Eliane Reviews

I spent a week in Pézens on a French immersion homestay, and it was honestly exactly what I was hoping for. From the start, Eliane asked me what kind of experience I wanted – and really listened. I was looking for something relaxed and low-pressure. We chatted back and forth in English and French, and I was able to ask questions in English when I needed to. I always felt comfortable making my attempts at speaking French.

I was welcomed into their lovely young family: her husband Benjamin, their two delightful little girls, and her charming brother-in-law William, who took me on different excursions to nearby sites – all of them beautiful and interesting. One in particular is a must-see: the Limousis Caves – absolutely incredible.

Most of the learning happened through everyday chats, whether it was over meals, on a walk, or while doing something around the village. It felt super easy and personal, and I never felt self-conscious or overwhelmed.

The setting was beautiful – a quiet little village not far from Carcassonne – and I had a great mix of practice time and downtime to explore, read, or just enjoy the slower pace. The food was amazing too (home-cooked and so French). Eliane is a very good cook!

If you’re looking for a gentle, flexible way to improve your French in a real-life setting – especially if you’re not after a full-on classroom vibe – this is such a great option. That said, if you want a more intense, structured learning experience, Eliane is very capable of providing that too. I left feeling much more confident and really grateful for such a personalised and enjoyable week.

I thoroughly enjoyed my week with Éliane and her wonderful family. I have to begin with explaining that after leaving, I had to resist the temptation to text multiple times a day as if we were old friends. Éliane and Benjamin and William are all so open and welcoming.

I bicycled in from Toulouse along the Canal du Midi (92km) and stopped along the way for a bowl of famous Cassoulet in Castelnaudary; its town of origin according to Wiki. And her house is just a mile from the canal for easy access to Carcassonne.

Éliane is a wonderful teacher and very accommodating, however I think I hampered our week by trying to focus entirely on conversation for the first couple of days. While that was my hope for the trip, that may be just a bridge too far with my age and hearing impairment. After my giving up the reins, we had some more productive instruction to end the week.

Éliane and I had a wonderful visit to Chateau de Pennautier with Éliane even helping out our new tour guide at times and Éliane getting a special bottle to taste that I was interested in (and purchased).

Her house and the guest accommodations are nonpareil and very private for the students, with a morning walk along the Chemin de Pech Donnât a must. And Pizza Occitane a block away is outstanding. I had some fun snippets of conversation with the owners as we were about equals in each other's language.

This was my first French immersion and could not imagine a better choice. Allez-y !

This is my second immersion stay with Eliane and won't be my last. :-)

Eliane, Benjamin and William are all excellent teachers. They're patient yet keep the conversation interesting and I very much appreciated that they gently corrected my grammar or sentence construction when I responded. It is so helpful to have a patient, kind teacher. 

The cultural experience near Pezens is really exceptional. We visited The Brousses Paper Mill, an ancient mill set in beautiful nature. My French is probably at a level slightly higher than B1 (but definitely not B2 level yet) and I could understand the context of the guide. During the entire tour, William is there to explain a concept or translate a word. The tours are interesting and such a wonderful way to learn!

We also visited the town of Montolieu with its lovely book stores. As a book nerd, it was so fun to be in an entire town that adores books! There are artists and lovely, quaint streets. 

We spent a day in Narbonne near the sea to get a taste of a bigger city. It is such a beautiful place. We spent a day in Lagrasse, which is a sweet town that attracts French tourists but is quite unknown to other tourists, which means it was lovely. The tour of the vinegar distillery and the tasting is beyond words. You must do it if you stay with Eliane. Again, the tour guide was very kind and would translate a word if I didn't understand it, but the context was easy to understand. And the vinegar tasting is absolutely fabulous!

Finally, the week topped off with a lovely lunch and wine tasting with Eliane... another highlight of the week. The food at the winery is so good and our wine guide was Yann, the boss, so we had an excellent tasting (and basically just sat and drank fabulous wine and chatted.) It was superb. 

