Isabelle Christophe
Founder & CEO at Tricycle Languages
Isabelle is a certified French teacher with a TEFL qualification. Born in France, she studied photography and then set off to travel the world with her camera in hand. She spent 3 years in Switzerland, 8 years in the United States, 2 years in the Netherlands, 1 year in Turkey, and more. Over the years, she worked in various fields including sales, administration, data management, VR tech support, hospitality, and catering. Sharing her language and culture has become a true passion, and she’s been living it full-time online with her students for almost 2 years, accumulating nearly 2,000 hours of lessons. In addition to photography, travel, and teaching, Isabelle is also passionate about cooking, games, and music.
After teaching over 5,000 hours of French as a Foreign Language to adult learners, I realized that they all shared one wish: to be able to read an entire book starting at A2 level.
At that stage, the selection is quite limited — books are often either childish or crime novels set in Paris.
When reading learner-focused novels written by polyglots, I found numerous grammatical mistakes, outdated or unnatural expressions, and I noticed how little interest my students showed in them. That’s when I felt the urge to write my own series.
I wanted to open the doors to lesser-known, less touristy regions of France. To share my favorite spots, delicious local specialties, cultural differences between regions, art, architecture, landscapes, and more.
"À Travers la France" tells the story of Madison and Annabelle, two best friends who embark on a one-year journey across France. Starting from San Francisco, Madison meets up with Annabelle in Lyon. Together, in their converted van, they explore iconic sites such as Château de la Roche, the Monastery of Brou, the Balme Caves, Annecy, Chamonix, Grenoble, Montélimar, and many more. Their adventure is filled with cultural discoveries, breathtaking landscapes, and delicious local cuisine. This story is a celebration of friendship and the joy of living, offering readers a captivating immersion into the rich diversity and beauty of France.
I also drew inspiration from my students’ suggestions by including comprehension sections, games, flashcards, audio files, and pronunciation guides.
In short, this series is a complete tool for self-study or use in workshops, book clubs, and beyond.
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