This page is under construction

Here are some online courses and an online comunity which will help you do just that

Teaching the English present and past tenses

The Joy of English community

This on-line course shows a methodology for explaining the tenses which
is fun, engaging and above all effective.

• It addresses the three dimensions of tenses: FORM, MEANING and USE.
• It uses a simple diagram to give an overview of the tenses
• It requires minimum ressources
• It can be taught in groups or one to one
• It can be taught online or face to face

When you buy and enrol for the course you get
2 months free access to the Joy of English community

You can watch this video for more info

Life as a teacher of English can be rewarding
but it can also be confusing, frustrating, lonely

If you are a native teacher, when you start teaching English you suddenly discover grammar you had never thought about. You then have to explain this to your students. This is especially true of the tenses.
For all teachers: there are a whole load of often slightly different explanations of the tenses which can be confusing.
When you start teaching this to your students you often see bored or blank faces looking back at you.

You can spend hours preparing lessons and then when you go in to the lesson something happens which spoils your planning.
You can have so many classes with students of different levels that class preparation becomes a nightmare.
You are always working against the clock and you have no time to just sit back and recharge your batteries.

Some teachers will find themselves in wonderful modern schools with plentiful ressources and help.
Other teachers can find themselves in situations where ressources and support is scarce.
Online teachers may find it lonely working without support from other teachers. They may also have difficulty making grammar subjects fun online.

• The teaching the tenses methodology will bring an end to all confusion.
• It will simplify your lesson preparation even if you teach different levels of students.
• Being a member of the Joy of English community will make the learning experience more enjoyable as you will be able to have support and share with other teachers.

How this all started and why it's for you!

I have been teaching English for more than 20 years now. When I came across this methodology for teaching the tenses a little more than seven years ago I considered myself a good, experienced, accomplished TEFL teacher. But I felt there was something missing.
I felt a bit like I couldn't see the wood for the trees. I was using several well known text books, and I knew them off by heart. But I felt I was missing a clear overview of all I was teaching.

Then I came across this methodology. Suddenly I felt that this was what I had been waiting for. I started to put it into practice.
I had to modify and adapt it to my circumstances as a nomad teacher carrying around my box of tricks. I also modified it to suit my students.
With this method I finally felt I had a bird's eye view of how English works. I was out of the woods!

I started off as a textile designer. This influences how I see the world. I am always looking for patterns. This methodology shows the pattern of English. It goes beyond Grammar rules. It shows you how the English language percieves the world.
Using this methodology your students don't have to learn off by heart a whole lot of Grammar rules. They create with you a diagram of how the tenses are organised. This gives them a solid base to work from and simplifies their learning.

• The teaching the tenses methodology is for all teachers, be they beginners or experienced.
• It will take your teaching to a whole new level, making you confident and giving you a Zen attitude to teaching.
• To accompany you on your journey of exploration of the English language I have created the Joy of English community. I had to learn, adapt and modify the methodology on my own, but you won't have to.

Introducing the Joy of English Community

• A safe place to ask questions, experiment with ideas, practice lessons, discuss English teaching theory, and generally learn and grow without fear of judgment or rejection.
• Relationship building opportunities with like-minded teachers that can yield solutions to problems, lead to creative exchange, and establish friendships.
• First access to new English teaching courses from La Clef Anglaise. (that's me Patricia, the creator of all this) I have in the pipeline: teaching the future tenses, teaching the modals, teaching the conditionals.
• As a Beta member you will have the chance to influence how this community develops. I am ready to hear your ideas!

• A community that welcomes members from diverse backgrounds including race, ethnicity, gender, orientation, neurodiversity, and physical ableness.
• A focused environment to accelerate learning and networking due to the absence of fluff content, noisy discussion channels, and non-serious members.
• An opportunity to meet learners of English through monthly get-togethers online (Zoom meetings with break-out rooms so as to be able to have real conversations)
• An opportunity to publish online lessons and get feedback from students and teachers.

Webinar Registration

• I will be launching the Teaching the tenses course with the Joy of English membership between the 18th and 25th May.
• I will be having a series of webinars to which you are cordially invited.
• The webinars are on the 18th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd and 24th May
• I will be talking about the course, the Joy of English community and the vision I have. At the end of the webinar we will have a Q&A
• I invite you to click on the button to register. The webinars are free.

Enrolment process

The enrolment button will bring
you to an enrolment page where
you will be asked to give your
name and email.

Then you will click on the "Buy"
button which will take you
to the sales page.

Once you have purchased the
course, you can directly login
to the course.

You will receive an
email with a link to the
Joy of English community
Sign-up page

You have 2 months free membership of the Joy of English community.

At the end of this time you can choose to end the subscription. Or you can choose to continue the sbscription as a beta member.

Cost for Beta members is 18€ per month (about 21$)

Hosted by Namesco

This website works best in Firefox and Chrome