They are such a kind family (with Elena and new little Lily!) that I can't imagine learning French anywhere else . Thank you Eliane, William and Benjamin for another great immersion stay. 

With love, Kim

It was such a pleasure to spend one week with you and the family. We looked forward to coffee & croissant every morning. Sometimes we gathered in the nook near the window & other times it was at the table on the deck with nature on full display. No matter where we took petit déjeuner we would speak French from that moment until we took a pause before lunch (3 hours or so).  Lunch was delicious and we appreciate that you catered to our preferences. Sometimes Benjamin or William would join in and it was fascinating  for my husband Elliot and me to converse about subjects that would come up. Each of you was patient and would repeat or clarify if we didn’t follow along at first. Sometimes we would write a phrase or word to study it more in detail. We even got to discuss William’s interest in football (soccer)! 

My comprehension and speaking ability is more advanced than Elliot’s and somehow you were able to guide both of us as needed to make substantial progress.  For me, French has been a constant with frequent classes at Alliance Française & university. Elliot is an adult learner. I think my speed in thinking in French improved along with a greater percentage of comprehension. With the daily discipline Elliot spoke more often and with greater fluency. I must say, staying in the small apartment in your home made coming to class and meals a convenient treat. We had a car and enjoyed exploring Carcassonne and Narbonne in the afternoons and evenings. Thank you for taking us on an afternoon of cave exploration nearby. We also enjoyed meeting your darling daughters who filled your home with charm. Is Elena still dancing ?

À bientôt et merci mille fois. 

I spent a very delightful week with Eliane and her lovely young family. We would start the day together with breakfast, sometimes with Elena her husband Benjamin and brother in law William and of course baby Lili –Ann.

Eliane tailored by learning experience to suit my level and I had a small amount of homework to do each night to reinforce the day’s lesson. Our class consisted mostly of grammar, which I needed but with lots of conversation mainly in French but with some English when needed. Eliane made me feel very comfortable and as I lacked confidence in speaking, encouraged me to have a go and not worry too much about the mistakes.

Eliane is a great cook and she prepared lovely lunches and as I had selected the fully catered option Eliane would deliver a delicious meal each evening to my separate self contained accommodation in their lovely home.

Afternoons were spent discovering the area with William.

I hope to be able to return again, maybe next year.

From my very first email, Eliane made me feel at ease and excited. Her tailored program balanced grammar, real-life conversation, and cultural immersion beautifully. The lessons were engaging and perfectly adapted to my level, helping me gain confidence in speaking French. The charming location and personalized attention made the experience feel like a true cultural retreat. I learned so much in a week—thank you, Eliane!

As English retirees now living in Normandie we really needed to start improving our French past the "getting by" standard that we were at. Exploring options, we  discovered Eliane's immersion programme and decided to book a two week stay with her.

Her location in the south was perfect for us, meaning we could combine our principal objective with a wonderful holiday in a part of France that we hadn't explored before.

It was everything that we had hoped for. Whilst being welcomed into her lovely family to share meals and conversation, after our daily lessonswe then had time to ourselves in the spacious self-contained apartment, and had plenty of opportunity to explore this beautiful and interesting part of the country.

We had already told Eliane that we wanted to focus on conversational French, and we were given plenty of opportunities to do this, with the bonus of additional help from family members when they joined us for the delicious meals that Eliane prepared for us.

The lessons were tailored for us specifically, and we learnt new things every day. We really liked Eliane’s approach, mixing conversation with some really interesting and worthwhile exercises. We especially appreciated her letting us talk without unnecessary stops for corrections, and then just picking out the important elements afterwards.

Eliane didn’t have ‘une baguette magique’ she could wave over us, so we didn’t come home suddenly fluent of course, but we are definitely understanding French and speaking it with much more confidence now.

Second stay. Looking forward to the next one !

