What we do
About
Le Chat Noir Language
Le Chat Noir was created by Marine Nikola.
She is a French native, French tutor for 10 years, giving French lessons all over New York City and now in San Diego, California. She is also an artist, painter, graphic designer and cat lover! Marine created her own unique atmosphere for her French lessons:
Marine and her French team, all French Natives, host PRIVATE LESSONS at a group work space in PB, in wine-bars, parks, coffee shops, exhibitions, restaurants or at home for kids.
She believes that teaching French as a new language should be a dynamic and fun occasion so that students of all ages fall in love with French even more.
Reviews
See more reviews on our Yelp page
Meryl A
Retired/ Upper West Side
I have tried to learn French, on and off, for years. It was frustrating. With Marine I'm finally getting somewhere. Marine motivates you with her fun and instructive lessons that incorporate your interests. She has a wonderful way of correcting you that combines patience, lack of judgment, and good instruction. She meets you where your learning needs are and pulls you out from there. French lessons are a joy with Marine.
Shah K
Engineer/ Paris
Not long after my move to Paris, I realized that preparing (for a full year) using DuoLingo unfortunately had not provided me the pronunciation skills, listening comprehension, grammar or real-life vocabulary I needed in order to properly communicate here. At best, I spoke like an app. Mainly, I didn't understand what anyone said or how to correctly read words off a menu.
Fast-forward 3 months: I just had my first haircut entirely in French (complete with a casual conversation during it) and then went hopping from record store to record store asking for recommendations and help finding albums. What difference lessons with Marine can make! It's literally been life-changing to finally be able to immerse myself in my surroundings and make this place feel like home. I couldn't be more grateful to her or my friend who recommended her lessons. I would call it miraculous, but it's simply a testament to how good of a teacher Marine is.
The sessions just fly by. They're fun, relaxed and casual. Marine is interesting, hilarious, encouraging and infinitely patient. It really feels like the best possible atmosphere to learn, because it also boosts that much-needed confidence. The classes are dynamic and tailored to my needs and each one opens a new door; whether it's going to the bakery, talking on the phone, meeting new people or playing a French song on the guitar (!). The balance between practical vs. grammar is perfect and Marine has a way of explaining even the most idiosyncratic rules in simple ways that always stick. I leave the sessions feeling in control of the topics, even the most complex.
I truly couldn't recommend Marine more wholeheartedly. I look forward to each session and can't think of an easier or more fun way to learn French. The special appearances by her cats and her incredible art never hurt either!
Edmund Y
Technical Manager/ Brooklyn
I have been trying to learn French on and off for the past 5 years. I have tried, Rosetta Stone, Online courses, classroom settings etc... Marine is by far the best French tutoring experience I have had. The biggest obstacle for me has always been having the confidence to make mistakes and staying motivated with the more challenging grammatical structures of the language.With Marine I never feel judged if I make a mistake and every mistake is made into a learning opportunity. Marine is very patient, engaging and informative in her approach to teaching.
I have seen my speaking, writing and reading skills drastically improve since we have started working together. Marine is also incredibly flexible with scheduling and always arrives on time (she's also a great artist!) I highly recommend her to anyone who is looking to learn/improve their French skills!
Joe M
Engineer/ Brooklyn
Marine est super!
I've been studying conversational French with Marine for almost 6 years now. She is a great teacher - patiente et gentille. When I started I only knew a few basic phrases. Now I can have a simple conversation with most any French speaker. I was able to tour Normandy and visit museums, restaurants, and shops speaking entirely in French. There is no better way to learn French than one-on-one with a good French teacher.
Anthony B
President/ CEO/ Queens
I went through a ton of online and electronic material, but there's a inherent difference with being able to speak directly with someone. Marine is great...both as a human being and as a tutor. My listening has greatly improved, and my confidence is perhaps too high. I still don't understand everything that she says, and I don't know how to say everything that I want to say, but soon I intend to be a guest actor on Lupin or La Révolution.
Abe R
Programmer/ Miami
Marine is a natural educator: patient, creative, passionate about sharing her language and culture with others & and most importantly, lots of fun. We've been doing weekly lessons for a little over a year and my French comprehension, grammar, & pronunciation have exploded in every way as a result of studying with her. I didn't learn this much even after living in France for 6 months. I particularly enjoy when we get to dramatically read, act out, and then pick apart the ever-tragic Baudelaire: "Il me semble que ce tour de clef augmentera ma solitude et fortifiera les barricades qui me séparent actuellement du monde. Horrible vie! Horrible ville!" Bwahahahah! Love it!!
Gretchen S
Éditrice Francophone/ New York City
Marine is the best! I've been taking lessons with her for a year now, and my vocabulary and ease in speaking French have improved greatly. She'll tailor her lessons to whatever you'd like to work on. For me, that's conversation, and so we speak in French for an hour a week. She always comes to our lesson with funny stories, videos, and news articles to share, and corrects any mistakes I make gently. She also has two very cute cats. Highly recommend Le Chat Noir.
Sarah L
Software Engineer/ Los Angeles
Marine est géniale! The lessons are always fun and engaging! I have taken lessons with Marine in person and online and the quality of the lessons is great in both formats. I took french for years in grade school and university but never experienced any progress in my speaking skills in particular. Working one-on-one with Marine had helped me finally make real progress for the first time! She is very honest and doesn't ignore problems in your speech. It's clear her goal is to help you improve, not get away with bad habits. Very excited to keep studying with her and move toward fluency! So glad I signed up lessons!
Tatsushi T
Carpenter/ New York City
When I first started studying French with Marine, I only had experienced a couple of group classes at beginner's level. I didn't know what to expect from her private lessons which turned out be a right choice. Being advanced now, I can say, Marine has a very patient approach for students of any level. I was able to study at my own pace and focus on weak areas (especially the prononciation) after an extended time. Generally I don't succeed in language studies but thanks to her engaging style of teaching, I have been studying French for more than 7 years now. Her diverse cultural knowledge and interest also have helped as well. Lately, we have discussed the French literature and engaged on more advanced styles of writing.
Grant G
Novelist and Professor/ Brooklyn
Marine has been my tutor for almost seven years now, and I can honestly say that my French has never been better or more fluent. As opposed to other language instructors, who can often make you feel intimidated that speak, Marine is patient, helpful, and encouraging. I highly recommend her.
Rebecca M
Media buyer and Planner/ Upper East Side
I’ve been taking weekly lessons with Marine for five months, to fulfill a personal dream to learn French. Marine is a warm, patient, and flexible teacher. She is creative with her lesson plans, personalizing our course based on my skill level and interests. She teaches grammar, vocabulary, and commonly used French phrases through multi-media methods that are educational, interactive and fun. Our lessons have provided a nurturing space to practice speech, reading, and writing in a one-on-one setting, and have allowed me to greatly improve my French and understanding of French culture and current events. I look forward each week to my lesson and to continue making progress learning French with Marine!
Laura I
Senior Manager at CHANEL/ Brooklyn
I have been a student of Marine’s for the past 1.5 years, during which time my confidence in speaking French and vocabulary have grown exponentially! I frequently travel to Paris for work and am now able to converse with colleagues and locals without sounding as if I am reading a textbook. Marine approaches teaching French in a non-judgmental and friendly way, and our sessions are always full of humor and cultural discussions. This is by far the most enjoyable French language experience I have encountered in New York (and virtually) and I would recommend Le Chat Noir vivement !
Contact
Contact Us
Our Address
3866 Ingraham St, San Diego, CA 92109
Email Us
lechatnoirlanguage@gmail.com
Text Us
+347 822 2361