In these neuro-divergent times, the binary division of "one language or two" in bilinguals is perhaps due some contestation, which students are capable of providing. I have always found bilingual production models (and the ubiquitous Powerpoint slide) that university teachers provide a hindrance because of their lack of explicitness and discussion - they are just not relatable as presented nor do they provide much information or examples for monolingual students. Code-switching, a by-product of bilingualism, is now a term that is even found in minority-ethnic neighbourhood grafitti ("can white people code-switch" a found example). Please note that this is a linguistic term, used for switching between two languages, and not between local or social varieties of English. My personal position is that there is no such thing as bilingualism: there is always a language that suffers attrition, and one language that prevails, mostly because of its prestigious standing over the other language. On the other hand, a child exposed to more than one language cannot be truly monolingual. For this course (very popular at universities around Europe both at undergraduate and postgraduate level) we shall go through the terms used to discuss bilingualism, in detail, and then discuss, with the help of published books and articles, who can be considered bilingual (or are we all, one other language lying dormant?). Can bilingualism be defined by the speaker, instead of the "community"? Can it be imposed by the State? Does a bilingual brain function in the same manner as a monolingual brain? These are research questions that emerge as dissertation or thesis topics both at undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

For Linguistics and Phonetics you will go through your university course assignments with me, we shall do "Chomskian trees" and we shall discuss theoretical points (eg GB theory, minimalist program). For Phonetics, IPA symbols and phonetic structures and theories (auto-segmental phonology and optimality theory). WARNING: there are many approaches to these theories, we shall go by what has been adopted at your university.

In this course, you will learn a range of linguistic methods and learn the terms used for describing a specific aspect of language or phenomenon (lexis, morphemes, and 'telegraphic stage' to give a few examples). The course requires you to explore your own data using quantitative and qualitative analysis (eg: how frequently are slang phrases used? Are there new auxiliaries being created?). No historical linguistics or literature is involved, but language change or specific traits will be sampled via your own data collection (if this is what is demanded in your course). As many students need to present a "year abroad" dissertation at University level (3rd year in the UK of a Modern Languages or Linguistics Undergraduate course) I can help you to research and structure your year abroad work, both in English (Linguistics) and Romance languages (French, Italian, Spanish). The topics that have arisen from recent discussions with students relate to French Caribbean writing, Italian resistance and reprisals in Rome (Fosse Ardiatine), and Spanish Etica franquista in films (among others).

In this Latin course, I offer "Common Entrance at 13+" training (including scholarship papers) for those students who have studied Latin for one or two years, and would like to revise, do translations and read from fun books such as Minimus or So you really want to learn Latin. Plenty of cultural stories and mythology in the mix, besides battles and august men. A basic understanding of grammar (or willingness to learn) expected. Ideally, students ought to be doing Latin at school and preferably have a second language (a Romance language ideal for securing a higher grade).

You will be prepared for public exams (A levels, GCSE, American SATS, Common Entrance) in French, Spanish, Linguistics (English) and Latin (up to Common Entrance) to a high standard. For those not taking exams, you will be taught via grammar and reading, which assures quick progression. You are welcome to bring your own material to explore with the tutor or your school prep. I do not write essays for students but provide a high degree of research to allow you to shine in your project or chosen module.