real-Life French Academy is perfect for you, even if…
- You feel like are butchering the French language every time you open your mouth and shudder at your accent when you hear yourself speak French out loud.
- You can have basic conversations, but you feel like a child when you can’t express more complex ideas.
- You’re afraid to even start a conversation because you’re not sure you can keep it going. What are you going to say? What if you don’t understand what people say back?
- You regularly get flustered because despite the solid foundations, your mind goes blank when you try to speak.
- You don’t currently live in a French-speaking country - having a project to want to live or visit France in the future is more than enough.
If you are an intermediate or advanced French learner (A2-B2) who is motivated to move past your language-learning plateau and supercharge your progress alongside the support and accountability of a language acquisition expert, and are committed to showing up and taking action, then Real-Life French Academy is perfect for you.
It’s not you, it’s how they taught you.
There is an easier way to improve your French oral comprehension and speaking skills in a way that feels good.
Traditional methods/textbooks focus on “standard” or “academic” French and they usually cover a long list of grammar concepts in a random order, all without teaching you the language that people really speak.
The problem with that? Memorising verb conjugations and complex grammar rules won’t help you connect with native speakers. It won’t help you to get out of your own head and not only start a conversation with a native French speaker, but actually keep the conversation going.
And as much as the well-meaning advice of “just watch a lot of French series!” might help a little, slowly, over time, it’s still passive learning and won’t actually create the step change you want to see.
Stop focusing on the wrong things and start learning and activating the language that people actually use in everyday life.
Your French does not need to be perfect for you to have powerful conversations in French, but it does need to be activated and accessible in your brain.
It’s time to start making intentional moves to finally be able to speak and connect in French like you’ve always wanted.
Underpinned by our signature framework that takes you from frozen to fearless.
Our 4-phase Real-Life French Methodology© has helped thousands of French learners around the world
- from students to expats to retirees - to unlock their full potential in French.
Get the confidence upgrades you need to release fear and speak imperfect French on your journey to language mastery. Overcome blockers and self-sabotage holding you back.
Train your brain to understand the codes and shortcuts of fast-spoken French native speakers use so they no longer have to slow down for you to keep up.
Elevate your language towards authentic self-expression, from the sharing of opinions to nuanced story-telling and holding down deep chats with a friend.
Feel like “you” in French. Express emotions, personality, and humour. Develop your critical thinking and learn to share these convictions in a friendly debate - French style.
My promise to you is that you will take part in an active French learning experience where you will complete interesting missions and challenges anchored in real-life scenarios that will train your brain to think and speak in French.
THAT is the Real-Life French Academy difference.
🎉 Success stories 🎉
Aurélie was such a pleasure to work with! I hadn’t studied or spoken French for years so I was fairly nervous about speaking, but she made me feel immediately at ease. I cannot say enough good things about her. I learned a great deal and dramatically improved my French in the span of only a few months. If you want to improve upon your existing French, I definitely recommend choosing Aurélie as your professor!
Jessica, USA
Learning French prior to taking classes with Aurélie was a nerve-wracking experience for me. My anxiety about speaking French was stagnating my progression. My initial encounter with Aurélie immediately eased my angst and validated her expertise for teaching French in a non-intimidating way. She is gentle and encouraging, yet provides an appropriate amount of challenge to advance your language skills. Aurélie is more than a teacher, she is a trusted champion who will walk beside you on your path to French learning success!
Lea, USA
I feel so glad I had the chance to find Aurélie few weeks after moving to Paris!! I started from a very low level of French and I was scared it would have been very tough to study it. Thanks to her lessons I started to feel I could do it! She’s very kind, patient and professional! It’s a pleasure to study French with her. From the very first lesson she deeply listen to you and understands your goal, motivation, level of French. Thank you Aurélie!”
Luisa, Italy
Meet Aurelie, your French Fluency & Success Coach! 🚀
Salut! Moi, c'est Aurélie! I help intermediate-advanced French learners drop textbook French and put themselves out there by speaking & thinking in real-life French so that they can catapult their progress and confidently connect with French people & culture.
Masters-qualified with a background in languages, I have spent the past 6 years helping thousands of students around the world to learn, love, and leverage the French language so they can connect more deeply with French people. Whether you are a student, professional expats in France, the partner of a French person, or a passion-driven retiree or hobbyist doing it for fun, I have seen it all. That’s how I was able to develop my signature learning approach that can help any French learner make massive progress towards their goals, no matter their situation.
