French Immersion Homestay At Teacher's In Volvic, Auvergne

Un grand merci à Soline et bien sûr à Jérôme ! 

Notre semaine à Volvic a été bien plus que ce que nous espérions. 

Chaque matin des conversations intéressantes, stimulantes et instructives avec Soline. Beaucoup de pratique – parler et écouter tout en découvrant des expériences différentes.

Ces discussions se poursuivaient lors du déjeuner partagé avec Jérôme et Paul (mon mari). 

Nous avons dégusté des plats  préparés avec soin par Jérôme (Je dois noter les superbes fromages locaux, délicieux !). 

Nous recommandons absolument le gîte, parfait pour notre séjour et d’un confort exceptionnel.

Enfin, nous avons profité de toutes les activités de la région et aurions pu rester une autre semaine sans tout voir sur notre liste. 

Une excellente boulangerie locale nous a tentés avec différentes gourmandises chaque jour. Dans l’ensemble, un excellent séjour pour nous deux (l’apprenante et son compagnon) que je recommande à tous !

C’est absolument la meilleure façon d’apprécier la France et les français.

Jane

My sons thoroughly enjoyed their stay in Volvic with Soline. They both had a lot of fun learning with Soline in the mornings and then doing fun excursions in the afternoon. I can see that their French improved a lot in just one week! My sons enjoyed their stay with Soline so much that they said they want to do it every summer! 

Soline was an excellent teacher and hostess. I highly recommend this program to others looking to improve their French.

Amelia

I cannot thank Soline and her lovely family enough for creating such wonderful memories for me in Volvic.The  fascinating history of the town, the volcano tours, the water story, the food, art and landscape, not to mention my increasing confidence in the French language, all made for a wonderful stay.
The format of teaching French in an immersive setting is to be highly commended.  The extra activities that Soline organised, together with her charm, grace and teaching ability, made my whole French immersion experience great value for money.

Charles de Perth, Australie occidentale.

I would highly recommend Soline.  I had the full immersion experience with great teaching, wonderful outings, first class accommodations and the pleasure of spending time with her family. I found the small town of Volvic to be very historic and interesting.  The waters of Volvic are shipped around the world.  This was a first class experience.

I stepped away from my busy life in Florida and for 10 days I embraced quiet life in the tiny, French village of Volvic. Surrounded by ancient sleeping volcanoes, early spring was magical as the world woke up to new life. Soline is the perfect teacher – patient, kind and forgiving of mistakes big and small. I came to renew my French after more than twenty years of only speaking English.

Shy at first, with Soline’s encouragement I found my fluency once more. My years of study at university were rigid with so many rules, but in Soline’s gentle teaching I stretched my language skills to new places – adding subjonctif, futur, and so much vocabulary. When my professors at university would have said, “NO!”, Soline said, “Yes! And try it.” Our time together was comfortable and conversational as we talked about our families – our children were similar in age. We discussed education and how the schools worked in our respective countries. At lunch sometimes her partner Jérôme joined us, and we discussed politics in France and America or his work. We talked about my husband’s job as a boat captain and the beaches where I lived.

The places we visited were beautiful – so many amazing churches. With a love of geology, I spent a lot of time looking at the stone used to build the churches and the difference in the colors. We drove around looking for jonquils and bonded over identifying flowers. It was fun to compare the flower names in French and English. I spent a lot of time painting the flowers and places we visited. Puy de Dôme was my favorite outing as the view was amazing.

However, the best part was the day to day talking and feeling like part of her family. Her boys were great and I enjoyed helping them with their English. They were so patient with me and my French. She introduced me to some of her friends and by the time I left I felt comfortable finding my way around the little village and had explored almost every inch of it.

The Gîte de la Planche accommodations are more than comfortable and had everything I needed to feel at home. The food – Soline and Jérôme are amazing cooks! I ate better at their table than almost anywhere else I dined in France! I didn’t want to leave, and I can’t wait to return one day and bring my children so they can start to learn French as well. Also, I would be remiss not to mention the cat. She made my stay so much happier.

