Beaujolais Wine Country French Immersion At Teacher's In France

I have just come back from two wonderful weeks of French immersion with Marion and Melie in their cozy home amid the Beaujolais vineyards, and I could not recommend their French language course, cooking demonstrations and wine tasting more! Marion had endless patience with my bad French and gave me the confidence to keep talking even when I could not find the right words. And Melie’s cooking skills and knowledge of wines were just amazing. It is really not every day that you get private wine pairing lessons by a professional sommelier. My two weeks with Marion and Melie passed much too fast, but I will definitely be coming back!

Wow!  What an amazing experience to spend a week with Marion and Mélie in this idyllic area of France. My spoken French is really at more of a beginning level and conversation was my focus. They were both extremely patient with me, helping me learn in a supportive environment.  Three hours of French instruction plus breakfast and lunch together was easily over four hours of Immersion each day.  Plus four out of five days I was there I had excursions or time with Mélie.  The immersion was exactly what I was looking for. 
Marion was an extremely knowledgeable guide in Lyon and at the Chateau at Cormatin.  I love history and both experiences really were incredible for me.  Coming from Canada made me truly appreciative of the incredibly rich and long history in France. 
I highly recommend the wine experience.  Not only did I get at least 12 hours more of French Immersion, I learned so much about wine and the art of being a sommelier. Mélie is definitely gifted in this area. I was worried that my lack of experience would be uncomfortable but she teaches in a way that builds from one day to the next and built my confidence along the way. 
It is a little off the beaten path but after being in Bordeaux and Paris provided me the opportunity to see another very real side of France.  

I had the pleasure to spend a week’s immersion with Marion, and it was wonderful! She is very knowledgeable and experienced, very patient and clear, and is really good at working out what areas need work, which is great because you want to use the time efficiently. She never made me feel silly or uncomfortable. But more than just a good teacher, Marion is a really nice person – and a great cook! She also gave us some good advice about where to visit in the area, which was great for my partner who spend his days riding his bike around the stunning countryside. The week went far too fast! 

This Course truly lived up to and beyond our expectations.

In both, the relaxed atmosphere of her house and the beautiful surrounding countryside, Marion gave us the opportunity to study the French language while experiencing the culture and life in the Beaujolais region in France.

We thoroughly enjoyed the challenging lessons which Marion delivered, her constant encouragement enabling us to gain in confidence and attain a, much needed, higher standard of spoken French.

With the aid of Mélie we also had a great time learning how to taste wine, her enthusiasm was infectious and this made her extensive knowledge of oenology so very interesting.

It is therefore with no hesitation and a great deal of pleasure that, we fully recommend an Intensive French Course with Marion.

I had the most fantastic week with Marion, I could not recommend her intensive course more. I have lived in Geneva for a couple of years and have had trouble building my confidence in French conversation. From not being sure how to even have the most basic conversation, by the end of the week I felt like I had improved unrecognizably. As a teacher, Marion is patient and knowledgeable. She is extremely good at teaching you what you need to know to progress, without making it feel like a class. 
The house and the region are also beautiful, and a pleasure to stay in. Marion and Mélie are very hospitable, and made me feel at ease in their home from the first day. I should add that the wine is top notch and it is definitely worth taking up the wine option!

I spent an unforgettable week with Marion in late February and early March, 2022,
including the wine option with Mélie. Overall, it was a wonderful experience. First, Marion is a very skilled, creative, and talented teacher of French. She tailored the week
to my needs and goals, which I appreciated very much. I really enjoyed all the
conversation around breakfast and lunch, aside the wood-burning stove, and strolling in the beautiful countryside near her gorgeous home. Throughout, she used a combination of corrections, word games, prepared questions, written exercises, and discussions of readings to help me improve all aspects of my French (but especially conversation, as that was my requested focus).
Marion’s house, a recently renovated stone farm house, is beautiful, comfortable, and
perfectly designed for the language immersion experience. I stayed in the attached
apartment for students, which is a quiet bit of heaven. The view from the living room
over the Beaujolais countryside, including flocks of sheep meandering on a distant field, is stunning. The apartment has its own entrance, well-furnished kitchen, and
comfortable living space. Outside, the only sounds are sheep, goats, cows, and many
birds singing. I did not want to rent a car, and that worked just fine. Marion was happy to pick me up from the nearest train station, and it was easy to walk into Ouroux (the small nearby village) less than a kilometer to purchase provisions for dinner. I also chose an excursion with Marion early in the week to a nearby market (delightful and colorful!), which allowed me to pick up some things to supplement dinner. Meanwhile, it was liberating to not have a car, and to simply enjoy long walks and runs in the countryside, where there were many miles of trails to explore. (On the other hand, a rental car would be important for you if you want to explore further afield on your own in the afternoons).
The wine option with Mélie was fabulous! Mélie is a wine professional, with substantial
experience and knowledge of wines across France, and also with a passion for wines of
the Beaujolais region. For me, it was really fun to learn and practice speaking with the
French vocabulary of wine tasting and wine-making, while learning a great deal about
how to properly and thoroughly taste wine in the French manner, and to learn all about
the character and production of Beaujolais wines. Dinner with wine pairings on the first
evening was delightful, and the subsequent evening tastings were carefully designed,
educational, and stimulating. Our excursion to the wine trail and tasting room at
Chiroubles was super cool–great views over the Beaujolais wine region with educational signage (and Mélie’s interpretation) along the trail enabled me to learn a
great deal about the geography of the region and how it influences wine production, and it was perfect to end the walk in a wine tasting room with the option to try some wines and purchase some bottles. Overall, I highly recommend the wine option with Mélie for anyone interested in expanding their knowledge of wine, trying the wines of Beaujolais, and/or improving their ability to speak about wine in French.
Finally, I will just say that Marion and Mélie are simply delightful human beings of the
highest caliber, with whom it was really easy and rewarding to spend this week. This
immersion experience is highly recommended, and I hope to return one day myself.

