French Immersion Homestay At Teacher’s Near Béziers, Languedoc
€1425 + Accommodation (prices vary according to room size and season (€450 / €540 off-peak; €510 / €600 peak) Per Week
- 15 hours of one-on-one formal French instruction, tailored to your needs. Flexible as per your preferences.
- 4 rooms (depending on availability), each with its own bathroom. Large TV and A/C included.
- Breakfast is included in the cost of the room (B&B); lunch is included in the cost of the immersion program. Both B + L include active French practice. Dinner is not included.
- 2 excursions with guided French practice.
- Each room can welcome 2 guests.
Amenities/Features
Sleeping Arrangements
2 single bed
1 queen bed
1 queen bed
1 queen bed
Types of Courses Offered: French conversation, grammar, vocabulary, high school and college level French
Teacher Certifications: Ph.D. in Egyptology, Master of Arts in French, English-French bilingual, conversational Spanish, conversational modern Greek
Extra Activities/Options: If you give me enough notice, especially for stays scheduled from May through September, I can look into availabilies for cooking lessons, yoga classes, a workout at the gym (with a day pass), a day on a golf course (with a day pass), a wine tasting with a walking tour of vineyards. A bike tour along the Canal du Midi, or a boat ride on the Canal, can also be scheduled.
Meet Pascale - your French tutor, language buddy & host In France
Originally from Béziers, I spent most of my adult life in the United States. My first experience as an exchange student led me to Pennsylvania and later to Connecticut. After I graduated, I moved to California where I spent 20 years, initially working on projects for internet companies such as Google and Yahoo. Eventually, I decided to go into business for myself, teaching French to teenagers and adults. In 2014, I founded Bay Area French Tutor (https://bayareafrenchtutor.com), a French tutoring business located in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Now that I am back in my native Languedoc, I continue to teach French to English speakers, online and in person. I have dual French-American citizenship, and I am perfectly bilingual and at home in both cultures. My American students have often asked me about immersion programs in France. So, I have decided to share my love for my native Languedoc with Francophiles by offering an intensive French course!
My Teaching Style
I tailor my classes to the needs and goals of each of my students. This means that on our first day together (Monday morning), we will create your ideal program. We are normally scheduled to have 15 hours of formal instruction (and that means grammar), 3 hours every morning Monday through Friday. We also share breakfast and lunch, and we spend 2 afternoons on an excursion together.
The program as currently designed is for students who prefer a more structured approach to language learning. If you decide to stick with the 15 hours of formal instruction, we will use grammar books and exercises. I will assess your level, and we will focus on those points of grammar that are unfamiliar to you, or with which you struggle. Part of my job will be to identify recurring mistakes and drill you until the correct form becomes second nature to you (ex.: *de le should be du, *de les should be des).
However, if you find grammar off-putting and you would prefer our formal instruction be more conversational, we can easily do that by selecting a theme for a particular session, or pick a newspaper article that we will discuss. This will allow you to increase your vocabulary on a subject of your choice. I will correct you whenever you make a mistake, and I will explain why I am correcting you. Grammar will still be unavoidable of course, but our approach will be more organic than if you learn directly from a grammar book.
And if formal instruction is simply not your cup of tea, we can go run errands together where you will do the talking and I will still correct you and/or help you whenever necessary. We can prepare for our outing ahead of time (or not, up to you!).
My French Immersion Stay
I can pick you up at the Béziers train station upon your arrival on Sunday, and drop you off the following Saturday. Please do keep in mind that La Noria is located in the countryside, so if it is your intention to visit the area beyond a bike ride, you will need a car.
We start the day with breakfast from 8-9am. Agnès (the owner of La Noria) prepares breakfast. She loves to bake so every morning is a surprise, and always delicious! If you have any dietary restrictions, please let me know ahead of time so we can do our best to accommodate them.
After our morning classes/activities, we will prepare lunch with Géraldine and eat together. Afterwards, the rest of the day is yours, to practice on your own; go out, visit the area and mingle (with French people!); or just lounge by the pool with a good book. We will spend 2 afternoons on an outing together and explore a destination of your choice. If the destination is far away enough, we may decide to make a day of it and leave in the morning. These outings can also take place in the evening: As an example, from June to early September a local winery offers a walk through the vineyards at sunset, while drinking a glass of one of their wines and nibbling on olives and crackers.
