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Welcome

Do you need support with French GCSE or A-Level? Would you like to publish your Italian novel in English? Are you looking for an editor to perfect the English in your latest academic paper?

Look no further! Scroll down for details about the language services I offer.

Services

Tuition

French

  • 1:1 or small groups
  • Tailor-made lessons
  • Beginner, intermediate and advanced
  • Key Stage 2, Key Stage 3, GCSE and A-Level
  • Business French
  • Conversation practice

Italian

  • 1:1 or small groups
  • Tailor-made lessons
  • Beginner and intermediate
  • Key Stage 3 and GCSE
  • Conversation practice

When I decided I wanted to take GCSE French half-way through Year 10, Morag helped me catch up with the rest of my class and really boosted my confidence, particularly in speaking. She made learning a language fun and my final grade was much higher than predicted.

(Year 11 student)

Morag’s lessons are well-planned, thoughtfully structured, and delivered with confidence. She has excellent subject knowledge, which she uses effectively to support and challenge students.

(Secondary Head of Languages)

Translation

Literary

  • French and Italian into English
  • I work with French-language publishers translating samples to pitch to English-language publishing houses
  • I provide reader reports about French and Italian publications for English-language publishers
  • I have also translated a novel being turned into a screenplay in Los Angeles and a novel to be published simultaneously in French and English
  • Examples of books I’ve translated:
    Checkout A Life On The Tills Baker Street Phantom The Dream Killer Of Paris Become A Model

I couldn’t fault the translation and I felt like I was reading a classic novel that had been written in that era

(Amazon customer review of The Baker Street Phantom)

Commercial & Technical

  • French and Italian into English
  • Twenty years’ experience translating documents for private and public sector clients working in fields such as human rights, property law, management consulting, academia and tourism

Morag performed the duties entrusted to her with professionalism, diligence and punctuality. Her translation skills are highly recommendable [and] feedback on the quality of her translations has been very good.

(Human Rights NGO)

Feedback on the quality of Morag’s translations has been excellent.

(International debt collection agency)

Editing

  • Educational materials
  • Books
  • Submissions to academic journals
  • Corporate and public sector documents

Fees

Tuition

  • 1:1: £35 / lesson including preparation, resources and marking
  • Small groups: £20 / student / lesson including preparation, resources and marking

Translation

  • £0.10 / word to be translated (£30 minimum fee)

Editing

  • £25 / 1,000 words (£25 minimum fee)

Proofreading

  • £20 / 1,000 words (£20 minimum fee)

Credentials

  • Member of The Tutors’ Association
  • Member of the Association for Language Learning
  • BA (Hons) in French and Italian, University of Leeds (UK)
  • MA in French Translation, University of London Institute in Paris (France)
  • PGCE, University of Coventry (UK) (ongoing)
  • Enhanced DBS certificate

About Me

A special kind of beauty exists which is born in language, of language, and for language

(Gaston Bachelard, French philosopher).

Morag Young I still remember my first French lesson as a 9-year-old. I was entranced as the teacher began writing a series of entirely unknown words on the board: “il est”, “elle est”, “un chat”, “un chien”. That evening, I took out my brand new French textbook and practised saying all the words I had learnt out loud over and over again. It felt as though I had been admitted to a secret society.

I was introduced to Italian for the first time at secondary school and was instantly bewitched by the beauty and musicality of the language. I also began to realise that communicating effectively in a different language is about more than just knowing the words. Different sounds require you to create a different persona. It surely isn’t physically possible to speak Italian or French authentically with the restraint of a British stiff upper lip.

I went on to study both French and Italian to degree level, thrilling at not just the sounds of these beautiful languages but, increasingly, their linguistic patterns, connections and anomalies. Grammar and etymology, far from being a chore, fascinated me. By the time I finished my undergraduate degree, I had become particularly interested in the challenges involved in comparing one language with another and the consequences for effective communication. This led me to study for an MA in translation and subsequently a career as a professional translator in Strasbourg and Paris.

Now based in Kent in the UK, my goal is to share my love of languages and help people overcome their own linguistic barriers. Whether you want to learn French or Italian from scratch, improve your skills and fluency for school or work, translate your books and documents into English to expand your audience, or iron out any errors and inconsistencies in your English writing, I can help so do please get in touch.

By improving our ability to communicate and share ideas across borders, linguistic diversity can be something to celebrate rather than an obstacle to progress.

Morag