Underpinning my ability to supercharge your learning experience is my empathy and understanding of the psychology and science behind language learning. With a degree in translation and interpretation, I learned how to train my brain to very quickly connect and translate between languages (French, English, and German) at rapid speed, which requires the language to be activated and accessible in your brain.
I also walk the talk, having studied 3 foreign languages myself (English, German, Spanish) and having lived abroad for large chunks of time in the USA, Germany, and Mexico. I’ve felt afraid, awkward, embarrassed, shy, and clumsy in my language learning journey MANY times before, so trust me when I say that I see you and know exactly where you are at.
On the other hand, I also know how it feels to finally break through the plateau and have that “wow” moment when you actually hear yourself conversing naturally, with ease - a moment you had once dreamed of. There’s truly nothing like it. I can’t wait to help you feel that way, too!
The ultimate learning experience
to go from passive learner to active speaker
(without the fear).
The Real-Life French Academy teaches you the skills, habits, and rituals you need to speak French with confidence.
Imagine, just 12 weeks from now, if you could….
- Start a conversation in French with anyone AND keep the conversation going.
- React and respond to what people say far more naturally.
- Share a strong opinion or express yourself without feeling frustrated that the point didn’t land.
- Share stories and personal memories with colour and humour.
- Share your emotions and get deep enough to talk about your hopes, dreams and fears
- Show more personality in French.
- Feel authentically “you” in French.
All while learning the life skill of learning how to get to actually speaking a language in a way that you can apply over and over again on your journey - either with French, or another language of your choice!
Maybe she’s born with it? Maybe it’s The Real-Life French Academy difference 😉
Unlike boring, self-study courses that don’t get you results (umm, I could have Googled that?), we’ve made our learning experience fail-proof as long as you show up and do the work.
Our course is enjoyable and easy to complete because it’s FUN. Whether it’s analysing song lyrics or watching extracts from French movies and series, we will get used to the “music” of the French language in a way a textbook never could. We also appeal to a variety of learning styles through video, audio, text, and gamification.
Language learning doesn’t happen in a vacuum. We provide critical insights into French people and culture so you know what real French people care about (and therefore talk about the most) and how they best receive information. You’ll understand French humour, important cultural references, pop culture and more!
My learning experience has been co-designed with hundreds of real students and French learners by analysing how their brains best learn and retain information. I also help you move through the mindset blockers, confidence limits, and self-sabotage that can get in the way of you reaching your goals - because, hey, we’re human after all!
With thousands of teaching hours under my belt, I have developed best-in-class resources, templates, and tools that will get you the results you desire, faster.
You also have access to me as your coach and guide on this journey so that you can implement and action what you’ve learned. I will hold you accountable to your dreams!
🎉Happy students who have activated their French 🎉
I studied with Aurélie for the past few months. She is an amazing teacher. Our first few lessons were on what I felt I needed most work in- as time went by Aurélie got to know me and she tailored my lessons according to my needs- any questions I had she always knew how to answer them. Aurélie’s personality and positive attitude was so refreshing. I would recommend her without a doubt! My confidence in speaking French went through the roof!
Elsa, USA
Aurélie is a delight in every way. I consider myself extremely fortunate to be able to work with her. I began studying with her almost a year ago, and will continue with her as long as possible. Our lesson is the highlight of my week. Aurélie is a unicorn: she’s an excellent teacher with an effective and unique style. She is organized, well-educated, gracious, engaging, has a great sense of humor, and makes every seance fun and interesting. There’s never a dull or stressful moment, just pure joy.
Kyrah, USA
I am very happy that I chose to reach out to Aurélie before moving to Paris for 6 months; I needed to brush up on the French skills I had acquired from years back and to get used to speaking and understanding French again. She is a great and very patient teacher, and she made sure to tailor the lessons so they fit my purpose and interests. In this way, the lessons became more and more relevant every time. I couldn’t recommend her more!
Tine, Denmark
Fast-tracking your French starts here.
Choose from one of three ways to experience the Real-Life French Academy:
REAL-LIFE FRENCH ACADEMY (CLASSIC)
- Lifetime access to the Real-Life French Academy signature course
- Video and audio trainings, workbooks, advanced vocabulary lists, cheat sheets, interactive exercises & more!
- Real-world actions and missions to complete to bring your learning to life
Plus:
- 12 weeks of unlimited coaching support with Aurélie via Whatsapp
- Have an expert conversation partner, ask questions, practice your speaking and pronunciation, and implement what you learn!
