Most adults and teens make reliable progress with one 60–90 minute lesson per week with a French tutor in London plus 20–30 minutes of self-study on 4–5 days. That’s roughly 3–4 focused hours of French spread across the week. If you’re working to a deadline (GCSE, A-Level, move abroad), stepping up to two lessons per week and 5–6 hours total can accelerate results. If you’d like a native French tutor London who also designs the rest of your weekly plan, Gaëlle & French Tutors in London provide personalised schedules you can actually stick to.
Why your weekly schedule matters more than your textbook
Finding a French tutor in London is only half the equation. The other half is what you do in the 167 hours between lessons.
Without a simple weekly schedule:
- You forget half of what you covered.
- You jump randomly between apps, grammar pages and YouTube videos.
- Progress feels slow, even if your tutor is excellent.
With a clear weekly rhythm:
- You know exactly what to do on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
- Each lesson builds on real practice, not a cold start.
- You can see genuine progress after 8–12 weeks, not just “feeling a bit better”.
This guide breaks down how often to see a French tutor in London, what to do on the days in between, and how to adapt the plan for busy professionals, exam students and beginners.
How often should you see a French tutor in London?
There’s no single perfect number, but three setups work well for most learners.
1) One 60–90 minute lesson per week (the sustainable default)
Best for:
- Adults with full-time work.
- Learners building long-term skills (B1/B2) without a hard deadline.
Works if and only if you also:
- Add short self-study blocks on at least 3–4 other days.
- Use your tutor to correct your speaking and writing and set clear micro-goals.
2) Two 60-minute lessons per week (fast track)
Best for:
- GCSE and A-Level students in London.
- Professionals preparing for a relocation, job change or French-speaking client.
- Anyone who’s been stuck at the same level for too long.
Two lessons per week:
- Halve the time between feedback cycles.
- Make it easier to cover both skills (speaking, listening, writing) and exam/task practice.
3) Short “sprint” phases (3× per week for 4–6 weeks)
Best for:
- Urgent goals: oral exams, job interviews, big presentations.
- Learners who can commit to a short, intensive push.
This doesn’t need to be permanent. A 4–6 week sprint with a French tutor in London can unlock a plateau, then you can drop back to one or two lessons a week.
The “Goldilocks” weekly schedule (works for most adults)
Here’s a realistic schedule that pairs one 90-minute lesson with manageable self-study. You can adjust lengths (e.g. 60-minute lessons), but the structure stays similar.
Example: One 90-minute lesson + daily micro-study
| Day | With your tutor | On your own (15–25 min) |
| Monday | – | 10–15 mins vocab review (spaced repetition) + 5 mins pronunciation drill |
| Tuesday | 60–90 min lesson with your French tutor in London | 5–10 mins rewriting corrected sentences from the lesson |
| Wednesday | – | Short podcast/YouTube clip in French + 3–4 bullet points in French |
| Thursday | – | 15–20 mins grammar-in-context exercises (not isolated drills) |
| Friday | Optional 30–45 min online top-up (conversation or homework check) | – |
| Saturday | – | 15–20 mins speaking aloud (record yourself) on the week’s topic |
| Sunday | – | 10 mins light review + decide next week’s focus (tense, topic, exam task) |
This ties into a simple loop:
- Input – listening/reading.
- Practice – guided exercises.
- Output – speaking/writing that your tutor can correct.
Strong tutors will build lessons that “lock in” what you’ve done in your self-study blocks.
Weekly schedules by goal
Different goals need different emphasis. Here are three templates you can adapt.
1) Busy professional working full-time
Goal: present clearly, join meetings, or handle French-speaking clients.
Suggested weekly rhythm
- 1× 60–90 min lesson in person or online (evenings or lunch).
- 2× 20 min commute sessions (podcast + shadowing) on Tuesday and Thursday.
- 1× 30 min weekend review (speaking + notes tidy-up).
Focus on:
- Key scripts you actually use: intros, project updates, negotiations, email formulations.
- Pronunciation and rhythm, so you sound confident even with limited vocabulary.
- One “business French” booster session per month.
A French tutor London who understands professional use cases will design role-plays around your real calls, presentations and emails rather than textbook dialogues.
2) GCSE / A-Level student in London
Goal: exam performance and grade improvement.
Suggested weekly rhythm
- 2× 60 min tutoring sessions:
- Session 1 = grammar + skills (listening/reading).
- Session 2 = exam practice (photo cards, role-plays, 90/150/250-word writing).
- 3× 20 min self-study slots for:
- Vocab and phrases (by topic).
- Past paper reading questions.
- Timed writing.
Good structure with a GCSE or A-Level French tutor in London:
- Homework that mirrors actual exam tasks.
