French immersion in France with Eliane Near Carcassonne

Bonjour et bienvenue chez nous !

My name is Eliane, and I live in a typical small French town located only one hour away from Toulouse airport and 10 minutes away from Carcassonne.

French is my mother tongue, but I’m also fluent in English. Before I became an immersion teacher, I worked in a law firm, so I’m familiar with that world as well. I love interacting with people and talk about French culture and history too. I also love to paint and cook. It's been a while now that I started my immersion program and for nothing in the world I would change that. I have so much fun with my students. What I enjoyed the most about it, is that most of my students become very good friend and I'm always sad to see them leave. 

I live with my husband Benjamin, our daughters Elena and Lili-Anne (who you will meet but may not see often because Elena goes to school and Lili goes to the nanny) : we have a beautiful cozy house. Let’s not forget our dog: Okami. He is super friendly and really sweet: my students love him.

Benjamin works with me, so you will see him at breakfast during lunch or the outings. Of course he is fluent in English but he always takes the time to speak to my students in French. He is patient and will help you find your words when you need. For those who have already come in immersion with us, you know him well, he is very attentive and helps my students whenever he can to perfect their diction and their understanding of French.

As you may have understood, a real small family business! We are here to help you learn, practice and improve your French.

We will welcome you in our house in Pezens, a pretty little village just a few minutes away from the ramparts of the medieval city of Carcassonne. You will stay on the ground floor of our house (entirely dedicated to our very dear students) with independant access to the front and back of the house, which will allow you to enjoy your privacy. 

When you come to our house, it's not just to take French lessons but to enter our world for a week or more. We welcome you into our family, you will share moments of laughter and sometimes debate. Our daughter will probably try to jump into your arms and our dog will try to coax you into getting a treat. Come visit us and experience a true immersion in French language, culture and most of all a French family. Our motto is: « faites comme chez vous ! » (Our home is your home).

When I first considered an immersion week I was a little unsure – what would it be like to stay with a family that I don’t know? Especially one quite a bit younger than me? 

But, I need not have worried - it was actually like staying with friends - but also friends who could help me improve my French and show me a little bit of French culture. Just what I wanted.

After joining the main house, from my self-contained area, my days typically began with a lovely welcome from Eliane and Okami, the gorgeous dog with whom I fell in love immediately.  

Conversation with Eliane and sometimes Benjamin begins over breakfast (of yoghurt, croissants, fruit, bread... and good coffee) and continues until midday.

Eliane is very easy to talk to - we covered all kinds of subjects,  both serious and lighthearted - and I learned more French from her as we talked.  

Because I had requested some grammar Eliane also built this into the sessions, focussing on the areas she had identified as weaker areas for me, and I found these extremely useful.

At lunchtime we shared a nutritious meal and then there was usually time for a break, when I could do my own thing, catch up on emails, et cetera, before the afternoon outings.

The outings/visits were mostly with Benjamin and included a Vinegary, an Olive farm and a trip to the impressive old town of Carcassone.

All very interesting. Another good host,  Benjamin always took care to ensure that I understood what was written or spoken at the visit and that I was enjoying the experience. 

After a full day, Eliane would deliver another nutritious meal to my apartment for me to enjoy before I settled in to watch TV or do my ‘homework’ (which I had willingly agreed to). 

I have only good things to say about the week and the two lovely hosts who work hard to ensure a great experience for their guests.  

Thank you both x

My week-long immersion course with Eliane is the most productive thing I’ve done to improve my French language skills.

I approached the first day with some trepidation but spending time with Eliane and her family, conversing in French, is like spending time with friends.

Eliane ensured I had a mix of informal conversation, during which she gently corrected my French and gave me useful tips on pronunciation and vocabulary, and formal exercises which focused on improving my areas of weakness. She is encouraging and patient while being very professional and knowledgeable.

The excursions to a local winery and to Carcassonne were excellent and provided further opportunities to practise speaking and listening in French. On my free afternoons, I enjoyed long walks along the Canal du Midi and to the village of Pennautier, and explored Pezens village.

The accommodation provided is private and very comfortable; the meals, prepared by Eliane, were delicious and Eliane’s family – Benjamin, William, Elena and baby Lili-Anne – are delightful.

I highly recommend this course; it’s a great way to improve language skills while immersing yourself in French life.

I've just spent a great immersion week with Eliane: she did everything possible to make my stay both useful and enjoyable. 

The first morning was a relaxed conversation where Eliane listened carefully to what I wanted to focus on and we discussed how to structure our time.

Each lesson was tailored to my particular interests and goals, and they became progressively more challenging, but always interesting and fun. 

Breakfast and lunch were opportunities for more conversation, with Benjamin and William both very patient and helpful.

At my request, Eliane cooked delicious vegetarian or fish lunches.

I had two lovely excursions: to the caves at Limousis which were spectacular,  and to the Chateau of Pennautier. The wine tasting was particularly enjoyable, offering another opportunity to speak and listen to French, as Yann our host explained the history of the chateau and the process of wine making. 

Pezens is very close to the Canal du Midi and the Black Mountains, a beautiful area to explore. One afternoon I borrowed the Dutch bike and cycled to Carcassonne along the canal; another day I did a circular walk from Montolieu with views of the Pyrenees.

Eliane is a great teacher - I learned so much in my week and got answers to things that had puzzled me for a long time. I now feel much more confident in my conversational abilities and have come away with recommendations for books to read, podcasts to listen to and websites offering grammar exercises, all of which will help me to continue my learning journey. 

I took Eliane’s option 2 and stayed with Eliane and her family for one week.

Any anxiety I had about staying with strangers disappeared as soon as I met them. Eliane, her husband Benjamin and his brother William were welcoming, helpful and patient!

The accommodation is clean and private which is an apartment on the lower level of their house. 

Mornings consist of a continental breakfast with the family then lesson with Eliane.

Stop for a homecooked lunch and then an interesting and enjoyable excursion each afternoon.

A delicious dinner is brought down to the apartment each evening. 

Eliane is very professional in the way she teaches, while also being approachable, knowledgeable and kind.

She will tailor class to your specific needs and level.

Eliane and Benjamin accompany the student on some excursions, and again they are always professional but also wonderful and friendly. 

I can’t recommend Easy French With Eliane highly enough.

The all experience was great !