Reviews
My home immersion stay with Pascale was truly unforgettable!
I have some background in learning French, including a semester in Paris years ago as a university student and recently I’ve been studying on my own at home with various online resources, but nothing has helped me progress, gain more confidence —or been more fun—than having my own private tutor, in person, in France. And not just any tutor or any place in France, but with Pascale, in the beautiful Béziers area.
Pascale is not only a patient and knowledgeable tutor, but she also makes learning feel natural and fun. She helped me improve my pronunciation and speaking with gentle, immediate corrections, and tailored vocabulary and grammar exercises to meet my exact needs. Our lessons and conversations, held outside in the sun-dappled Gloriette (gazebo), were lively, engaging, and always focused on what interested me most. I left each lesson feeling confident and excited to continue learning.
La Noria, the charming bed & breakfast where I stayed, is cozy, immaculate, and perfectly located on the same property as Pascale’s home. Breakfasts were filled with casual conversations with Pascale, other guests, and Agnès, the warm and welcoming owner. Lunches at Pascale’s house, prepared by Géraldine, were delicious and accompanied by laughter and lively discussion. I also loved having the freedom to cook and enjoy dinner on my own in the kitchen at La Noria—a perfect balance of independence and immersion.
Excursions were tailored to my interests, giving me a deep experience of local culture, history, and the beauty of the countryside. A bonus was joining Pascale and friends for an evening in Béziers with dinner and a Mozart concert in the cathedral—truly memorable!
If possible, I highly recommend a two-week stay. I more than doubled my progress in the second week.
Pascale’s program is a true gem. Everyday was filled with learning, laughter and discovery and I cannot recommend it highly enough!
Niki, Normandy France
Laura
A really excellent week. Pascale was very friendly, helpful and encouraging. My aim was to improve my speaking ability and increase my confidence. I did not want a lot of grammar and Pascale was very adept at picking up repetitive errors which I made when speaking and giving me relevant exercises. She is very knowledgeable about the area and we went on some excellent trips which made my week into a holiday as well as a learning experience. The accommodation was also excellent and Agnès and Geraldine were both very friendly and helpful.
Niki, Normandy France
Niki
I recently spent a very enjoyable week with Pascale at La Noria a lovely property
near Beziers. Pascale is an excellent teacher who tailored our lessons to my level
gently extending me when the opportunity arose. We focused mainly on
grammar but with lots of general conversations, in French of course. When my
brain was overwhelmed towards the end of the week Pascale was able to quickly
adjust her lesson plan to help me cope.
My accommodation in the one bedroom gite at La Noria was extremely
comfortable. Agnes was a lovely host and Geraldine made us some delicious
lunches. I was even able to enjoy a swim in the pool on a couple of afternoons
when we did not go on an excursion.
I would love to come back again.
Dee
I and my partner, who did not participate in learning French, we spent a week with Pascale in may. We had a great time. The lessons of French that I had were made of conversation at breakfast and lunch – this was mixed with English for the benefit of my partner. After the first day when Pascale was assessing my level and my needs we focused on filling the gaps in my knowledge and discussing lots of grammatical and structural issues. We were doing lots of exercises and I had to do some homework which we then discussed the next day. My biggest problem was the lack of knowledge of how? and why? and being of the old school of training I needed to know grammar that was behind it and Pascale could – patiently – explain these to me. I certainly have a better understanding of the French language, even though much more effort is required on my part to be fluent. We loved the place – the tranquility and the flowers, the country vibes. Pascale took us on a couple of trips around the area and this was both educational and fun for both of us. There were also two lovely ladies to complete the picture – Agnès who served us a very French breakfast and the chef Géraldine who prepared lunch for us. We went for walks and rented bikes to go for a ride and this was fun as well – going out there to test my French! Overall, it was a great week for both of us – thank you Pascale!
Maria
I spent a great week with Pascale. Not only was it very enjoyable, but it was really helpful in increasing my confidence in speaking and understanding in French. I appreciated her tailoring the lessons and excursions to my goal of increasing my conversational ability. She sent a daily list of vocabulary selected for my needs. Our conversations ranged from family life to books, films, and history. She is very patient, skilled, and interesting.
The accommodations at La Noria are very nice in a lovely setting with the perfect balance of interaction and privacy. Agnes and Geraldine provided great breakfasts and lunches, as well as conversation.
The excursions to Frontfoide Abbey, wine tasing at Chateau Perdiguier, and the tour of Bèziers were interesting and very helpful in enhancing understanding of the tours in French.
I highly recommend study with Pascale!
Caroline
If I could give more stars, I would!
My week in Languedoc by the coast with Pascale, at La Noria, was top-notch. She’s an excellent teacher of language, of culture/history, and of how to live life to the fullest. Plus, she has just the right engaging personality and sense of humor to make the learning process go easier 🙂
I love that Pascale has the flexibility to tailor each immersion experience to the needs/desires of her student(s). For me it turned out to be focusing on language basics, yet fostering my desire to experience more on the excursion side than perhaps the average student would.
All in all, this was a lovely experience that I would definitely recommend and will not soon forget. Thank you, Pascale, Géraldine, and Agnès. …..mmmwah! (chef’s kiss)
Regina
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)