Fareham Teacher Marks 2 Decades of Inspiring Children to Love French
A children’s language teacher in Fareham is celebrating a remarkable milestone after dedicating 20 years to inspiring local children to learn French. Emma Hodder recently received her 20 Year Service Award in recognition of two decades spent teaching French to young learners and supporting fellow teachers across the UK.
Emma began her in Farnborough, where she quickly established a successful and much-loved French club for local children using the award winning La Jolie Ronde Programme. After later relocating to Fareham, she once again built her classes from the ground up, using her experience and passion for language learning to create a thriving programme for families in the area.
Over the years, Emma’s engaging and energetic approach has helped hundreds of children discover the joy of learning another language, helping pupils build confidence for tackling languages at secondary as well as developing valuable communication skills.
Alongside running her own successful classes, Emma also plays an important role within the wider La Jolie Ronde network as an Area Support Advisor. In this role, she provides guidance and encouragement to licensees across the Southwest, sharing her experience to help others grow their own successful language clubs.
Steve Baker, General Manager at La Jolie Ronde, said:
“Emma is known for being passionate and enthusiastic, qualities that shine through in every class she teaches. Her energy and commitment have not only inspired her pupils over the years but have also had a lasting impact on the many licensees she has supported and encouraged throughout her journey.”
Reflecting on how her journey began, Emma said:
“I often think back fondly to the days when my dad encouraged me to apply to La Jolie Ronde. He sent me an article published in the Daily Telegraph about the company, and I pinned it on my noticeboard in the States where we were living at the time — alongside a recipe for mushy peas my mum sent that I haven’t used to this day!
When we returned to England, I applied for a job at a local nursery school, but the conditions were prohibitive — five days a week, paying for my daughter to attend, and completing an NVQ, all for minimum wage. I refused and approached both La Jolie Ronde and another language company. La Jolie Ronde was by far the most impressive — and I was offered the position. The rest, as they say, is history!
One of the greatest joys has been seeing the impact of languages in my own family too. Both my children studied French to AS level and excelled. Matthew, who was six when I started with La Jolie Ronde, even spent a year at McGill University in Montréal as part of his degree. Abigail, who was three when I began, achieved 100% in her translation into French section in her French AS — and apparently made the French department weep when she decided not to continue to A2!
I have never regretted my decision to start my business. I love my time in the classroom as much as ever, and the virtual classroom is so much fun as well. Thank you all for the fun times and support over the years.”
Emma’s dedication, enthusiasm and commitment have made her a valued member of the community. celebrates this remarkable milestone, colleagues, families and pupils alike are thanking Emma for 20 wonderful years of inspiring children to discover the joy of languages.