I have had such a lovely week improving my French with Eliane in Pezens. She was so patient with me during our lessons - gently encouraging me to choose the right vocabulary and verbs! All of her family welcomed me so generously into their home. The location of Pezens is lovely- so close to some really interesting historical sites and I loved having the opportunity to borrow one of Eliane’s bikes and cycle along the Canal du Midi into Carcassonne. I highly recommend improving your French with Eliane!

My husband, my friend, and I just finished an amazing week with Eliane, Benjamin, William, and Elena. This was our first visit to the southern region of France and we wanted a stress free visit with time to enjoy the area without being rushed from here to there. Eliane was the perfect host. After sleeping late each morning in our very comfortable private floor of their home, we enjoyed breakfast followed by our French lessons. Eliane is patient, encouraging, and very enjoyable to talk with. She made learning easy.

After lunch, we were lucky to have Eliane or William take us on our daily excursions. Each place we visited was so enjoyable! It was so nice not to have to worry about where to go, where to park, etc. William is fluent in English so he was able to translate for us when needed and he kept my husband entertained while my friend and I practiced our French.

My summary of our week would not be complete without letting everyone how absolutely incredible Elaine’s cooking is. I am the type who gets a little stressed in foreign restaurants because I am not sure what everything is.

The great part about our stay was that EVERYTHING Eliane made was so delicious! We felt like we were eating an expensive restaurant while relaxing on the terrace enjoying the view from their home. Each evening we took long walks in the countryside before going to bed.

I can honestly say this is one of the best, stress free trips I have ever taken. I highly recommend option 2 for your stay because of how easy everything was from the time Benjamin picked us up at the airport to the moment Eliane dropped us off.

Thank you Eliane and your family for a trip we will always remember.

I had the fabulous experience of doing the immersion program with Eliane for a week in June.  Everything I say will be good because, for me, it was 5 star in every category.  I love the way Eliane teaches French.  I am not very advanced and she was so patient and encouraging with me.  I appreciated that so very much.  I loved our own little “apartment” downstairs with a comfortable bed, plenty of juice and water and fruit.  I love her routine.  We chose option #2 and it was the right one for us.  We didn’t have to worry about anything.  At 9 and 1 we ate a fabulous breakfast and lunch with the family.  Between breakfast and lunch we had our lessons.  After lunch William took us on a guided tour each day (we did pay extra for these but well worth it).  I loved how at dinner time she had private time with her family and brought us our dinner on a beautiful tray with gourmet food that she had cooked.  We ate outside on our own patio.  At night we walked and walked and walked and saw something different each time.  Elaine’s family are the kindest and nicest family.  The whole experience was rich, indeed, and I wish for everyone to love it as much as I did. Another thing I loved was that their house was in the country, but still close to neighbors.  It was enchanting.

The lessons were enjoyable and informative. Eliane is a fantastic teacher – very patient and able to explain things in an easy-to-understand way. I also really enjoyed the visits with Eliane and William. Not only were they excellent company, but there were so many interesting things to see and do, and I got so much more out of the trip because of their local knowledge.

Overall, I can’t recommend a homestay with Eliane highly enough. I’d love to come back!

Éliane was the perfect host. With Benjamin, the gorgeous Elena, William,and of course Okami, from day one they welcomed me and made me feel like part of the family.

I thoroughly enjoyed the lessons with Eliane. She was so patient and understanding with me and catered the lessons for my level/needs. I had many challenging but rewarding times.

The accommodation was excellent , very private and more than suited the needs of me and my companion.

What an amazing cook! The meals were superb and everyday a delight for me.

Thoroughly enjoyed our excursion also.

I can highly recommend Éliane, who I now consider a friend, for a wonderful French immersion.

Thank you Éliane to you and your lovely family for a delightful time. One week with you was not enough.!!!!

Bisous à tous.

As a beginner trying to learn French, I did much research on who would be a good fit for me. I knew I wanted an immersive environment, but I also wanted an experience that allowed me to explore and learn the French way of life. With Eliane and her wonderful home and family - I found both.