J’ai eu le plaisir d’étudier avec Soline en octobre. J’ai trouvé sa méthode très efficace.  Elle m’a encouragé en conversation et après m’a donné un compte rendu écrit qui m’a aidé à corriger mes erreurs.  Aussi, elle est très sympathique et accueillante.  Le gîte à côté de sa maison est charmant et bien fourni pour ses étudiants.  Soline est très organisée et elle conçoit le cours et les activités comme vous le souhaitez.  Je recommande ce cours avec plaisir, et j’ai hâte d’y retourner.

Caroline

What an amazing week! If you want to improve your french and break out of your current plateau, do not hesitate to spend at least one week with Soline. As an intermediate french speaker, I am looking for ways to supplement my classic french lessons, and this is a fantastic way to do this. After one week I was speaking with more fluidity and I had a better comprehension of the trickier french grammar points. It’s so nice to practice french in a natural setting… going for a hike on one of the volcanos, visiting a museum and having a drink in Clermond-Ferrand. So many options! There are endless things that you can do, to make your week and busy as you like it to be. Volvic has everything you need and there are some great walks and places to visit right from your front door. Soline prepared some great lunches and her family is very welcoming and warm. The cherry on the top is the accomadation, very nicely styled and very comfortable. You will not regret a second of your stay with Soline.

Nicole

Quelle semaine incroyable! Si vous souhaitez améliorer votre français et sortir de votre plateau actuel, n’hésitez pas à passer au moins une semaine avec Soline. En tant que francophone intermédiaire, je cherche des moyens de compléter mes cours de français classique, et c’est une façon fantastique de le faire. Après une semaine, je parlais avec plus de fluidité et j’avais une meilleure compréhension des points de grammaire français. C’est tellement agréable de pratiquer le français dans un cadre naturel… faire une randonnée sur l’un des volcans, visiter un musée et boire un verre à Clermond-Ferrand. Tant d’options! Il y a une infinité de choses que vous pouvez faire pour rendre votre semaine aussi occupée que vous le souhaitez. Volvic a tout ce dont vous avez besoin et il y a de superbes promenades et lieux à visiter dès votre porte d’entrée. Soline a préparé d’excellents déjeuners et sa famille est très accueillante et chaleureuse. La cerise sur le gâteau est le logement, très joliment décoré et très confortable. Vous ne regretterez pas une seconde de votre séjour chez Soline.

Nicole

My husband, 11-year old son and 16-year old nephew spent one week with Soline and her family, improving our French language skills and experiencing life in the lovely village of Volvic.  This week was the highlight of our three weeks in France.  From the moment Soline picked us up at the train station to when she dropped us off for our car rental, she was encouraging and accommodating.  In our formal lessons, she was able to accommodate our very different skill levels by using games and activities that were both fun and challenging.  The two members of our group who came with a basic knowledge of French and were hesitant to use it at first gained enough confidence that they spoke French for most of the rest of the trip.  There were ample opportunities for casual conversation and for us to ask questions about what we were seeing and experiencing around us. 

Lunch was always delicious and featured some classic French cuisine, a variety of local ingredients, vegetables from the garden and interesting discussion.  Our afternoon activities varied from a walk and swim in a volcano to the Volvic water and stone museums.  One afternoon our boys spent the afternoon with Soline’s boys playing sports while Soline took my husband and I shopping for some necessities.  Another evening, the boys hung out together eating pizza and watching a movie, while the adults went out to a local restaurant.  Our interactions, both formal and informal, made us feel like we were “at home,” and part of the family. 

The accommodations – Gîte de la Planche – were roomy, comfortable and very tastefully decorated.  The kitchen was well-stocked with every tool we might need.  There were laundry facilities, lots of books and games for us to use, and a lovely terrace where we had our evening meals and some lessons. 

I cannot more highly recommend this experience:  French immersion lessons, afternoon excursions and comfortable accommodations right beside our host.