What levels of French do I teach?
My immersion program is open to students who already have some French under their belt. If you are an absolute beginner, I do not recommend that you take this course. Being immersed in a foreign language is very intense, even interspersed with some English where necessary. You need to have had some prior exposure to French in order to benefit from a program such as this one. As I mentioned before, I will adjust my program to your needs:
- If you are an advanced student and your goal is to practice and perfect your language skills, we will speak French as much as you like, during formal instruction, excursions, and throughout your entire week at La Noria.
- If you are an advanced beginner or an intermediate student, I will occasionally switch to English to make sure my explanations of some intricate grammar point make sense to you. Wherever necessary, I will also use English to answer your questions.
- I am happy to welcome teenagers (16 y.o. and older), as long as they are accompanied by a parent if they are still under age.
Please note: If you wish, we will speak French over breakfast and lunch, as well as during our excursions together. However, if you come with a friend/family member who does not speak French, we will switch to English so they can be included in the conversation.
How to get to Béziers?
From Paris, Béziers is a 4 ½ hr direct train ride on the fast train (TGV Inouï).
You can also fly out of Paris into Montpellier (Aéroport Montpellier Méditerranée) or Perpignan (Aéroport Perpignan Rivesaltes). I can arrange to pick you up at the airport, but I will ask that you pay for tolls and gas.
You might want to look into international flights to Barcelona, Spain (especially this year with the Summer Olympics in Paris). Barcelona is a 2h45mn direct train ride (TGV Inouï) to Béziers.
Public Transportation
La Noria is located in the countryside, between the villages of Cazouls-les-Béziers and Maureilhan (one mile from either village), a 15-mn drive from Béziers. Public transportation is available, but you will have to walk to either Cazouls or Maureilhan to catch the bus to Béziers (or elsewhere).
Renting a Car
La Noria is about 10 miles away from Béziers. If you wish to visit the area in your free time or go to the restaurant in the evening, you will need a car. However, with two outings scheduled during the week, you will have the opportunity to visit the area with me, so you may just want to enjoy your stay on the property, or take long walks in the surrounding countryside.
Learn French In France – Your French immersion Program in Cazouls-lès-Béziers, Occitanie
Located along the Mediterranean coastline of Occitanie, Languedoc offers a diverse tapestry of landscapes and traditions. The region has a rich history of Roman influence, visible in landmarks such as the Pont du Gard aqueduct, the amphitheater in Nîmes, and the Roman city of Narbonne. The Middle Ages has also left its mark, as testified by the many religious monuments that spread across this area, Fontfroide Abbey near Narbonne and St Nazaire Cathedral in Béziers being but two magnificent examples of religious medieval architecture in Occitanie.
Almost extinct when I was a child, the local language, Occitan, has been experiencing a revival and is now celebrated through festivals and other cultural events.
Languedoc boasts scenic spots for outdoor activities, such as the Cévennes National Park, or Lac du Salagou. It is also renowned for its wine production, with vineyards stretching across the countryside. If you like seafood, you will enjoy eating some delicious oysters from Bouzigues together with a local white wine, in a quaint restaurant overlooking the Etang de Thau!
Occitanie is not as well known internationally as the French Riviera. However, Languedoc is a beautiful area and has been generating strong interest in the last few years, as evidenced by the many popular TV series shot on location between Béziers and Montpellier.
Your French Immersion Homestay Accommodations in Cazouls-lès-Béziers, Occitanie
La Noria: The Property
Nestled in the middle of vineyards, the main house at La Noria is at least 200 years old and built of solid stone, like a lot of the construtions in this area dating back several centuries. This little paradise boasts a large park, and a gorgeous pool with an outdoor kitchen where we sometimes have dinner in the summer.
In addition to me, you will have Agnès and Jean-Luc, the owners of La Noria, with whom to practice your French while you are on the property! There will also be Géraldine, as well as the other guests, most of them native French speakers, who will be vacationing here at the same time as you.
