You learn a language to use it, to communicate with others and to enrich your life. Corine Barbeau realised this at a young age. It is therefore not surprising that she left her American and English literature studies in France to continue them in the United States. By combining work and school, she learned the English language through and through there, expanded into the film business and then obtained a master’s degree in education sciences.
Coincidence brought her to the Netherlands when a large accounting firm sent her here to develop employee training programmes. After some time, she could no longer make maximum use of her creative talents in that role. But the work at Regina Coeli has never bored her for a moment!
‘I see it as my job to help people flourish in French. That’s why I want to know exactly what someone has to be able to do and what they are like. That way, you can work towards an end goal based on what that individual is like. It’s not uncommon for to people to come in a bit uncertain at first. That usually goes away quickly.
I’m always cautious when making statements about culture. French culture cannot be captured in a few rules, especially because there are differences among the regions in France, and in ages and situations. I always say: look around, listen to people and adapt.’