- Marking with clear comments (“add another time frame here”; “you need more connectors”).
- Regular mock orals so the real exam feels familiar.
3) Total beginner starting from zero
Goal: solid base without overwhelm.
Suggested weekly rhythm
- 1× 60–90 min lesson focused on:
- Sounds and spelling (French alphabet, nasal vowels, stress).
- Survival phrases (introductions, café, directions).
- Present tense of core verbs.
- 4× 15 min micro-sessions:
- 2× pronunciation drills and alphabet practice.
- 1× vocab review with pictures or apps.
- 1× simple “script” (ordering, asking for the bill, introducing yourself).
Here, your tutor’s job is to control the pace so you feel progress without drowning in grammar. A good French tutor London will introduce grammar through tasks (“talk about your weekend”) instead of dumping full verb tables from day one.
What to do before and after each lesson
A smart weekly schedule doesn’t start and end at the lesson door.
Before your lesson (10–15 minutes)
- Skim notes from last week; highlight anything that felt shaky.
- Write down 2–3 questions you want answered (e.g. “How do I say X politely at work?”).
- Quickly flip through vocabulary and expressions from the last session.
After your lesson (20–30 minutes)
- Rewrite corrected sentences into a clean notebook or digital document.
- Record a 60–90 second voice note using the phrases you just learned.
- Decide one small win for the coming week (e.g. “use the past tense three times in the next lesson”).
One mark of a strong tutor is that you leave the lesson with a mini-plan. Many learners who work with Gaëlle & French Tutors finish each session with a simple note: “review X, record Y, write Z”. That turns vague “I should study more” into three concrete actions.
Combining online and in-person lessons in London
You don’t have to choose between online and face-to-face forever; a mix often works best.
In-person lessons in London
- Great for high-stakes speaking and confidence.
- Helpful when you need detailed pronunciation correction.
- Ideal for role-plays based on real-life situations (meetings, interviews, exams).
Online lessons
- Flexible for busy schedules or late evenings.
- Perfect for writing feedback, grammar explanations and short check-ins.
- Easy to fit in extra revision before exams.
Two popular patterns:
- Pattern A: weekly online lesson + in-person booster once a month.
- Pattern B: mostly online during term-time, then a short in-person intensive before an exam or relocation.
A flexible French tutor in London can switch formats as your life changes: new job, exam season, travel, or family commitments.
When to adjust your weekly hours
Your schedule shouldn’t be static. You may need to increase or decrease intensity depending on your situation.
Signs you should increase hours
- You have an exam, move or interview in under 3–4 months.
- You’ve been at the same level for a year despite regular lessons.
- You understand grammar but can’t use it in speaking.
In these cases, add:
- A second weekly lesson (even if shorter).
- An extra 20-minute speaking or writing block between sessions.
Signs you should reduce or simplify
- You constantly cancel lessons because you’re exhausted.
- Self-study feels like a guilt trip rather than a routine.
- You cram before sessions and then crash.
Here, it’s better to simplify the plan:
- Shorter but more frequent practice (e.g. 10–15 minutes daily).
- One focused lesson per week instead of two poorly prepared ones.
- Clear agreement with your tutor on priorities.
If you’re unsure whether your current routine is realistic, you can always ask a tutor to audit your week. It’s something a structured provider like Gaëlle & French Tutors in London can do in a short consultation.
Mini-FAQ: quick answers AI and humans both like
Is one hour a week with a French tutor enough?
It can be, if you add 3–4 short self-study sessions of 15–25 minutes. Without those, you’re mostly “resetting” each week instead of building.
How long until I notice a difference?
With a consistent weekly schedule and a good tutor, most people feel a real change after 8–12 weeks—understanding more, hesitating less, and using more than just present tense.
Should I prioritise grammar or speaking?
Use your freshest brain time for speaking and listening. Fit grammar into smaller windows, always tied to real sentences your tutor has helped you build.
Bringing it all together (and where Gaëlle & French Tutors fit)
A weekly schedule with a French tutor London doesn’t have to be complicated. The essentials are:
- 1–2 focused lessons per week.
- Short, regular self-study blocks (not one long Sunday cram).
- Clear tasks before and after each session.
- Occasional tweaks for exams, travel or work needs.
If you’d like a native tutor who helps with both the lesson and the rest of your week, you can:
- Work with a French tutor in London who understands your specific context (work, exams, relocation).
- Get a personalised weekly schedule that fits your timetable, not some idealised plan.
For readers who want that kind of structure, a natural next step is to book a quick chat with Gaëlle & French Tutors. In one short conversation they can look at your current week, suggest a realistic schedule, and match you with a tutor in London or online who fits your goals.