Eliane is very easy to learn from, as there was no pressure. She has an exceptional understanding of the difficulties new students experience when trying to understand the differences in their native language. I needed this baseline understanding before I could move forward. It has been over 40 years since I was in a language course.

She also provided much needed day to day life skills in France. While this may not seem to be part of learning the language, it’s vital for anyone that is traveling in France. I believe functional capabilities are as important as the language.

While I may know the words, I still need to understand the nuances of the culture and how things are done and approached in France. This isn’t part of the language per se, but for me this was an added benefit.

It should be noted that I attended an additional 3 language training courses in France over the course of 5 weeks. All highly rated and regarded, but Eliane's immersion program was by far the best!

The accommodations were very private and well thought out. Spacious and comfortable. The interaction with Elena, Benjamin and William was always fun, pleasant and informative. It’s nice to be in this atmosphere - feels like home!

I highly recommend Eliane - she’s very professional, intelligent, easy to be with and most of all fun!

If you are looking to improve your French language skills and learn about daily life in France, I highly recommend a stay with Eliane and her family. First, she and her family are so hospitable and solicitous that you feel like part of the family right away.

I shared two meals with them, a continental breakfast of fresh bread and croissants and the midday meal which was always ample and excellent. Eliane is a great cook! 

She is also a patient and flexible teacher. I needed practice speaking and wanted to improve my writing and Eiane helped enormously in both areas. She was particularly good at keeping our conversations going and introducing new topics.

The accommodations and setting were also wonderful. The downstairs apartment has a separate entrance, two fully furnished bedrooms, a living room looking out on their pool, bath and kitchenette.

Pezens is about a 15 minute drive from Carcassonne and there are several supermarkets and other stores even closer.

I spent my afternoons during the week walking along the Canal du Midi and my weekend exploring some of the interesting towns nearby, including Mirepoix and Tarascon-sur- Ariege.

Thank you Eliane for a great experience and all the  improvement in my French!

My immersion week with Eliane was formidable! Eliane is a lovely hostess and we were most comfortable in the student apartment. I enjoyed lengthy conversations on a great variety of topics. Mostly, I was interested to improve my conversational skills and of course, to incorporate correct usage of French grammar. We conversed about how things are done in France and how the ordinary French person might live their daily life, as well as other topics. Breakfast, and conversational lessons with corrections were followed each day by a full hot lunch - again, accompanied by conversation. Our discussions were complicated enough for me but not so much so that I was lost, so I could respond, ask questions and elaborate on my responses. Eliane took notes, gave me homework about the areas for improvement, discussed my homework errors and so, our time passed by very quickly. Benjamin (Eliane’s fiancée) and William (Benjamin’s brother) were also engaged in some of our conversations! My partner Charles (who was not doing the immersion program) was able to follow the gist during meals because Eliane graciously spoke in English to him or alternatively, I would translate Eliane’s info for him. I chose Option 1 and we selected the Canal du Midi and the wine tasting as our activities. Both were very interesting options and we were lucky with beautiful weather. As well, Charles and I took the opportunity to walk the full route of the Canal du Midi from Carcassonne to Pezens - about 12 kilometres. Fantastic! All in all, a super week of full immersion - nous vous remercions, Eliane!

 After studying French on my own for 5 years, I knew it was time to do an immersion in France. I checked out every immersion opportunity on French Today. I loved what I read on Eliane’s site and her glowing reviews. I knew I wanted to learn from her and explore her little part of France.
     Spending 2 weeks with Eliane and her family was just what I needed to take my French to the next level. I learned more with her in 2 weeks than I ever could have on my own at the Intermediate level. She is an extremely patient and knowledgeable teacher. Our time together for meals, lessons, and excursions left plenty of time to have conversations in French.
     Eliane and her family are all so welcoming. Traveling alone, they were my family while I was there. Her cooking is wonderful. The accommodations are roomy and comfortable with a kitchenette, 2 bedrooms, study area, TV and even a 3-seasons room and outside space. The town of Pezens is quaint and just steps away from Eliane’s. There are several small stores, pizzeria, and a wonderful restaurant just outside of town. It’s a 15 minute walk to the Canal du Midi also. If you are looking for a little adventure, you can take a short train ride from Carcasonne to any number of small towns and villages and explore for the day. I would highly recommend this if you are spending 2 weeks and have a weekend to yourself in between the 2 weeks. If you like to walk, there are several nearby villages 2-3 miles away that are worth going to. There are also bicycles at your disposal.
     Merci Eliane, Benjamin, Elena and William!