Sherry, Jo, Marshall and Evan

My stay in Volvic was truly a fantastic experience. I was surprised by how much progress I made in my ability to speak and understand French in just the two weeks I was there. At the beginning of my stay, I hardly understood most of the French being spoken around me, but by the end I could grasp the meaning of almost every conversation I heard and participated in. This was thanks to the fantastic one-on-one French instruction I received along with the complete immersion I had in the language. This stay was also culturally informative. I greatly expanded my knowledge of French culture through directly observing and living it, and through the many culturally important sites I visited as part of my immersion program. Whether it be the stunning cathedral of Clermont-Ferrand, or the panoramic views from the alpine meadows of Puy de Dome, the many excursions and activities made this experience not only informative, but memorable and fun. There were many other factors that made this experience great, such as the kind, welcoming and helpful family, the ample and delicious food, and the living quarters, which were spacious, clean, and, in sum, a perfect place to stay. I was so lucky to be able to have this experience, and I am so grateful that I did.

Marc

I was so lucky to have spent a week with Soline and her family! Before I even arrived, Soline went out of her way to tailor my immersion experience to my needs and interests. She and I spent our mornings conversing in French and honing my grammar skills. In the afternoon, we’d hike around one or the many gorgeous volcanoes close by. Soline and her family made me feel extremely welcome and comfortable. Their cooking was delicious. The gite was well designed, with a lovely porch from which I’d listen to the birds as I ate pastries from a bakery just a few steps away. My French skills improved enormously over the week. I would happily return!

Eleanor

            Volvic, France.  My wife, Cindy, and I drove into this small town, famous for its natural spring water, on Sunday, April 24, 2022. Although we have spent several months crisscrossing France over the years since retiring ten years ago, we had never spent any time in the Auvergne region.  We came here to fill this “hole” in our knowledge of France and to improve our French.  Thus began a wonderful week with Soline Sterbecq and her family as part of the France Today immersion program. 

             Volvic is a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne and is located about 15 kilometers northwest of Clermont-Ferrand.  Like many small towns in this area, Volvic is nestled on a hillside. Behind it, the hills continue to rise and on the ridgeline overlooking it and the valley below is, of course, a castle, Château Tournoël.

            Cindy and I met Soline in the late afternoon that Sunday.  She showed us our apartment, which was next to her house.  As we later learned, her husband, Jérôme, and she had converted what was many, many years ago a barn into a very modern and well decorated 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartment that also served as a “gite” when not housing her students. That night, we met Jérôme over an aperitif and learned that the couple’s two boys were spending their spring vacation at their grandparents’ farm near Chartres. 

            The next morning, and each morning through Friday, classes started at 9:00 a.m. sharp.  Soline came to our apartment where the classes were held around the dining room table and lasted until noon.  As both my wife and I have reached the intermediate level, Soline concentrated on improving our conversation skills.  We covered a range of topics, and, after each day, we received written notes reminding us of what we had covered and what we needed to work on. Towards the end of the week, we played some word games to improve our vocabulary.

            After the morning sessions, Soline (and Jérôme) prepared a scrumptious lunch that we shared with them either at their dining table or on their outdoor patio while continuing to speak French. On Monday evening, Soline invited us to her house for dinner, where we again were able to enjoy delicious French food and wine while practicing our French. 

            Besides daily morning classes during the week, we took two afternoon excursions with Soline and, on other afternoons, explored the region on our own.   In the way of background, in the months before traveling to France, we were able to select where we wanted to go for our two excursions.  We chose to visit Vichy and Clermont-Ferrand, two nearby but quite different cities.  In each case, Soline was able to find two excellent local tour guides.  In Vichy, one of the great spa towns of Europe, a retired French actor led us on an outstanding and entertaining walking tour of the art deco/art nouveau central downtown area, including its sparkling opera house.

            Likewise in Clermont-Ferrand our guide was top-notch, and the tour of the city center very informative.  Especially striking was the majestic Cathedrale Notre Dame de l’Assomption, which was built entirely in black lava stone making it highly distinctive and visible from a great distance.

            On two of our ”free” afternoons, Cindy and I hiked in the hills overlooking Volvic, on one day visiting the place where the Volvic water originates and on the other day climbing up to the Château Tournoël (though the castle was not yet open for the season). 

            And on a third afternoon, Wednesday, we drove about 20 kilometers south to the visitor’s center below Le Puy de Dôme, an extinct volcanic mountain that along with other volcanic mountain peaks in the area dominate the landscape in this central region of France.

            From the visitor’s center we took the tourist train to the lava “dome” on top of the mountain.  There, we could see for miles in all directions since the day was clear and crisp.  Besides those of us enjoying the 360- degree views, there were many locals parasailing –- taking advantage of the brisk winds and the many easy jump-off points atop the domed mountain.

