Bonjour! Permettez-moi de me présenter!

My name is Stephanie Whitney (formerly DeForest). I am a Portland native and Francophile who loves all things French!

My parents met in Paris in 1958 when my mother was studying abroad at the Sorbonne and my father was living as a hopeful writer following in the footsteps of authors like Hemingway. I grew up in a family of educators with my mother teaching English as a non native language and French and my father teaching composition, creative writing and film at the college level for 30 years. I started learning French at the age of 11 and, inspired by a 3-month trip with my family at the age of 12, I completed my senior year in college abroad in Lyon, France in a direct exchange program at the Université de Lumière de Lyon II, completing all of my classes with French students. 

I was granted a Graduate Teaching Fellowship and taught first year level classes while I completed my Masters Degree in French Literature at the University of Oregon. As of the first day in class I knew that teaching French was my passion - and it still is to this day!

For five years, I worked in the private sector for a French law firm in New York and for a French financial software company in San Francisco and Paris. I started my full time teaching career in 1999 and have been teaching college level French classes to first and second year level students ever since!

Off and on since1994, I have taught private French lessons and even created my own after school program so my sons could learn French! In 2007-2008 I was awarded a Fulbright Teacher Exchange where I taught English to post Baccalaureate students while living in Montpellier, France with my husband and oldest son, Aiden. I'm proud to say that both of my sons have studied French and traveled abroad with me and plan on studying and/or working abroad in the near future! I have also had the amazing opportunity to share my love of France with students that I've accompanied abroad since 1999.

As of January 2026, I am offering online group classes for first and second year level students via Zoom with the option of a 2 week trip to Paris and Chamonix (in the French Alps) for a full linguistic and cultural adventure!

Sign up now for classes and get a package of ten lessons for a discount! I can't wait to see you soon on Zoom!

Merci et à bientôt!