I spent a wonderful week with Eliane (and her family) and honestly, I’m not sure who wouldn’t feel the same way, taking private, personally tailored lessons in a warm and gracious setting.

I stayed with Eliane in  February 2024.  Surely spring and fall are more spectacular times to visit the southwest of France – and pretty much anywhere else – but traveling off season has its own obvious advantages:  no crowds, no waiting, no traffic jams.  

I’m at some type of intermediate level in French, and one of my major frustrations – in addition of course to my difficulties speaking -- is my inability to understand everyday spoken French. Because I expressed that particular interest, during most of our daily lessons together, Elaine worked with me on listening skills using some short videos (work that I continue on my own at home).  I’m also a huge fan of word games, in both English and French, and Eliane (who likes them too) incorporated those as well when she learned of my interest.

I chose Option 2  (lessons, 5 excursions and all meals), and I would recommend that if it’s available, – especially if you don’t plan on having a car. 

Eliane’s meals were all delicious – absolutely excellent French home cooking (plus one traditional Indonesian noodle dish cooked by Eliane’s dad who was visiting from the Netherlands).   

Immersing yourself in a foreign language is exhausting, and having a private space like the downstairs apartment in Eliane’s house is a real plus.

All the afternoon excursions (in my case, Lagrasse, Carcassone, the caves of  Limousin, Narbonne and its beautiful beach, and a wine tasting) – were fascinating, in addition to being opportunities to continue to hear and speak French.   

Of my five afternoon excursions, three were with Eliane and two were with her brother-in-law William.   Both of my trips with William involved an hour or more each way in the car, plus time exploring without a third-party guide – that is to say, William was stuck with my massacring of French for several hours straight each of those days.   And while he is in his mid-20s, and my mid-20s are far in the rétroviseur, comme on dit, William was very gracious and easy to talk to about lots of subjects, so I got lots of speaking practice and spent two great afternoons with him. 

On the days when it wasn’t too late after the afternoon trip, I took two beautiful walks near Eliane’s house, once walking down the main road and turning right along a river, and the other turning left, along a narrow paved road through vineyards and fields, dormant and planted.

Highly recommended, whatever the season!  Merci Eliane!

It was with some trepidation that my husband and I came to Southern France for a one week French Immersion home stay. What if it was too hard? What if we didn’t like each other?

Of course it is impossible that one would not like Eliane!

And, while it was challenging, wasn’t that why I came?

So, we chose the more complete plan, where 3 meals/day were provided as well as excursions every afternoon.

I must say we were fed very well! Eliane is an excellent cook and the homemade lunches and dinners were wonderful, especially after a morning of learning or an afternoon of exploring.

The apartment was very nice with a comfortable bed. We had everything we needed.

Eliane’s family includes her partner, Benjamin, who also took us on tours, her brother-in-law, William, who is becoming part of the business and the adorable Elena who is a little over 2. Along with the dog, Okami, we felt welcomed into this lovely family.

So, the French? Eliane met me at my level and we worked on parts that were hardest for me.

I have never felt comfortable speaking French, but soon found I could carry a on conversation with her gentle corrections. Eliane was very patient with me as I sometimes stumbled or had to have her repeat a sentence over and over.

I feel like I am ready to take the next step toward fluency after a week with Eliane.

I could not have asked for a better experience!

Merci, Eliane!

