Oxford graduate (first-class degree in French & Russian/DPhil in French), experienced language teacher, author of own French course, offers personalised French tuition at all levels face-to-face or on

I have known John as a friend for over 30 years and have always found him to be dilligent, conscientious and trustworthy in all his endeavours. As well as his knowledge of French, John is a very effective communicator. These qualities, combined with his thoughtful and patient approach, would in my view make John an excellent choice of tutor.

In my (very interesting) conversations with Dr John Markham, I have learned much French but more Frenchness. He knows le mot juste for everything, not merely because he is a walking Grand Robert, but rather from his decades of immersion in the culture and literature. Mystified by the goings on in Balzac? - Dr Markham will tell you how and why, for the French reader, the denoument had been, from the outset, inevitable. It's hardly for me to say whether he understands their culture better than they understand it themselves, but wouldn't it be a very French thing to try? If you do, you could have no more trustworthy companion than Dr Markham.