AVIS
Les avis ci-dessous sont en anglais pour respecter l’esprit des étudiants qui les ont écrits.
Last week was a formidable immersion experience with Pascale at La Noria near to Béziers. We even had great autumn weather! The immersive experience itself was just as I had expected: local foods and wine experiences, together with interesting excursions and conversations with other French native speakers. Agnès was delightful to meet – the owner of the gite. Every morning, she provided us with amazing choices for the petit déjeuner including the spécialité pain of Béziers on our last morning. Geraldine cooked lunch for us every day, and entertained us with conversations in French about her daily life and her family. We were lucky with the autumnal weather and so, we enjoyed our meal each day. My partner, who does not speak French but has a basic understanding of the language, was most comfortable during these meals because he was always included in conversations, which would switch between English and French.
After my substantial breakfast each day, Pascale and I would settle in for 3 hours of wide-ranging
conversations in French – it was the time of the USA elections – so quite a few discussions were had on that topic! Pascale would then make notes about points of grammar, pronunciation and
vocabulary for me each day, and set homework around these areas of weakness. I appreciated being able to follow up our daily lessons with homework based on these specific areas of need, to refine my B1 level. Each day, we would work through grammar exercises and corrections, as well as discuss French idiomatic phrases.
Pascale is a very engaging teacher with a broad knowledge of teaching Anglophone students both in USA and in her native France.
On our free afternoons, my partner and I walked along la voie verte in both directions. In one
direction, we walked through vineyards displaying gorgeous autumn colours towards the little village of Maureilhan, birthplace of several noted Frenchmen. In the other direction, we passed through similar landscapes to Cazouls-les-Béziers, the closest village for shopping. Pascale took us to visit the magnificent Cistercian Abbaye de Fontfroid near Narbonne, founded in 1093 which is privately owned and has been beautifully restored by the Fayet family. We enjoyed a wine tasting here, and purchased a bottle to share with Pascale and Geraldine at lunch.
On our last day, we had a tour of Pascale’s home town of Béziers, the oldest city in France! The cathedral is a wonderful piece of Gothic and Roman architecture and we had a guided tour in French with the local cathedral volunteer guide. We visited the engineering feat known as Les 9 Écluses de Fonseranes – November is a little late in the canal boating season so we could not see the locks in action, but it is still an amazing sight.
My partner and I thoroughly enjoyed our time with Pascale. All in all, we experienced an authentic immersive experience in everyday conversations and French life, and my French knowledge and practice continues to improve.
Nina & Charles
Thank you, Pascale, your French Immersion Program offered much more than I had expected! It was not only a fruitful learning experience but also an unforgettable vacation.
- French Lessons
I had a specific professional objective to learn French, and Pascale tailored the lessons perfectly. To make the most of the immersion program, the lessons focused more on conversation, including role plays. The topics were relevant to the area of my profession, and her curiosity and questions encouraged me to talk. Grammar was also covered, mainly as homework, and we reviewed it together, focusing on the areas of my weak points. I learned incredibly a lot in five days, and now I am reviewing the materials to consolidate the learning.
- Accommodation
La Noria is a lovely and cozy place to stay. Breakfast was a daily delight to start a day, over conversation in French, with homemade jam and sweets prepared by Agnès. Géraldine cooked a variety of tasty dishes for lunch and joined us to have it over the casual and relaxed conversation. Also, I would not forget the warmest welcome of Togo, the sweet puppy!
- Excursions
One of two excursions with Pascale was walking in a hilly forest, along a well-maintained walking trail, where I enjoyed a view over the greenery countryside, as I had requested an activity in nature. There was a horse-riding base within walking distance from La Noria! I enjoyed horse riding with an instructor in the middle of the vineyards, although I was a total beginner. Another excursion was a tour of Béziers, Pascale’s hometown. We took a tourist tram that went through the narrow path in the old quarter up to the famous Canal du Midi. We closed the tour with the best tarte tatin in the town!
Junko
Having always loved learning French but never making progress quickly, I have hugely enjoyed an intensive week of French immersion with Pascale. I have benefitted enormously from the one-on-one tutoring through the whole gamut of grammar, pronunciation and conversation with Pascale. Pascale has a wide range of experience in teaching French, a high degree of sensitivity to different learning styles, and infinite patience. The whole experience at La Noria was just excellent! Franchement, j’ai passé une semaine impeccable !
Friederike
I spent a week with Pascale as my instructor and my French improved immensely. I am older and a latecomer to French and have struggled with spoken French since the beginning. As such, Pascale and I made comprehension our focus. Her patient pronunciation, exercises in grammar and vocabulary, and gentle corrections as I spoke helped me immensely. Pascale’s excellent fluency in both French and English allowed her to fully explain the French language to me and what was needed to more properly converse in it.
The setting was great too, outside of Beziers, at a renovated, quaint and well-run bed and breakfast with gardens and a pool. I was even able to rent one of their ebikes for afternoon rides on the adjacent bike/pedestrian path and quiet backroads.
If you’re looking for a tailored, comfortable and truly immersed experience, I highly recommend improving your French with Pascale! My only complaint was that I only had one week!
Steve
I had a wonderful experience with Pascale during my French immersion. She really catered to my needs, and we only worked on the areas I had asked to focus on. And even though I had different requests to her usual students, she supported me with exactly what I needed. She is so patient and welcoming, making the whole experience enjoyable. I especially liked spending time at her favourite local cafes and restaurants. I highly recommend this to anyone looking to boost their level of speaking and understanding!
Mia
My husband and I enjoy traveling in France and share a common goal of being able to communicate in French without receiving blank looks or having people switch to English with us. Our week with Pascale increased my confidence level dramatically. Pascale easily managed our different learning styles and adapted our lessons to our slightly mismatched levels so that both of us felt challenged and neither felt overwhelmed. We enjoyed our excursions to Beziers and Pezenas, as well as evenings at restaurants along the Canal du Midi. Our lodgings at La Noria with its tranquil and beautiful gardens were idyllic, and Agnes was a perfect host. We are already talking about a return trip! (Susie)
Pascale is a patient and skilled teacher who is especially attuned to the needs of native English speakers trying to learn French. La Noria is a dream location to spend a week focusing on French and visiting the beautiful countryside in and around Beziers. Our week there flew by all too quickly. We can’t wait to come back. (David)