I have had a great week with Eliane. Excellent teacher, great cook with a very friendly and welcoming family.

Eliane is very skilled at focusing her teaching on the individual student’s learning needs. This means I have been able to concentrate on my areas of weakness in French and my confidence has grown considerably.

Away from the classroom I thoroughly enjoyed the excursions she took me on to local tourist attractions such as the caverns at Limousis which are incredible.

Also during these visits I had ample opportunity to continue practicing my French.

In short, top-quality teaching and top-quality hospitality. I hope to return one day.

I read every one of Eliane's reviews before I committed to spending a week with her. I can tell you that my experience with her and her family is 100% consistent with all of the reviews. 

I must add that Eliane is quite versatile, flexible, and ultra responsive to one's own objectives.  She is a dynamo and is super-attuned to one's goals.

Notably, she has mastered English so she knows what we are up against as English-speakers in developing our proficiency in French.  In my case, I sought to participate in the mundane chores and errands supporting her household because I gain perspective from those daily interactions and experiences, and I learn how transactions are handled linguistically. 

Eliane supported and fueled my confidence building in spoken French, and arranged a private wine-tasting, and she expertly guided me through the medieval cite of Carcassonne. 

During my week with Eliane I tangibly expanded my language proficiency and cultural awareness.  I also availed myself of the pastoral charms by borrowing a bike and riding along the Canal du Midi into Carcassonne. 

I will treasure my time with Eliane and her family.

It’s early Friday afternoon and I am nearing the end of my stay with Eliane and her family in Pezens, France. It has been a wonderful week filled with lots of language practice, beautiful scenery, and great food. Most importantly, however, is the gracious and friendly manner in which Eliane welcomed me into her home. The arrangement of students having the lower floor to themselves and Eliane and her family upstairs allows everyone to have their own space and be comfortable.

Each morning we talk (en Français) while enjoying coffee and breakfast. She gently guides my learning and explains fully the areas that give me trouble. We focus on conversation and pronunciation as was my request, with necessary grammar thrown in when needed. Her husband Benjamin and his younger brother William are there occasionally and will join in as well.

Eliane is also a wonderful cook. Our lunch each day is a home cooked meal with other members of the family joining us as their schedules allow. Dinner is on my own each evening. There is a beautiful restaurant just up the road for those who desire some haute cuisine and plenty of excellent restaurant choices in nearby Carcassonne. Don’t miss the cassoulet at Brassiere de 4 Temps! A couple evenings I was fine with a light dinner of cheeses and meats from the local supermarket, with local wine of course.

Two highlights of my stay were the wine tasting at the local winery and an afternoon strolling the cobblestone streets of Carcassonne with Eliane and sweet Elena.

All in all, I couldn’t have imagined a better environment for improving my French and discovering the joie de vie of this area.

My immersion week at Eliane’s was great from both a French language and cultural perspective. Eliane met me at my language level and expanded my comprehension and speaking abilities by engaging in a wide range of conversation from daily and family life to complex discussions about legal and taxation systems. She was very flexible, our lessons could be at home, on a walk, or doing daily tasks. Our afternoon adventures were great fun and continued my language learning.

The apartment is very comfortable and furnished with everything you need. I was also able to work remotely in the evenings without issue. Breakfast was great and the lunches were impressive, full meals. The family was often at meals as well and are very welcoming.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Eliane and her family and will come back again without hesitation.

This November, we went to Eliane and her family for 1 week. An incredible week!

Even though option 2 was only supposed to come into effect in 2024, we asked her if she could make an exception for us, which she did. And we are really not disappointed in having made this choice. Everything was great! The meals, the visits, all the good times spent together.

Eliane is an attentive, patient teacher who knows how to adapt to your needs. I really regained my confidence and she kindly encouraged me to talk to as many people as possible, while helping me whenever I felt the need.

The meals (breakfasts, lunches and dinners) were all excellent. Eliane is a very good cook. Dinners were brought to our apartment every evening, which allowed us to get some rest. It was really perfect for us.

