French Immersion Program At Teacher's On Ile de Ré

We absolutely loved the immersion course with Clarisse. She was excellent in teaching French and very practical – went to the market which gave great confidence on building the language skills through engaging with people. Also, her wit, enthusiasm and engagement rubbed off in a very positive way. The class time flew by and have no hesitation in recommending Clarisse to anyone wishing to develop their French!

Ma fille a eu la chance de suivre des cours particuliers de français à l’Île de Ré avec Clarisse, une professeure exceptionnelle. Au-delà de la qualité pédagogique remarquable, c’est toute l’expérience humaine qui nous a profondément touchés. Clarisse a accueilli ma fille comme un membre de sa propre famille, partageant des moments du quotidien et créant un environnement bienveillant, chaleureux et rassurant. Grâce à cette immersion, ma file a non seulement progressé en français, mais elle a également gagné en confiance et en autonomie. De plus, pour son depart après une semaine inoubliable, elle a emmené ma fille la gare de La Rochelle a 5h du matin, avec une gentillesse et une générosité qui dépassent de loin ce qu’on attend habituellement d’un professeur. Nous recommandons vivement cette expérience à toutes les familles à la recherche d’un apprentissage du français authentique, encadré par une personne passionnée, humaine et profondément attentionnée.

My husband and I spent a week with Clarisse in our French Immersion class. It was great fun and we learned a lot. First of all, the Ile de Ré is a great place to visit — beautiful beaches, miles of bike paths, fun restaurants and lots of oysters. We love the place and would like to go back. Clarisse is very organized and knows how to make our time together productive and fun. After our morning classes, we visited several restaurants and other points of interest around the island. By the way, Clarisse’ husband, Claude, is a very nice guy….also fun! Clarisse was kind enough to invite us to dinner at her parents’ home with her cousin and his wife. We were a little nervous at first but they were extremely kind and welcoming and it was so much fun and we learned a lot about their family. What a lovely evening that we will not forget.

Look no further, Clarisse Normand is the consummate teacher. Following a long search, I found myself fortunate to find Clarisse, the week with her was well worth the effort and expense. She made the process of learning French – bearable! While focused and on-task, she also maintained a friendly environment and went out of her way to share her love of Il de Ré.

She is clearly in her element both geographically, and the ability to create a warm, encouraging learning atmosphere.

If you’re in need of advancing your French, this is an experience well worth having.

Connie/An American in Bergerac

IMMERSION IN ILE DE RÈ WITH CLARISSE

September 2024 La semaine sous l’enseignement de Clarisse a dépassé mes attentes! Le choix de faire une immersion sur Ile de Ré avec Clarisse m’offrait les opportunités que je n’ai pas pensé possible! J’avais vu les photos d’ile de ré mais d’être là, avec les marais de sel, les vignobles, la mer, une fortification formidable, les plages beaucoup plus, était un rêve qui reste dans mon coeur.

Clarisse m’a fait découvrir ce charmant lieu avec son enthousiasme et connaissance! La Flotte, c’est le village où elle habite avec sa famille ~ deux de ses trois filles, son mari Claude, ses parents qui habitent près de sa maison, et un mignon chien et deux cochons d’inde! Chaque jour nous nous sommes rencontrés à l’appart pour nos leçons, complètement designé pour améliorer mes compétences. Donc, elle m’a emmené à quelques endroits spéciaux où j’ai senti l’âme de l’île.

L’endroit est connu pour les maris de sel, qui deviennent les pyramides autour de la plage. Les marais sont autour de l’île, et on voit les vignobles, les marais de sel, la végétation tropicale et les fermes de huîtres. Il y a des pistes cyclables qui serpentent à travers l’île. J’ai fait du vélo pour 40 km un jour, avec Claude, le mari de Clarisse, un tres gentil homme qui m’avait montré les petites villes au long de l’île, où des familles font ‘wind-surfing,’ scooters et jouent sur les plages.

Quelle magnifique île, pleine d’histoire, d’activités, et beaucoup de touristes, principalement français. C’est comme Martha’s Vineyard, dans les Etats Unis. Et la belle professeur! Clarisse est mignonne, professionnelle et elle était exigeante avec moi! J’ai des devoirs chaque jour, nous avons travaillé pendant 3 heures, et elle m’a donné des leçons que m’a challenge et aidé mes compétences et confidence.

