A Woking language teacher is celebrating 25 years of inspiring local children to learn French and Spanish.

Ros Shankla, who teaches with La Jolie Ronde, began running language classes in Woking in October 2000. Over the past quarter of a century she has helped hundreds of children discover the joy of languages through fun and engaging lessons.

During that time Ros has taught at 33 different venues and introduced language learning into local nursery settings. Her classes have also grown significantly, with up to 287 pupils enrolled on courses in 2021.

As demand increased, she built a team of tutors so families in the area could benefit from both French and Spanish classes.

Ros has also supported the next generation of teachers. Some of her centres have now been passed on to one of her tutors, who has since become a La Jolie Ronde licensee, continuing the language teaching she helped establish locally.

Steve Baker, general manager at La Jolie Ronde, praised Ros’s long-standing contribution.

“From the very beginning, Ros made a lasting impression. Her first quality assurance report highlighted that parents were extremely happy and that their children thoroughly enjoyed her classes,” he said.

“Over the years, feedback has consistently praised Ros for her gentle and natural rapport with her pupils and her ability to ensure that learning is always fun.

“Her dedication, professionalism and enthusiasm over the past 25 years have made a tremendous difference to so many children and families in the Woking area, and we are incredibly grateful for the contribution she has made to La Jolie Ronde.”

Reflecting on her journey, Ros said the years have flown by.

“The past 25 years with La Jolie Ronde seem to have gone so quickly, starting with teaching my own daughters who are now in their 20s and 30s,” she said.

“One of them said she remembers far more French from her five years with the La Jolie Ronde programme than she does from her GCSE, which shows what a brilliant foundation it gave her.

“One of the reasons I have stayed for so long is not just the joy of teaching, but also that I love working with the materials La Jolie Ronde produces and seeing how much the children enjoy them too.

“When I first started, the course books were entirely in black and white and we were still using cassettes which we had to wind forward or back to the correct place before the lesson.

“I have also really enjoyed working with such a friendly and supportive company, so thank you La Jolie Ronde for creating such a welcoming family atmosphere.”

La Jolie Ronde has been teaching languages to children for more than 40 years, helping young learners build confidence and develop language skills through music, games and interactive activities.

Ros’s dedication over the past 25 years has helped many children across the Woking area take their first steps in learning another language.