French Immersion Homestay At Teacher’s in Montagnac, Occitanie

From the minute we departed the TGV Gwen was in the station waiting for us with open arms. Gwen’s warmth and positive energy made it so very easy for us to get to know each other. As I mentioned to Gwen during our visit, this is much more than an immersion. This is a French experience from families, cooking, culture, and just plain old fashion fun!! Gwen’s organization and teaching skills are second to none. She makes you feel comfortable and adjusts easily to your level of French. She corrects in a way that does not make one feel inferior and she is so very positive. Gwen has a wealth of knowledge of Nimes, Vezenobres, Uzes, festivals, markets, etc. When we were in Nimes we actually saw the Scorpions lead singer outside of the Nimes Arena (there were playing in the Arena that night). She was so excited and began singing! What a pleasure!! And the gite, located next to her house makes it so very easy for meeting up. The gite is fabulous. It is clean, has all of the amenities one can ask for, and beautiful views off your very own terrace! 

Please, sign me up again!

Gwen and her family gave me a truly memorable experience of my French cultural and language immersion in the Occitania region, Southern France. In addition to her great language teaching skills, not to mention her cooking, Gwen was very informative of so much of the region including Montagnac, Nimes, Vezenobres and Uzes.

This format of teaching French in an immersive setting is to be highly commended. The comfort of the newly renovated self-contained apartment (aka gite), together with Gwen’s relaxed charm and teaching method, made my French immersion experience great value for time and money.

Charles from Perth, Western Australia June 2025

My family and I were fortunate to be able to spend a week with Gwen and her family in Montagnac. From the moment we arrived, we felt right at home in Gwen’s beautiful gîte. Gwen and her family all took the time to welcome us and to participate in the immersion experience. Even Gwen’s dog got in on the fun! Gwen is warm, enthusiastic, patient, and deeply committed to making the immersion experience enriching and enjoyable. My whole family enjoyed Gwen’s extensive knowledge of the sights and the history of her region. I was beyond impressed by the thoughtfully prepared program Gwen designed for us. She put together a perfect mix of truly unique excursions (a train into the mountains, a donkey ride, visiting a market and a fromagerie, the incomparable Pont du Gard) and fun language experiences in her home (enjoying local specialties, playing games, hosting a meal, and cooking). Gwen made learning natural and fun. She also provided lots of valuable opportunities to interact with her friends and neighbors in the village, including some my son’s age. You just can’t get this kind of experience when you travel on your own as a tourist! My son is younger than Gwen’s usual target audience, but she did an excellent job of adapting to his interests, targeting areas he was ready to work on, and giving him hands-on activities to improve his language skills. And we all had so much fun! If you’re looking for an immersion experience that is both educational and full of heart, you can’t go wrong with a stay with Gwen. We’re so glad we came!

Gwen’s energy and passion for language shone through. Even while juggling the logistics of family illnesses and end of school term with hosting two strangers from london.
The teaching sessions were interesting and challenging. The games and role-playing made it fun too.
And what a lovely location. The gite is fantastic and the cultural trips were a real highlight. The food market in Uzes, swimming at Pont du Gard, learning the history of the aquaduct and discovering the lovely, historical city of Nimes. Wine and olive oil tasting were the cherry on the cake.
Apart from learning new everyday phrases and deepening our understanding of French grammar, we came away with a clearer plan for how to keep progressing. The Intouchables lesson was particularly motivating.
Thank you Gwen!

If you are lucky enough to spend a week in an immersion program in France, I absolutely recommend spending it with Gwen and her lovely family in Montagnac. There was good communication before my arrival so any questions about the program were answered and Gwen was able to take in my interests in order to tailor the weeks itinerary which was flexible and diverse. From the moment we met in the train station in Nimes and she gave me a big hug, I knew I was going to like her.
The family welcomed me with warmth and genuine hospitality that made me feel instantly at home, and their gorgeous golden retriever, well let’s just say, I’m still missing him. Gwen’s young son who is a credit to his parents enjoyed testing me on French words over breakfast and on car trips and was not at all perturbed by chatting away with a 60yo Australian woman.
Montagnac is a small town and it doesn’t have a coffee shop which I thought would be problematic but at no stage did I miss that. The apartment (Gite), although joined on to their home, is completely private and renovated beautifully. It has its own balcony with the most breathtaking view you could ever imagine. The photos do not do it justice, it really is spectacular. And with a good book this is a very lovely place to spend any down time.
Despite being very much a beginner as far as speaking French, Gwen was patient and encouraging with me and with years of teaching English under her belt she was able to shift flawlessly from English to French when explaining things. She tailored the week for my abilities and interests. We visited charming villages, sampled local cuisine (divine!) and experienced authentic French daily life. Seeing bulls with enormous horns being chased by French cowboys on horses through coble stone streets without so much as a barricade between them and the crowd of locals still blows my mind.
If you are considering this kind of immersion experience, I would wholeheartedly recommend Gwen. She is a very warm, beautiful person with a great sense of humour and it’s the laughs we had together that I think of more than anything else when I think of my time with her.

