Basque Country Immersion home stay class

Improve your French and experience real French lifestyle in the warmth of Myriam's home

Myriam Rolando (a French native teacher who also speaks English & Japanese) offers immersion classes and stays in her home in the beautiful region of Bayonne, in the South Western part of France, near the Pyrénées mountains and Spanish border, and the Atlantic ocean (Biarritz).

Learn French and French culture as Myriam guides you through her beloved region and it's culinary delights.

Programme Azalées

Our immersion programs range from one to three weeks, with many optional excursions or sports available to customize your stay.

The standard week stay includes:

• 2h x 5 days of private lessons
• 2 or 3 hours twice a week of cultural/touristic tours with me or some professional, or activities such as cooking lessons, movie watching with teacher...  customizable according to your own interests
• One day out for a longer excursion in our region
• Morning breakfasts with comments on current events or some topics necessary for better understanding
• One meal taken with me and maybe other family members, or my friends :-) You'll get free use of the kitchen and may help yourself to the grocery to prepare your other meal, and you are welcome to dig in the leftovers. There is always lots of food in my kitchen.

You will spend a minimum of 5 hours in guided French communication per day,

going to 8h or more if the student follows my daily activites here in Bayonne.

All expenses are included except gasoline, entries in museum, lunch outside for excursions or unplanned activities you wish to add to the program.

For that basic program normal cost is 850€ for one week , 1700€ for 2 weeks and 2500 € for 3 weeks.

More detail on Myriam's site - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it directly or call +33 5 59 52 15 16

Mention "French Today" and Myriam will offer one entry to the thalassotherapie center to try the Lagoon experience, or one additional afternoon tour.

Review from FrenchToday
A regular phone student of mine stayed at Myriam's for 3 weeks in December 2009. Not only did she loved her stay, but her progress in French were outstanding. I was very impressed and can vouch for Myriam's skills as a teacher. I thought I'd share my students comments with you.

"Dear Camille, it is with great pleasure that I write this recommendation for Myriam. She is an excellent teacher. She has taught in many schools in the past and now focuses on teaching French as an immersion experience. She is sensitive and understands the learning process including culture shock. She is flexible, basing her lessons on the goals and abilities of the individual student. She also changes her lessons as the student changes during the immersion process.

Her home is warm and inviting, just like she is. The bedroom was comfortable and included a desk and chair. There was good WiFi reception for computer usage. The meals were fresh and delicious. I believe she is a former professional chef and purchases her ingredients at the local street market. Going with her to the street market as well as the supermarket was a fascinating experience.

There were many opportunities to experience the local culture as well as the day long excursions into the Pays Basque. Myriam is very knowledgeable about her country and the Pays Basque. She is able to discuss the culture and history in words that are understandable. She has also lived in America, so when all else fails, which is very rare, she can add a word or two in English. The student pays for these day long excursions, but I always thought they were very inexpensive.

As a single woman, I was very concerned about my safety both in getting to Bayonne and while I was living there. In Paris everyone spoke English so my trip going there was easier than I expected, when I had a question I could ask in English. There was no problem with security in the airport, the train station or on the train. I was amazed at how quiet it is in France. The only noisy area was while I was waiting for my flight home in Paris and I was surrounded by other Americans! Myriam lives in the city of Bayonne and the neighborhood was extremely quiet. I felt quite safe at her home.

Although the formal lessons are two hours, five days a week, the lessons truly are all day. During breakfast we watched the news and discussed the events. If I had a question while doing my homework, she would take the time during the day to help me better understand the lesson. She would correct me as needed, but I never felt any undue stress. She involved me in family activities and with her friends, all of whom were supportive and very helpful. It was wonderful to hear her friend Christine speak with amazing fricatives that I could only dream of reproducing.

I highly recommend Myriam to anyone who wishes to improve their French."