In 2006, when I arrived here, it was a different geo-political world - Blair was British Prime Minister (while Gordon waited in the wings like an ambitious understudy eager for the principal to break a leg) and across the Channel towering Chirac was President with 'Shorty' Sarko in his shadow. Not that it made much difference to me - I was too busy trying to make a living to give much of a damn about the global picture, like most people. After hanging on by my fingertips for the summer, it was with relief that I landed myself a part-time, nine month teaching job assisting in three primary schools in the autumn. I've never looked back. Part self-help, part-memoir, this is an accurate record of my time teaching Britain's biggest export - its language - to our French neighbours 2006-2016. It's also a tribute to the legendary Raymond Murphy, author of world-renowned versatile, practical and informative teaching books, some of which have kept me on constant work for over 10 years.