French Immersion Homestay At Teacher's In Volvic, Auvergne

My immersion program with Soline began with clear communication during the planning phase. I knew each day’s schedule, and any supplemental costs were agreed upon up front.

At her beautiful home in tiny Volvic and on our outings, we spoke French all day. Soline is an amazing conversationalist, and she kept the ball rolling by asking me questions, reacting, and following up with still more questions. I was impressed by her intellectual curiosity, warmth, and energy. Our excursions were thoughtfully customized to my interests; we went some places she herself had never been.

At first, Soline made relatively few corrections to my French, focusing on my listening comprehension and on my generating speech to express myself. Mid-week, we discussed  some of my recurring mistakes and how to raise my level of French in the future. I never felt criticized, but rather helped along by a friendly guiding hand. After that, we continued our conversations, but with more focus on correct grammar and conversational French usage.

My experience was not only a language course but also a cultural immersion — Soline and her family welcomed me into their home and lives. I am deeply grateful and will treasure this experience always. Jim

A Wonderful French Immersion in Volvic with Soline!
I have been dreaming of doing some kind of French immersion for years and I finally decided to treat myself. I wanted to stay in the country, somewhere beautiful and old and I found Soline’s offer on the French Today site. Before leaving, I didn’t give much thought to the fact that as I was doing this alone, I would be spending a lot of time with Soline – 3 hours of French, lunch and two afternoon excursions over 5 days. I had only counted up the hours of opportunity for speaking French and listening to French being spoken.

Looking back, I reflect upon my good fortune in having chosen French In Context in Volvic and Soline as my teacher. She is an excellent teacher with the patience of a saint, but she is also such a lovely and interesting person. I wanted to improve my French conversation and this meant Soline had to endure my halting attempts to find long lost words. Soline speaks with such a perfect French accent and really clear diction. She spoke to me at just the right pace for me to understand. I felt like I was in very capable hands as far as French instruction goes, but there was the added pleasure of getting to know Soline a little as we discussed all manner of topics. Her patience and gentle encouragement gave me confidence and my French definitely improved.

I also loved Volvic and La Gite. It is a very pretty old town and the surrounding forest and hills are beautiful.

I should also mention that I have annoying dietary constraints and both Soline and her husband went to some trouble to cook up something delicious every lunch time to accommodate these. Thank you Soline! I hope to return some day and do it all again. Brigid

I think your students in Volvic and Vichy are very fortunate to have such a dedicated teacher. I really enjoyed my two weeks in Volvic and felt that my spoken French improved immensely and I have your detailed notes for revision. Now, I’m off to look for souvenirs to take home to the family.

À bientôt, Christine.

I just spent a wonderful week with Soline in Volvic, in the beautiful countryside around Clermont Ferrand. She was a great hostess and teacher who tailored my stay around the things I love to do the most, like hiking and exploring the history of the area. We hiked on trails in and around Volvic, all the time practicing French.

My classroom was outdoors and Soline was both teacher and hiking companion. She also took me on guided tours in French of nearby Vichy and Clermont Ferrand, both of which were interesting and fun. She integrated the lessons into every day conversations, focusing on my areas of interest. I really enjoyed an immersive French experience with Soline. The accommodations were comfortable and peaceful, and I enjoyed dinners out on the back terrace in the sun. I learned a lot of French and had a great time.

C’était une très bonne expérience!

Ruth

Last month I spent a week in Volvic on a one-to-one French language immersion course with the wonderful Soline Sterbecq. It was my second immersion homestay with Soline; two years ago my wife Wendy and I stayed for a week in her comfortable adjoining gite while everyday Soline patiently suffered my mangling of the language of Moliere. It was a marvellous experience; enjoyable and so rewarding, so much so that we came back to do it again! Both times I’ve been amazed at how quickly our sessions flew by. For more than three hours every morning we spoke French, with Soline interjecting, correcting, and taking notes for my later contemplation. Our topics ranged from travel to history to photography to current affairs to cheese, with many diversions, and much laughter. As before I was gutted when the week drew to a close, as it had been so much fun, and I could feel myself speaking French with more ease and fluidity with each day. What’s more the week provided Wendy and I with another opportunity to really immerse ourselves in the French way of life, and to explore the beautiful surrounding area of the Parc des Volcans d’Auvergne.

Of course everyone’s reasons for learning French are different, but Soline’s flexible approach allows for each Immersion Course to be customised to guest’s needs and priorities. While apps and online courses are useful there is no substitute for speaking French, in France, with a professional French language teacher, face to face across the kitchen table, practising what we’ve just learnt. Making mistakes, stumbling over tenses, searching for the right words, torturing pronunciations, mixing our pronouns and grappling with the subjunctive is all part of the learning experience, but for me with Soline at the Gite de la Planche it’s also been great fun, and so productive. Both times I’ve left full of enthusiasm and resolve to carry on improving. D

My stay with Soline and her family was fantastic. 

I am a relative beginner at French, but Soline shaped the lessons to match my skills. I worked hard everyday, but made great progress, and had fun doing it. Every afternoon Soline served a wonderful dejeuner. We were often joined by her partner and two boys who welcomed me in to their home and family.

The gite is large, private, comfortable, and well equipped, and really is as good as it looks online.  Volvic is a small French ville, but it has the essential services and is right at the edge of the Chaîne des Puys and Auvergne Volcanoes regional park which provides endless options for hiking or biking and exploring the area. On our afternoons out we went for hikes where I got to play amateur geologist, toured Vichy with a friend and local expert, and explored the history of the surrounding area.

If you are interested in improving your French, I would highly recommended a week or two of French immersion with Soline.

Peter

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

En juillet 2023 je suis revenue pour la deuxième fois pour une semaine d’immersion avec Soline.  Comme ma première immersion l’année précédente, c’était une excellente expérience.  Soline est une excellente instructrice et une hôte formidable.  Elle a fait deux randonnées avec moi dans la magnifique région du Puy-de-Dôme .  Je recommande fortement d’étudier avec Soline pour améliorer votre français et pour profiter d’une merveilleuse visite de la région. Caroline

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