Je suis extrêmement reconnaissante à Clarisse pour son intelligence, compétence et désire pour ma réussite. Donc, après les leçons, nous avons fait des tours de village, ou déjeuné dans des beaux restaurants où les huîtres étaiten magnifiques. Nous avons rendu visite à la librairie antiquaire où des livres anciens sont conservés et vendus. J’ai aussi passé des heures au musée, marchant dans le village, voyant les boutiques et parlant avec des patrons. Quelques soirs, j’ai dîné avec Clarisse et Claude et avec ses charmants parents et leurs amis. Un soir, nous avons mangé une glace incroyable dans le centre du village! Les français adorent leurs glaces!!

J’ai apprécié chaque moment que j’ai passé dans la compagnie de Clarisse! Cet immersion etait parfait pour mes besoins, mais plus que ca, Clarisse est une femme gracieuse, et douée qui m’a donné un  opportunité de vivre comme une francaise!

I decided to take a leap and sign up for the immersion course in Ile de Ré.  I have been to France many times and love the people and the country.  I came here with the goal of understanding and speaking better French.

I was a bit anxious on arrival as my French was not advanced and I was not sure what to expect.  When I met Clarisse, I immediately felt at ease and taken care of.  I stayed in a nice apartment complex very close to the sea with a pool and steam room.  

We spent the morning with breakfast and coffee discussing a wide range of subjects.  As the hours progressed, I felt a bit more relaxed and was surprised by the words I understood.  Clarisse was very patient with me and corrected my mistakes gently.  

Some days we would have an outdoor excursion/tour and lunch.  There was homework to do in the afternoon which was interesting and much needed to get the full experience. One evening was a great conversation over drinks with Clarisse’s friends.  Another evening, we went toClarisse’s house for a lovely meal with her husband, Claude and her friends. It was great to be included in a French home dinner and I felt so welcome and at home.  

I was surprised myself by how I understood and became a bit more comfortable in speaking French. I am so thankful for Clarisse’s generosity, hospitality and patience.  I realized that I will probably make a lot of mistakes but I just have to TRY.

I highly recommend this immersion and I will never forget the experience in Ile de Ré.  Merci Clarisse!

L’Immersion on the Ile de Ré, near La Rochelle this Autumn
was a great success in every aspect. My apprehensions
were immediately removed by my hostess, Clarisse, an
experienced teacher of various age groups, who was warm
and welcoming while encouraging me to speak only French,
during five days of ‘hands on’ revision of various aspects of
the language, while joining the French way of life. We
visited local places of interest, such as a famous
lighthouse, a winery (with guided tour in French) renowned
for its production of Pineau, a fortified wine rather like
cognac, but local to this area of France, and a small but
important factory engaged in ancient book restoration,
including the French government as clients. The focus on
French was strong throughout the week, commencing with
a shared breakfast each day with Clarisse, and on two
occasions, dinner with her family speaking only French but
very relaxed.

The accommodation, in Saint Martin, inexpensive and only
two minutes from the beautiful small harbour, shops and a
choice of eating places, provided plenty of private time, to
read and recover from the mental fatigue that inevitably
accompanies a focused course of any kind including this
immersion into all things French.

I absolutely loved the experience, and the place (including
nearby La Rochelle, a small town with history, across the
bridge to the mainland), and have the knowledge that this
really has taken my French up a level of understanding.
What more can I ask?

Je peux pas recommander Clarisse assez! J’ai appris beaucoup de français et j’ai réussi finalement à penser en français, quelque chose que je toujours voulais.

Elle et sa famille sont très gentille, et je me suis sentie supporté d’eux et j’ai reçu beaucoup de patience durant l’expérience. L’île de ré est aussi merveilleuse, j’ai adoré y explorer ainsi que tous les tours que Clarisse m’a donné.

Je peux dire que mon expression orale et mon confiance dans la langue ont amélioré énormément, au fin de l’expérience je me suis trouvée parlant avec des autres en français sans un problème! C’était vraiment une parfaite expérience.

Si vous voulez améliorer votre français, cette programme est parfait pour vous.

From the moment I met Clarisse, I knew we would get on. She was so attentive to my needs and made sure my week was filled with French learning and lots of fun activities!.

I was introduced to her family namely Claude, her husband, the two children and her parents who made me feel very welcome. During my stay , we had a  picnic on the beach, (Clarisse’s daughter made me a cake!) , we had dinner in the beautiful port of La Flotte, we saw the amazing fireworks for Bastille Day , and we went cycling to the end of the island to the lighthouse and we also had oysters which is an Ile de Ré speciality.