We were also able to spend a lot of time with William who accompanied us on several visits. He is a very kind and considerate young man who helped me find the vocabulary that I was missing on certain occasions. He was speaking English with John and French with me. 

Thank you again Éliane, William and Benjamin, this week spent with you was the highlight of our stay in France!

I’ve just gotten back from a week homestay with Éliane and family and couldn’t be more satisfied. I chose Option 1, which was 3 hours of lessons per day (Monday through Friday) and two afternoon excursions. In addition, Option 1 included breakfast and lunch with Éliane, with an opportunity for more conversation during mealtimes. We had agreed, going into that week, that the main focus would be French conversation; Éliane made clear that she can tailor her courses to the perceived need and the preference of her students . I loved having the opportunity for so much French conversation. Éliane is a patient teacher, humble, and very genuine. Not least, she’s a skillful teacher who will not only guide your steps, but also make you feel very comfortable. It was a joy to meet the rest of the family; the accommodations were comfortable; and I got to discover Carcassonne and its environs. My only regret is that the week went by too fast! Thank you sincerely, Éliane, for having welcomed me into your home ; for having made me feel so comfortable ; and for having guided my progress (with a hand as gentle as it was skillful) towards the goals I had assigned for myself.

Traduction en français de Nicholas:

Je viens d’effectuer un séjour linguistique d’une semaine chez Éliane et sa famille, dont je suis bien content. J’avais choisi ce qu’on appelle « la première option,” celle qui comprenait trois heures de leçons quotidiennement (soit du lundi au vendredi) et, de surcroît , deux excursions spéciales pendant l’après-midi. Le fait d’avoir sélectionné cette première option m’avait aussi donné droit à deux repas par jour auprès d’ Éliane, pendant lesquels l’on pouvait continuer à causer ensemble à table . C’était convenu en avance que, pendant cette semaine, on se focaliserait principalement sur la conversation — c’est-à-dire sur la compréhension et l’expression orale. Cependant, Éliane m’avait expliqué que, effectivement, c’est toujours à l’étudiant de lui faire savoir les compétences précises auxquelles l’on voudrait se consacrer. Moi, j’ai adoré l’opportunité d’avoir eu tellement d’occasion de m’exercer à l’oral. Éliane, elle, dégageait de la patience, de l’humilité, et était très « authentique « , sincère, en tant qu’individu. En plus, c’est une enseignante très habile qui guidera vos pas, tout en tenant à ce que vous vous sentiez encouragé et à l’aise. J’étais ravi d’avoir fait la connaissance du reste de sa famille à elle (tous étaient des gens délicieux); les accommodations qu’on m’a offertes étaient bien confortables ; et j’ai aussi profité d’une découverte de Carcassonne et de ses alentours. Mon seul regret — seul « bémol, » comme le diraient les francophones — était que cette semaine-là se soit passée beaucoup trop vite. Je te remercie, Éliane, de m’avoir accueilli si chaleureusement chez toi; de m’avoir mis tellement à l’aise ; d’avoir guidé mes progrès — aussi gentiment qu’habilement — par rapport aux objectifs que je m’étais fixés. Mille remerciements.

I have just spent 2 amazing weeks with Éliane and her delightful family, at their beautiful house in Pezens. 

Éliane provides 2 choices for her students, and I went for Option 2, so enjoyed full board and lots of trips. It worked really well for me!

I wanted to take a French immersion course in France, to improve my conversation skills and my understanding of the spoken language.

This has been one of the best experiences of my life. Éliane is so clever and so kind - a truly excellent teacher and a wonderful companion. It has been a real treat to get to know her and her family,  to eat and chat with them, and to visit plenty of charming places in the local area with them. So much more than I expected!

I've felt relaxed and comfortable in the private accommodation downstairs, and had plenty of time to read French books and watch French TV. 