Miss you Gwen !

I had a wonderful week staying and learning with Gwen. She’s a patient teacher who easily adjusts to your level of français and I especially loved her method, organization and teaching style. I was most interested in speaking as much as possible and throughout the entire time, I don’t think we ever ran out of things to talk about (all in français, bien sûr). Gwen has a keen ear for mistakes I consistently made (from bad habits, mostly) and tuned into them to help me correct them throughout the week.

The apartment in her home is clean and fresh and very quiet – and it has magnificent views of the Gard countryside. I also enjoyed our excursions which were tailored to my interests. Gwen was very knowledgable of the history and culture of the area, and so I learned a lot more than the average tourist would. Come on, you know you want to – don’t be shy! Immerse yourself in the language and culture that is southern France with Miss Gwen !

I feel extremely lucky to have come across Gwen in order to spend a week in France on an immersion course.

From the start I liked her vibes and sense of humour without ever feeling under pressure. Even though I have family who live in France, I wanted to find a family suitable for me to really knuckle down with the language. Who better than Gwen! She is truly passionate about sharing her knowledge of the language and local history which made my stay a really intensive and satisfying experience. I couldn’t have felt more comfortable in her beautiful country home or made to feel as welcome by her truly lovely family (and adorable golden retriever!).

The programme Gwen concocted for me entailed of three unique workshops which I enjoyed tremendously, a visit to the traditional village of Vezenobre and various outings to historical sites including Aigue-Mortes and the Roman monuments in Nîmes, the ornithological park in the Camargue to discover the flamingos up close, not to mention the  fantastic traditional French lunches and relaxing soirees with the family.

I have to thank Gwen and her family again for their generous hospitality and patience with me throughout the week with me persevering to speak the language! They were all prepared to help me and guide me with my faux pas with humour and encouragement. For me, without a doubt, it was definitely the best choice that I could have made.

From the moment I arrived, I felt like I’d stepped into a cozy French movie scene. The house is beautiful, and my bedroom had such a charming, French vibe. Every morning started with French breakfast and the sound of birds, so peaceful!

Gwen crafted an itinerary that was the perfect balance of fun and learning. Our day trips to Uzès, Nîmes, and La Camargue were amazing, and I never felt rushed. I got to practice French everywhere we went but in such a relaxed way. The day in La Camargue was my favorite: stunning views, birdwatching, and a delicious lunch in Aigues-Mortes! We had fantastic food every day anyway (the cheese selection one night was unreal!) and wine to match.

The workshops were pretty fun too as Gwen was both passionate and patient with me when speaking French. I also loved the movie we studied together. I am definitely more confident with my French now !

If you’re looking to dive into French culture in the most authentic way, I can’t recommend Gwen enough!

Let me start with the week I had in Montagnac with Gwen and her family. What a week! What a place!

Sunday evening Gwen, Loic and their son greeted me with our first home meal… such a good start !

Their 18th century home, right on the cliff edge in a tiny village was sublime, the food amazing, wine delightful and company – the best! I very quickly felt so welcomed and throughout the week the conversation didn’t stop. In as much French as I could muster but we switched to English when I needed to. It was just what my heart needed. On top of the cultural workshops, Gwen took me out on excursions : Uzes for market day to buy supplies for our cooking class that night, a winery to learn from the vigneron, Avignon for the theatre festival and a visit to Palais des Papes and lunch with Arlette, Gwen’s mum! We also had a day out in Nîmes, of course ! 

My French definitely improved through the week and more so after a glass or two of champagne on our last night together. 

I left feeling really uplifted, it was a brilliant week, in a beautiful place with people who now feel like old friends !