Clarisse was so lovely she really wanted me to get the most out of my stay and provided a lot of opportunities to use my French .My day began with breakfast with Clarisse and then a 3 hour French lesson  which was varied with songs, poems, grammar, videos. idioms and general conversation. I really felt like I was getting somewhere and could have a conversation without having to think and translate from English, which was a major step forward. Clarisse and I had lunch in many fantastic restaurants around Ile de Ré for example in Ars-en Ré where I visited one of the best open air markets I’ve ever seen I couldn’t resist buying lots of their local produce . We even went to an 80s disco in an old fort where I learned some French disco classics, the French love to sing !

Ile de Ré  has so much to offer in terms of beaches, cycling, sailing, wine tasting etc , I was there for 2 weeks but I didn’t have time to do everything . I’ll save some for next time. The history of the island is very interesting and there is a museum in St Martin which explains its past.  Everyone I met was friendly and helpful , I had a lovely tennis lesson with Philippe who coached me in French and I went bird watching with Clarisse’s father.

I can’t thank Clarisse enough for her encouragement and good nature, she has definitely improved my spoken French and I am very motivated to keep progressing. I would thoroughly recommend a visit to Ile de Ré , it was a very special trip.

Because my knowledge of French was not extensive I was more than a little anxious before starting this French Immersion course but I was immediately put at ease on meeting Clarisse and throughout my time with her on Ile de Ré.

I encourage anyone contemplating this immersion week not to hesitate. No matter what your level of French you will spend a productive and unforgettable week entirely suited to your particular needs.

Clarisse was not only our French teacher, she was our full time guide to the many attractions of Ile de Ré.  My husband and I were on holiday in France and our week on Ile de Ré proved to be a highlight of our trip.

We found the whole experience most rewarding and I wholeheartedly recommend Clarisse to anyone interested in French language and culture.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time on Ile de Re with Clarisse and her family. Clarisse is an excellent teacher – she made the lessons interesting and worked with me at my level of ability, and the five days of immersion really helped me to feel more comfortable speaking French. I enjoyed spending time with Clarisse’s family who were also warm and welcoming, and were happy to help me with my speaking.

I couldn’t have wished for a better location for my week of immersion. I hired a bicycle and enjoyed exploring the villages and salt marshes on the island. The accommodation Clarisse organised was in a perfect location – easy for me to walk to the port in beautiful St Martin.

Je me souviendrai toujours avec tendresse de mon séjour sur l’Ile de Re – merci beaucoup, Clarisse!

June 2024

My French immersion week with Clarisse was “formidable”, not only because I improved my confidence, French language knowledge and conversational skills but because of the immersive experience itself. My partner, who does not speak French but has a basic understanding of the language, was always included in excursions and conversation, wherever possible, and also enjoyed our week with Clarisse on Ile de Re.

Clarisse is a commendable teacher of the French language. It was easy to interact with her on a range of diverse topics. She corrected my B1 level of speaking and listening, and we worked together on understanding and then using idiomatic French phrases in my conversations. I had homework activities each evening to complement the daily lessons.

A highlight of the week for me was meeting three generations of Clarisse’s family! There was dinner with Clarisse’s parents, lunch with Claude (Clarisse’s husband) and his mother at Clarisse’s home, as well as interactions with Clarisse’s three daughters. All in all, we experienced an authentic immersive experience in everyday French family life and conversations.

The local excursions on the Ile de Re were a great way to discover some of what the island has to offer starting with donkey milk soap through to book and document restoration and tastings of the island’s own wines. My partner and I thoroughly enjoyed our time with Clarisse and her family on the island and we hope one day to return to further explore the wine and food, history and culture of this very special part of France.

Merci beaucoup, Clarisse!

Immersion on Île de Ré

I have longed to visit the Île de Ré for many years. When I learned that a French immersion program was available on the island, it felt tailor-made for me.

From the very first moment when I contacted Clarisse Normand, she showed herself to be a wonderful communicator, a tireless advocate for the French language, and a passionate inhabitant of the Île de Ré.

Clarisse arranged a Zoom session with me to assess my language capabilities and to discuss my goals for my immersion. We settled on a week that dovetailed nicely with other travel I had planned in France during the month of June.

Nothing throws Clarisse. She was endlessly kind and patient when I had significant troubles arranging payment of my deposit via my bank. I received numerous texts from her via What’sApp with advice and wise counsel, often at times that were late at night for her (the time difference for me was 9 hours). She was extremely helpful with making train arrangements for travel from Paris to La Rochelle, the city closest to Île de Ré.

When I arrived on the appointed day, I felt like my immersion week was off and running from the moment when I stepped off the train. Clarisse picked me up at the train station and oriented me to La Rochelle and the immediate environment. Clarisse naturally speaks quickly, but adjusts her pace as necessary for her students. Every grammatical fault or mistake I made in conversation was gently and immediately corrected. (I marveled at her patience; I made some mistakes over and over again, and each time was gently corrected until it finally began to sink in!)