There's a little shop nearby, a boulangerie, a pharmacy - everything you need is a short stroll away. 

I highly recommend this whole experience, whatever your level of French.

Thank you so very much, Éliane, for everything!

Xx

My week with Éliane and her family in Pezens was the highlight of my entire four weeks in Europe! It was such an honor to be welcomed into her home! Had Option 2 been available when I booked with Éliane I would have jumped at the chance to spend more time with her. The apartment is very comfortable, private, and spacious and I thoroughly enjoyed our outings to the winery of Pennautier and village of Montolieu. I also greatly enjoyed the flexibility to cook in a well-equipped kitchen – and the many pleasures of seeking out French ingredients like a local. I also highly recommend the walk/bike trail along the Canal du Midi between Pezens and Carcassonne for quiet beauty and thinking time.

Éliane is an outstanding teacher, gracious host – and an excellent cook! She met me where I was – on a good day level B2 – and in addition to speaking/oral comprehension work, some of my favorite lessons involved phonetics and how to actually make French words “sound” French when spoken by me. 😀

She has a remarkable ability to take complex/advanced grammatical rules I have always struggled with and simplify them into easy to digest principles. She also provided me with excellent resources and notes to take home. 

Perhaps one of Éliane’s greatest strengths when working with me was putting me at ease (not an easy thing to do) with patience and a sense of humor that is infectious. When I returned to London I could still hear her as I was still speaking French in my head! She also accomplished something I never thought I would ever see … I became comfortable calling a taxi on the telephone and riding French trains without panicking! I left not only with a newfound confidence in my French but more importantly renewed self-confidence. Can’t wait to return!

When I told friends and family that I was going to spend a week in an immersion program in France with a French teacher and her family, many asked if I wasn’t afraid to stay with someone I didn’t know. I told them that only someone with a warm and generous heart would choose to open her home and share her life and family with students from around the globe. I was not mistaken. Eliane is kind and welcoming and immediately put me at ease even though I am not confident speaking French.
My goal was to spend the week practicing conversation, and that is how we passed the time. We spent long mornings at the table sharing stories over coffee and croissants, and some days we continued our conversations while walking along the Canal du Midi or a nearby lake. As the week went on, speaking French became easier, and I was pleased to find that I understood everything.
Practicing your French language skills in a home stay in France is truly the best way to improve! My only regret is that I only spent a week- the time passed too quickly!
I enjoyed getting to know Eliane‘s family: her partner Benjamin who was so welcoming , her brother-in-law William who was so kind to give me rides, adorable Elena who was always content, and Okami- the dog, who would gaze at me with hopeful eyes during each meal.
The meals were delicious and the conversation flowed easily. Eliane is skilled at asking questions and sharing stories about her life. She also took the time to get me to and from the airport,  and often would drop me off in Carcassonne in the afternoons during my free time.
I loved exploring Carcassonne on my own, both La Bastide with its shops, cafés, art museum, and cathedral and especially La Cité Médiévale with it’s winding streets and amazing château and ramparts. I enjoyed shopping in the boutiques and eating ice cream there on more than one occasion!
I had an excursion with Eliane to the Château where she explained everything like an expert guide. I also enjoyed a winery tour and tasting with her which was a pleasant evening full of laughter.
The student apartment was spacious and each evening I was very comfortable there in my home away from home.
Overall, it was a wonderful experience that I would definitely recommend. I am very grateful to Eliane and her family for sharing their life with me for the week in such a welcoming manner, and I appreciate Eliane for helping me gain confidence speaking French.
Merci mille fois!!

Je voudrais encore vous dire un grand merci pour ce second séjour, j'ai énormément profité de cette semaine d'immersion, ma confiance en moi pour parler s'est améliorée et j'ai eu beaucoup de conversations en français après ça (y compris quelques conversations assez compliquées !).

Je vous remercie également pour l'accueil de Sarah, les visites et tous les plats sans gluten ! Elle a tout aimé du séjour. J'espère revenir très bientôt !