GrindsWorld Tutor: Daniel Cornejo

I am a post-primary teacher with almost 10 years experience teaching both Irish and French in both Junior and Senior Cycle, and I have a keen interest in languages, reading, poetry and film. I have lived and worked abroad in France and spend 3 to 6 weeks each year teaching in the Gaeltacht.

I began teaching as a language assistant in Bergerac in southern France in 2012 and have enjoyed it ever since.

I have taught in single-sex schools, both all-boys and all-girls, but I have also spent 3-6 weeks each summer teaching and supervising on immersive language courses in the Gaeltacht where classes are mixed.

I have also engaged in Home Tutoring and in grinds informally in recent years, and have corrected exams for Leaving Certificate French mocks.

I always begin with difficulties students have encountered in class that week, to clear up any confusion on a given topic or grammar point.

As both Irish and French are both living languages, I like to focus on oral production and interaction, and then correct errors arising from our conversation. I find that students appreciate being given the opportunity to express themselves orally without distractions typically found in the classroom. Furthermore, the Oral Examinations for both Irish and French are worth 40% and 25% respectively at Higher Level, and are therefore worth revising intensively.

As regards essay-writing I teach students how to structure their essays, and place emphasis on important vocabulary and filler phrases to flesh out their essays. I also provide students with sample essays as a guide.