Our first dinner together was in lovely La Flotte. Clarisse took me to one of her favorite dinner places, and that was followed by decadent ice cream desserts. She accompanied me to the apartment that she keeps for students, and made sure that I was comfortably installed before we parted for the evening.

My five days of classes, meals, and excursions with Clarisse were a delight. She is an extremely organized teacher and is an excellent tour guide. She used games, visual aids, “la lecture” (reading) and homework exercises to ensure that I made progress every single day. Clarisse is endlessly patient, and has that special quality of making her students feel like they can succeed! She paces herself according to her students’ capabilities. She assigns as much or as little homework as one is inclined to do. I came home with internet links to various subjects we had explored, and this gave me the opportunity to continue to benefit from my course even after I had left the island.

Our island tours and visits to different villages exceeded my expectations. Meals were celebratory. I met friends of Clarisse and was welcomed as a valued guest everywhere. There is no better way to experience the history and the physical beauty of the Île de Ré than to have your own personal tour guide who is elevating your French while taking you to beaches, markets, villages, marshes, an ancient book restoration Atelier, shops and restaurants.

A very special part of my stay was the opportunity to meet Clarisse’s parents, to visit them in their home, and to have dinner with her extended family in her home in La Flotte. Clarisse doesn’t miss any opportunity to make her students feel special and welcome. For example, she picked up on the fact that I love chocolate. Dinner at her house included a marvelous chocolate cake for dessert. This immersion felt like a true introduction to French family life. It was the “real deal.”

On my last day, Clarisse and her youngest daughter accompanied me to La Rochelle, where we shopped and explored that beautiful city. Clarisse made sure that I was well oriented and acclimated before we all said goodbye. It was only six days after meeting Clarisse, and yet I felt like I was saying goodbye to a valued friend

Ma semaine avec Clarisse était inoubliable. Elle est très chaleureuse, généreuse et bienveillante. Elle a une lien très  forte avec île de Ré, ce qui la rend une hôte extraordinaire. Clarisse m’a invitée dans sa famille et vie et j’adorais les repas avec ses parents et son mari Claude.

Clarisse est douée comme enseignante. Elle a fait un programme parfait pour moi. J’adorais les visites sur l’île, comme les marchés et l’atelier de papier. Île de Ré est un lieu magnifique. J’ai profité de courir ou faire du vélo chaque après midi entre la mer et les vignes et cabanes des huîtres. C’était vraiment spectaculaire. Finalement, le studio est confortable et près du centre village.

Je recommande Clarisse et Île de ré sans hésitation !

We spent 1 week with Clarissa. It was fantastic! I am the one who is learning French, Phil was keeping me company. Our day started with Clarissa arriving early in the morning with fresh croissants and a baguette. We had our petit dejeuner together, I and Clarissa speaking French along the way.  After breakfast we had three hours of tutoring, then lunch together, then Clarissa would take us around, to show us the local attractions. The most precious moments for us was the time spent with Clarissa and her family – we really appreciate the two evenings spent at Clarissa’s and consider it a great privilege to have been able to participate in the French way of sharing the meal with friends and family, which I was always very curious and keen to experience. We felt welcome from the very first moment.  We really appreciated this time, so unique and otherwise impossible to know and savour. I am forever grateful to all present there who patiently listened to my broken and very imperfect French… Because my French is far from fluent, it takes me forever to produce a sentence and then it is far from perfect. Thanks to Clarissa’s efforts I like to think that my French has improved…I was not game enough to ask…

The accommodation was very special as well – it was an old governor’s quarters, now adapted as a hotel. There was a piscine but it was a bit too fresh for us to enjoy it. The Island is tiny but very beautiful. It has its “je ne sais quoi…” that makes it alluring and gives it some special ambiance. The sea comes and goes, the little restaurants and  cafes abound around the port,  little boutique shops, chocolateries with the chocolates that melt in your mouth, bicycles everywhere, mostly French tourists at that time of the year. There is a fort and a lot of history everywhere. 

The time spent there was a real “immersion” experience for us, an immersion in French culture, ways of life and sharing good times. I am forever thankful to Clarissa for allowing us to have this experience, her generosity in sharing the knowledge of French, her time, the family and the way of life with us. It was a very special and memorable time for us and it has been well imprinted in our memory.  

I will remember this week forever and I miss it very much. I am hoping that maybe one day we will make it back there!!!