I had a lovely time in Beaujolais immersed in the French countryside, learning french and trying different wines. I opted for purely oral practice and each day, after a leisurely breakfast, Marion and I walked through the nearby forests talking and playing word games, which really filled me with confidence to converse in French, followed by a delightful lunch. The first morning we visited the local market and I stocked up on enough fresh vegetables and fruit for the week, all the while practicing talking French with the locals. I also did the Beaujolais wine experience with Mélie which comprised a delicious dinner the first night with wine pairing, a trip to Chateau de Pizay where they have an interesting and fun way to learn about wine tasting, plus two wine tasting sessions with Mélie. With both the immersion course and the wine experience, I really maximised my time speaking French and I was very happy with my progress. The apartment is great with everything I needed, great views and surrounded by nature. 

My husband Chris and I spent a week improving our French with Marion in September 2021 near Ouroux in the beautiful rolling hills of Beaujolais. I only wish we could have stayed longer.

Marion is delightful and a very gifted teacher. Our French is at different levels, but she successfully accommodated her teaching to meet our specific needs. My husband, who hadn’t studied any French since school, and was understandably nervous, was immediately at ease. Having studied the language on various apps during the long Covid lockdown in South Africa, I was thrilled to learn in an environment with someone who spoke clearly and de-mystified much of my Internet French.

Our week wasn’t all study though. Our apartment was comfortable and had a beautiful view. Marion is a creative and enthusiastic cook and she and Melie shared their knowledge of French wine with us. In fact, one of the outings we chose was a visit to Chateau de Pizay, which enhanced our knowledge of wine as well as French.

We have family in France and need to be able to understand and speak with them readily, so I know we will be back for another rewarding week with Marion.

The students below stayed at Marion’s former house (in the same region)

My french immersion homestay with Marion truly exceeded my expectations.

It was evident immediately that she is  a very skilled and qualified teacher. She uses many different tools and techniques to help make learning a difficult  language much more enjoyable. We would play word games as we walked through the vineyards of Beaujolais, and enjoy conversation (in french) while taking long walks by the river.

The trips to the open market on Tuesdays were fascinating for someone from a big city, and I loved that all the produce we ate was locally grown. A true highlight in my 2 week stay was an all day excursion to my new favorite city of Lyon, only about an hour away by car. Of course it always helps to have your own personal guide when you visit a new city.

My apartment was next to the home of Marion’s lovely mother, Nicole. It was clean, spacious and very comfortable. I was surprised and impressed to learn that Marion and her very talented brother, Lambert, built this apartment themselves!

And at that time they were in the middle of construction of her own house which I see has been completed. It has incredible views of the countryside full of lush green meadows and rolling hills-perfect for biking! I can’t wait to stay there on my next visit, which I have already scheduled.

I spent one week in Beaujolais with Marion at her new beautiful home in the countryside. Her village of Ouroux was absolutely beautiful, located in the countryside with green rolling hills surrounded by vineyards nearby.

The accommodations were very nice and comfortable; I had my own flat with its own kitchen. This is great for quiet getaway, while also getting to learn French in a beautiful setting. I bought food from the local épicerie, enjoyed a romantic meal in the village’s local restaurant.

My lessons with Marion consisted of walking through the countryside, playing games in French, sharing discussions in French, followed by a delicious afternoon meal prepared by Marion.

Marion caters to your needs and will personalize the lessons for you based on your preferred learning style. This was a great way to learn French! The beaujolais wine was delicious as well!

I highly recommend this immersion program with Marion. Thanks again!!

What a pleasure to study with Marion! I’ve now been twice her student and it only gets better.