- All text messages and voice notes responded to during weekly office hours
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REAL-LIFE FRENCH ACADEMY (VIP)
- Lifetime access to the Real-Life French Academy signature course
- Video and audio trainings, workbooks, advanced vocabulary lists, cheat sheets, interactive exercises & more!
- Real-world actions and missions to complete to bring your learning to life
Plus:
- 12 weeks of unlimited coaching support with Aurélie via Whatsapp
- Have an expert conversation partner, ask questions, practice your speaking and pronunciation, and implement what you learn!
- All text messages and voice notes responded to during weekly office hours
Plus:
- 3x 60 minute private coaching calls with Aurelie, recorded for you to keep
REAL-LIFE FRENCH ACADEMY (ELITE)
- Lifetime access to the Real-Life French Academy signature course
- Video and audio trainings, workbooks, advanced vocabulary lists, cheat sheets, interactive exercises & more!
- Real-world actions and missions to complete to bring your learning to life
Plus:
- 12 weeks of unlimited coaching support with Aurélie via Whatsapp
- Have an expert conversation partner, ask questions, practice your speaking and pronunciation, and implement what you learn!
- All text messages and voice notes responded to during weekly office hours
Plus:
- 6x 60 minute private coaching calls with Aurelie, recorded for you to keep
🎉 Happy students who have fast-tracked their French 🎉
I really enjoyed Aurélie’s class. I became more confident about speaking French under her encouragement and instructions. And her grammar teaching made my school’s French professor compliment me on my fast progression. Also she is super understanding and patient. I appreciate Aurélie’s help a lot and highly recommend her to you internationals who are new to Paris and would like to tone up your French skills! Ps. I already suggested her to my classmate, and my classmate loves her teaching as well 😉
Zijun, China
I thoroughly enjoy Aurélie's lessons which are engaging and very different to the French classes I've had in the past. I have never enjoyed grammar however, with Aurelie's clear and patient approach I have a better understanding and feel more motivated to study it. Additionally, we have explored literature extracts, discussed current topics and looked at aspects of French culture. Time flies in her lessons and not only is she an inspiring teacher but a lovely person too which makes it a great atmosphere to learn in. I cannot recommend her enough! She makes you fall in love with the French language even more. Helena, UK
Aurélie is very pedagogical, and we mix grammatical exercises with conversation and exercises based on French texts. It feels like there are so many concepts in the French language that have fallen into place for me after we have worked them through together. She is also so encouraging and after our sessions a nice little sense of happiness prevails. I just feel very lucky to have Aurelie as a French teacher and I really recommend her lessons to others!
Henrik, Sweden
Des questions ?
This program is for you if you have an intermediate or advanced level of French (A2-B2). You can have basic conversations in French, but you feel limited. You feel you can’t express yourself naturally and can’t talk about more complex topics.
You can understand podcasts in French at a slow pace (maybe not everything, but enough to have a good general understanding of what’s being said) or series with the subtitles on, but you struggle to follow complex or multi-directional, real-life conversations in French, especially in loud group settings.
You feel like you can understand far more French than you can speak, or feel like your spoken expression doesn’t allow you to truly get your ideas, opinions, or personality across.
If you enjoyed my free mini-course Spoken French Decoded, you will absolutely love the Real-Life French Academy.
Yes! The Classic experience provides access to voice message and text support, while the VIP and Elite options offer additional private coaching calls where we can deep-dive on any topic of your choice for 1 hour at a time. You don’t need more information – you could Google that. You need support, implementation, personalised advice and accountability. That’s where private coaching comes in.
You get instant access to all programme materials from the moment you sign up, and that will also activate your 12 weeks of coaching support. However, you get to keep the course materials for life, so you can refer back to them whenever you like.
Yes, the program is entirely in French. All the videos have subtitles in French and I explain all of the concepts and vocabulary that might be difficult to you. All audio files come with complete transcripts. Of course, if you have any questions, that’s what I’m there for!
French so good, you’ll never need “desolé, je n’ai pas compris” ever again.
It’s time to start learning the French that French people actually speak so that you can finally connect with the language and locals in the way you always intended.
Once you get out of Struggle Street and into the French Fast Lane, you’ll never look back.
Together, we’ll unblock your understanding of real-life conversations in French, and have you speaking naturally, with confidence. C’est parti!
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Still unsure? Send me a DM on Instagram or an email to check that Real-Life French Academy is perfect for you.