The Rebel French Teacher Behind a Boutique Micro-Empire

Bonjour, I’m Yasmine Lesire a Paris-based, Lille-born, polyglot, French teacher, entrepreneur, podcaster and creator of one of the most influential boutique French-learning ecosystems for adults worldwide.

For the past 20 years, I’ve dedicated my life to helping professionals, executives, and ambitious learners finally feel at home in French.

But my story didn’t start in a chic Parisian coworking space.
It started as a student who hated grammar, in a classroom where I felt stupid, lost, and misunderstood.
So yes, I built the school I wish I had found when I first started learning languages.

Today, it has become a micro-empire: digital courses, a premium book club, private coaching, live events in Paris, New York and Brussels, a private podcast, community memberships… and the incredible result of two decades of work, creativity, rebellion, and passion

Discover my programs

From Terrible Student to Global French Coach

People often assume I was a brilliant student.
I wasn’t. At all.

And maybe that’s why so many adults trust me.

I know what it feels like to freeze while speaking, to forget words, to feel embarrassed, to feel too old, too tired, too busy… and still want to become fluent.

I’ve lived in Belgium, Brazil, Spain and France.
I speak French, Spanish, Portuguese, English and I’ve dabbled in Hebrew, Dutch and Italian.
I’ve learned languages the messy way, the human way, the real way and I teach exactly what works because I’ve been there before.

Read my full bio

FRENCH
ENGLISH
DUTCH
PORTUGUESE
ARABIC
HEBREW

1,000+ students coached

+1M podcast downloads

20+ years of experience

Students from over 30 countries

3,200

Happy Francophones

21

Years Teaching

64

Embrassies & International Organisations

398

Companies

A Rebel Approach to Teaching

I’m not a traditional French teacher.
I don’t hide behind rules I don’t even agree with.
I don’t teach fossilised grammar that nobody uses in real life.
I don’t pretend that speaking like a native should be your goal.

I teach modern French, used French, human French, the language people actually speak in Paris, in Brussels, in Marseille, in Montréal.

I break rules when the rules are ridiculous.
I explain them when they matter.

I’m here to help you communicate, not to turn you into a walking grammar book.

With me, you won’t speak like a book.

The Voice Behind “Le Français avec Yasmine”

If you’ve found me online, chances are it’s through my podcast “le français avec Yasmine”.

1M+ downloads. 200+ episodes.
A private feed. Books of transcripts.
A community spread across 100+ countries.

My podcast started during a moment of crisis (March 2020) and turned into a global movement.

Every week, thousands of learners tune in not only to improve their French, but to understand France, French culture, French people, and everything in between.

A few fun facts about me

I live in Paris (and I’m never without coffee).

I’m obsessed with books and always reading several at once.

I speak five languages — French, English, Dutch, Portuguese, and Arabic.

I have three cats who think they run my business.

The Boutique School I Built — All By Myself

I founded I Learn French, my boutique Paris-based school, with zero money, zero network, and zero safety net.

I grew it.
Scaled it.
Managed a team of 28 teachers.
Crashed. Pivoted. Rebuilt.
And today, I run a thriving premium ecosystem entirely on my terms.

My clients include Google, the United Nations, Toyota, OECD, Air France-KLM, and hundreds of extraordinary individuals across the world.

I work with:

C-level executives
Diplomats
High-achievers
Entrepreneurs
Passionate lifelong learners

…people who take their personal growth seriously and who want French to be part of their identity.

What I Believe About Learning French

You don’t need to be “good at languages.”
You don’t need to be gifted.
You don’t need to live in France.
You don’t need to start young.

What you need is:

regular practice
the right structure
a safe space
a teacher who understands adults
and a community that motivates you

This is what I create for my students — online, offline, in Paris, in New York, in Brussels, in your earbuds, in my courses, and in the spaces I design for you.

If You’re Here, You’re in the Right Place

You’re here because you want more from French.
More than Duolingo green dots.
More than memorising lists.
More than the same old exercises.

You want meaning.
Clarity.
Real progress.
A teacher who sees you.
A community who supports you.
A system that respects your brain, your time, and your life.

Welcome to my world.
Bienvenue dans le vôtre.

Let’s build your French together — powerfully, beautifully, rebelliously.

— Yasmine