Last December I was the first “guest” at her newly constructed, truly awesome “chalet” on a hill overlooking the charming village of Ouroux, with a spectacular view of the mountains beyond. In her new, commodious residence, where students are provided a private, fully equipped and independent apartment with kitchenette.

Marion offers the same exceptionally professional language immersion experience, with the wonderful bonuses of fabulous meals and delightful walks in the surrounding hills.

Cannot recommend Marion and her unforgettable program more highly.

I spent 3 weeks avec Marion in Lancie. It was my second immersion with her. That shows you how much I enjoyed myself the first time !

Once gain, I very much enjoyed my stay. Marion helped me with my speaking skills (which was my main objective). She was patient and encouraging which is exactly what I needed. I now feel more confident.

Marion is also a great cook, and she was more than happy to cook traditional french dishes which were all excellent. Marion’s mum, Nicole, even cooked a delicious « poulet de bresse » for me twice !

I also got to see Marion’s new house in Ouroux which was really exciting. Unfortunately it was not quite ready for my stay this time but I look forward to staying there on my next visit. The house is awesome, in beautiful location with a lovely view. The student apartment is going to be even more amazing than the one here which I didn’t think was possible.

It gives me another excuse to return ! (une bonne excuse pour revenir!)

Thank you and your Mum far a very lovely two weeks in Beaujolais, we really had a great time.

The two weeks with your tuition has really boosted Cynthia’s confidence in speaking French and has now inspired me to start to learn the French. You made the French Language  come to life and I can see why you are so successful in teaching people of all ages. Tu es magnifique !!!

The added bonus of staying in your flat was the very excellent food you offer, we thoroughly enjoyed your breakfast and lunches, and thank your Mum as well.

Cynthia had been concerned that the small village would be too far from any places of interest, but you were able take us around many interesting places of interest. I particularly enjoyed the old farm Museum and the visit to the wine factory and rail station.

The day out in Lyon was very much enjoyed by us both, so much to see and learn about. Cynthia enjoyed the shops and speaking in French and was pleased people understood her. The Cathedral was very beautiful, and great to be able to see all over the city from the high viewing point with you as an excellent guide.

Then the visit to your lovely house on the hill top, what a beautiful place! We both think you and your brother have done an incredible and imaginative job in renovating the wonderful old barn. You brought the building to life without losing the essential character of the building and its surrounds. Your students cannot fail to enjoy their visits in such wonderful surroundings.

Once we have our schedule for next year worked out in the next few days we will definitely be booking again for next year.

My husband and I just returned from a wonderful week with Marion in the Beaujolais region. This is our third immersion experience through French Today and each time is a leap forward in our french language skills.

Although my husband and I take weekly french classes in the US, there is just nothing that compares to an immersion course.

Marion’s teaching expertise identified our strengths and weaknesses immediately . She then worked with us to pull together and polish our french grammar and conversation. It was so rewarding for us to actually have a full conversation in french.

At the same time, the Beaujolais region is beautiful to visit. Our immersion week was during the fall grape harvest and the weather was perfect, so we often did “walking classes” through the vineyards. We felt like we were in a virtual Monet painting!

Needless to say, it was a memorable week and we are already dreaming of our next french adventure.

My wife and I moved to a French-speaking country and recognized the need to take intensive French lessons to improve our speaking, listening, writing and overall comprehension skills. To maximise our learning, we felt a one-week homestay in France, immersed in French and spending much of the day working on our French, would be ideal for us. We didn’t know of any programs, so I went online and searched, emailing language institutes but not thrilled at the thought of large class groups and lack of personalized learning. Then I found the French Today website with homestays and thus, Marion.

Marion was easy to communicate with, provided details about the course, and explained the process to us in advance, requesting a self-assessment of our French proficiency to help guide her in preparing for our lessons. Directions were given to find the residence and it was easily located (we drove down from Paris). Marion was at all times very supportive, very professional and kept our lessons moving along each day. The days began with breakfast and French conversation, segueing into French lessons, followed by lunch, more conversation and writing, ending with homework assigned for the next day. Marion kept a ‘diary’ of unfamiliar terms (to  us!) in French and emailed them to us at the end of each day. We also had two outings – one to the local street market in Maçon and one for the day to Lyons, where Marion took the time to help us find French study books in the bookstores and suggested which ones would be most beneficial to us. We also appreciated spending time talking with Marion’s mother, who was very gracious in spending her time  conversing with us (and we loved the two cats, Tarzan and Lily).

The apartment behind the main house where we stayed was clean, comfortable and well-equipped for making meals, relaxing, and doing homework! Overall, we were very happy with our stay and hope to return to study more. We learned a lot. Our French is more fluent, we are  more willing to speak in French, but more importantly our writing and comprehension skills in reading and listening have also improved. We both highly recommend Marion to anybody who is considering studying French intensively via a homestay.