Across from La Noria is what we call La Voie verte (the Green Way), a former railroad turned into a biking (and hiking) trail that connects several villages in the region.
Your Accommodations
1. La Noria has 4 rooms for rent, each with a private bathroom, located on the second and third floors of the main house. Downstairs is a kitchen where breakfast is served in the morning. When the weather is warm, breakfast is served outside under the Gloriette, a long rectangular gazebo.
2a. La Noria also has 2 gîtes for rent (furnished apartments with all the amenities). The large gîte (Gîte du Midi) has 2 bedrooms, each with a queen-size bed, as well as 2 bathrooms, a large living-room + dining room, and a fully equipped kitchen. The private garden of Gîte du Midi is glorious!
2b. The second gîte is called L'Ecluse and is next to the main house. Smaller than Gîte du Midi, it is a one-bedroom apartment with a queen-size bed, a bathroom, and a fully-equipped kitchen.
For more information and photos about the rooms and the gîtes, please take a look at my website (below).
Access to a Kitchen
Neither La Noria nor the French immersion program include dinner. However, if you are renting a room, you will be able to cook dinner in the kitchen downstairs. Each of the gîtes has its own kitchen.
Wifi
Free wifi is available throughout the property.
Smoking
There is no smoking inside any of the rooms/gîtes. Smoking outside (in the park) is OK.
Contact Pascale - your French tutor, language buddy & host
French Immersion in Cazouls-lès-Béziers, Occitanie
NOTE: All immersion teachers/hosts are completely independent of French Today. All communication, transactions and contracts will be exclusively done between you and the immersion teacher/host.
Reviews (4)
Having always loved learning French but never making progress quickly, I have hugely enjoyed an intensive week of French immersion with Pascale. I have benefitted enormously from the one-on-one tutoring through the whole gamut of grammar, pronunciation and conversation with Pascale. Pascale has a wide range of experience in teaching French, a high degree of sensitivity to different learning styles, and infinite patience. The whole experience at La Noria was just excellent! Franchement, j’ai passé une semaine impeccable !
I spent a week with Pascale as my instructor and my French improved immensely. I am older and a latecomer to French and have struggled with spoken French since the beginning. As such, Pascale and I made comprehension our focus. Her patient pronunciation, exercises in grammar and vocabulary, and gentle corrections as I spoke helped me immensely. Pascale’s excellent fluency in both French and English allowed her to fully explain the French language to me and what was needed to more properly converse in it.
The setting was great too, outside of Beziers, at a renovated, quaint and well-run bed and breakfast with gardens and a pool. I was even able to rent one of their ebikes for afternoon rides on the adjacent bike/pedestrian path and quiet backroads.
If you’re looking for a tailored, comfortable and truly immersed experience, I highly recommend improving your French with Pascale! My only complaint was that I only had one week!
I had a wonderful experience with Pascale during my French immersion. She really catered to my needs, and we only worked on the areas I had asked to focus on. And even though I had different requests to her usual students, she supported me with exactly what I needed. She is so patient and welcoming, making the whole experience enjoyable. I especially liked spending time at her favourite local cafes and restaurants. I highly recommend this to anyone looking to boost their level of speaking and understanding!
My husband and I enjoy traveling in France and share a common goal of being able to communicate in French without receiving blank looks or having people switch to English with us. Our week with Pascale increased my confidence level dramatically. Pascale easily managed our different learning styles and adapted our lessons to our slightly mismatched levels so that both of us felt challenged and neither felt overwhelmed. We enjoyed our excursions to Beziers and Pezenas, as well as evenings at restaurants along the Canal du Midi. Our lodgings at La Noria with its tranquil and beautiful gardens were idyllic, and Agnes was a perfect host. We are already talking about a return trip! (Susie)
Pascale is a patient and skilled teacher who is especially attuned to the needs of native English speakers trying to learn French. La Noria is a dream location to spend a week focusing on French and visiting the beautiful countryside in and around Beziers. Our week there flew by all too quickly. We can’t wait to come back. (David)