            On Thursday night, Soline invited us to join her at one of her favorite local restaurants for a “farewell” dinner.  Again, the evening was quite enjoyable and provided ample opportunity to practice our French, ordering our meals and discussing the world’s problems over excellent regional French food and wine!

            All in all, it was a memorable week, well-worth the time and expense of the trip.  Thank you to Soline for the detailed planning in advance and outstanding execution during our week in Volvic and to both Soline and Jérôme for your wonderful hospitality throughout our stay.  Quelles merveilleuses vacances!

Bill and Cindy

We loved the Gite de la Planche! France assigned four stars to the Gite but we would give it five. It has everything one would want for an extended stay, which for us was two weeks while we worked on our French with Soline and her family, all of whom were very gracious during our stay.

We chose to study French with Soline in Volvic because we wanted a teacher with solid credentials in a town where people would not automatically switch into colloquial English whenever we walked into a store or restaurant, or as we just walked around town. We were not disappointed, and quickly settled into a daily routine of French with Soline in the mornings followed by afternoon outings where we of course practiced our French some more. Soline was solicitous in shaping our activities to match my wife’s and my varied interests and proved adept at working our schedule around the vagaries of Volvic’s weather in late March and early April, when one can experience all four seasons in the course of a day. Be sure not to miss going to the top of the Puy de Dome or a visit to Coline’s lava art workshop during your own stay!

When the need arose for a visit to the doctor, Soline arranged an appointment at the local clinic. A very positive experience, and yet another opportunity to practice our French. The village of Volvic had everything we needed. Soline kindly picked us up at the train station and took us back to catch the train to Paris at the end of our stay: no need to rent a car.

This was our second of two, two-week French immersion study sessions. We now feel capable of navigating around and staying anywhere in France where little English is spoken.

Thank you, Soline. A bientot!

Jonathan and Terry

La meilleure formation linguistique que j’ai trouvée est la méthode d’immersion totale. Il y a une semaine je suis partie avec mon mari pour une semaine de formation en immersion française dans la belle Auvergne. Celui-ci a été dirige par l’incroyable Soline Sterbecq de French in Context (www.frenchincontext.com).

Pendant une semaine nous n’avons parlé que français, cours avec Soline le matin, suivi d’un déjeuner (Soline et son mari Jérôme étaient de très bons cuisiniers), puis l’après-midi découverte de la belle campagne et des villes d’Auvergne, de Vichy au champ de bataille de Gergovia, tout en français et parfois avec des guides locaux. Il y avait en plus l’hospitalité de Soline et Jérôme certains soirs. C’était un travail vraiment dur, mais Soline nous a aidés en grammaire mais surtout en parlant français dans tous les environnements. C’était toujours amusant et notre confiance dans la parole et notre vocabulaire ont tellement augmenté au cours de la semaine. Nous avons couvert un très large éventail de sujets, allant de la politique, de la culture, de l’éducation et de la science. Et nous avons beaucoup ri !
Cordialement, et bonne weekend, 

Pat

Le dernier mois j’ai passé une semaine de cours immersif français un-a-une avec Soline Sterbecq de « French in Context » en la belle région de l’Auvergne. C’était une expérience inoubliable ; un défi bien sûr, mais si productif, récompensant, et agréable aussi, pas pour moi seulement, mais pour m’épouse Wendy aussi. Soline, ma professeure, était une femme très sympa, patient, professionnelle mais gentille. Nous avons eu beaucoup des blagues pendant nos conversations en français.  Les 3 ½ heures nous avons passé toutes les matins parlé français semblé de tirer par.  J’ai profité si beaucoup de l’expérience.

D’apprendre une langue n’est pas facile ; ce sera une marche longue, je sais ça. Mais je l’adore, et maintenant après mon temps avec Soline je suis pleine de motivation, et enthousiasme. Je sens j’ai fait grand progrès pendant le dernier mois. Maintenant je juste veux le faire encore. Au fait, nous allons revenu encore l’année prochaine. Si vous été sérieux à propos d’apprendre Français je ne peux pas recommande Soline assez.

David