Dr Catherine Buckwell

About Dr

Hello, I’m Catherine. I’m a teacher of French and Italian and founder of LinguaThinking which provides complete GCSE, IGCSE and A Level courses in French and Italian, enabling students to access languages not offered by their school, or study an additional language alongside their other subjects. I also offer academic support and tuition for students already studying within a school setting and I really enjoy teaching languages to adults. Working with young linguists genuinely brings me a lot of joy. I love exploring the rich language, literature and culture of France and Italy alongside my students, and supporting them to develop confidence, critical thinking and analytical skills. I am always energised by the fresh perspectives that my students bring to our lessons. I’ve spent more than 20 years teaching languages, literature and culture across UK independent and state schools, at university level and at language schools and state schools in Europe. I hold a PhD and MPhil in Modern and Medieval Languages and Literature from the University of Cambridge, a First-Class BA in French and Italian and a PGCE in Modern Languages. I have taught European literature and translation to Cambridge undergraduates, as well as French and Italian from KS3 through to GCSE, IGCSE, A Level and IB. I have also worked as Head of Italian and held senior roles in the sixth form. Currently I work part time as Universities Coordinator, supporting students with higher education and competitive university applications, including Oxford and Cambridge – which means that I have an informed understanding of the thinking skills required to transition to higher level study, helping students to progress from GCSE and A-Level to university and beyond. I am, of course, always delighted to support applications in languages! My own academic background has taught me the value of thinking deeply and this informs all aspects of my teaching. I want students not simply to achieve excellent results, but to become thoughtful, confident and independent linguists, who can engage with the world around them. Critical thinking and close textual analysis are integral to my approach – I provide extensive support for essay writing and critical analysis, and I have longstanding experience of preparing students for oral examinations at GCSE and A Level. Please see website for further details about courses and academic support. Prices are higher for one to one A Level candidates. Teaching independently through LinguaThinking enables me to develop outreach work with universities and educational charities.

Languages and levels

• French

  • Key Stage 3
  • GCSE
  • AS level
  • A level
  • Adult learners

• Italian

  • Key Stage 3
  • GCSE
  • AS level
  • A level
  • Adult learners