French Immersion Program At Teacher's On Ile de Ré

J’adore mes temps avec Clarisse! L’immersion est TRES bon!
I learnt so much as an amateur French speaker…felt like my oral practice improved so much after just a week. Clarisse and her family are fabulous hosts. They took care of each and every requirement I had with regard to my diet and preferences.
Clarisse’s teaching style and her bright personality is extremely contagious, she will leave you with a memorable week forever! Ile de re is also the perfect island to learn the language due to its authentic locality and slow living that allows you to fully embrace the culture and language.

Thank you so much for giving me the best birthday week!

We accidentally booked our holiday during the wrong half-term week and, rather than let the kids miss a week of school, arranged for our children (aged 8 and 10) to have French lessons with Clarisse for four mornings while we were away.

Clarisse was fantastic to work with from start to finish. The children immediately felt comfortable in her company, and we had complete confidence leaving them with her while we enjoyed a coffee at the market in La Flotte each morning. The lessons were fun, engaging and confidence-building.

Through games and conversation, the kids learnt useful words and phrases to help them during the holiday, but more importantly, Clarisse gave them the confidence to actually try speaking French. The biggest highlight was seeing them use their French out and about — ordering ice creams, speaking at markets, and getting huge smiles and warm responses from locals who appreciated the effort they were making rather than defaulting to English. It genuinely helped build their confidence and made the trip even more memorable.

We’re really grateful to Clarisse and would highly recommend her to anyone spending time on Île de Ré and wanting their children to gain some confidence with French in a relaxed, fun environment. Who knows — by the end of it, you may hear: “Bonjour, je voudrais un cône avec deux boules de mangue, s’il vous plaît!” 😄

My son and I recently did a French immersion course with Clarisse on Ile de Re -it was perfectly tailored to our needs, and adapted daily. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience and gained in confidence, both speaking and writing, throughout the week. I’d definitely recommend the experience.

This was my first experience with an immersion course and it was simply amazing. In fact, I was very late with booking my immersion course compared to most people. But much to my delight, Clarisse was still able to make some accommodation for me, and she provided us (me and my parents) a beautiful villa to stay in and asked another wonderful teacher Marylou to teach us (me and my mom). We had a lovely time learning from both Clarisse and Marylou, both of who were competent, patient, and full of good humour. Special shoutout to Claude, who my dad found delightful company while the rest of his household became tres français ;)

I (B1 level) only stayed for a week, but I could sense the following things improving:
– vocabulary
– grammar recall
– listening
– confidence in speaking

My mother (A1, close to A2) and I noted that to get full advantage of the course it’s better to be maybe high A2 or B1. Finally, Clarisse and Claude were also very good AirBnB hosts, as they came immediately to aid when we had some issues with the washroom and needed some supplies.

I hope that I get to visit beautiful Ile-de-Ré again!

My experience with Clarisse on the Ile de Ré was exceptional – for three reasons.  The first was the main reason for the visit – to improve my French.  Having previously only used various courses like LInguaphone, Rosetta Stone, and Duolingo, I was in the position that, despite all my efforts and study of grammar, I could not really converse in French. 

To have a whole week with Clarisse (and her husband Claude) to speak only in French, with formal, tailored lessons to provide guidance and direction, was hugely valuable.  One of the key benefits was the experience of actually speaking in French.  Thinking of the words, formulating sentences, and saying them out loud – invariably with mistakes – and having the time and Clarisse’s expert prompting to correct them, was critical.

Although I was slow, I didn’t have to feel rushed or embarrassed as is normally the case trying to speak with a  ‘normal’ French person, and I could work it through and learn by practical experience.  The same was true of comprehension. 

Clarisse spoke ‘normally’, but would repeat and use gestures as necessary to help me where I had difficulties. And Clarisse also puts a lot of emphasis on ‘real’ French, introducing common sayings and idioms that are not part of typical French courses, which gives more insight and understanding of real French. .  

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The second reason was the Ile de Ré.  I had never heard of it before, but it is a fabulous place – unspoilt, centuries old port towns with so much to see and do.  I went for many walks around the towns and the old fortifications, visited museums, and went for a sail on a catamaran. And the accommodation in a modern, well-appointed apartment in the grounds of the old governor’s mansion, was also special.

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The third reason was how welcome Clarisse and Claude made me feel. Starting with welcome aperitifs at their house when I arrived, to a fabulous dinner on the final evening, as well as lunches at local restaurants, it was like a visit to old friends who had moved to a new part of the world, and were eagerly showing me around.  Each day, as part of the course, Clarisse would take me to a local attraction – a different village, an old church tower, an old book restoration facility, or an outside market.  It was like having a personal tour guide for the week, and always explaining things in French as well as helping me to converse with others (she knows just about everyone on the island).

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In short, I would thoroughly recommend it.  Je ne regrette rien!

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Amicalement,

Philip

This immersion experience exceeded expectation. Clarisse is an experienced, enthusiastic and gifted teacher, one who is keen to enrich language learning through interesting as well as traditional methods. L’Ile de Ré is a well-loved destination, making the week even more special and exposure to its cultural insights very sweet. We have tried an immersion program in Sancerre, evening grammar classes, online learning…one gets something from every experience, but I can say confidently that this week was our language learning “Top.” Merci!

I moved to France with no French. I’ve been trying a variety of learning methods. This was the best use of my time and money. Clarisse has a varied and vast toolkit! She meets you where you are on the learning journey. She gives you homework. She makes it fun and interesting. She exposes you to cultural information (idioms, songs and singers, etc). The outings are fascinating and nice breaks. She is a very kind and generous person and an excellent teacher.

Clarisse is a fantastic French teacher! She also has interesting lessons prepared from grammar, dictation, culture to songs. When we went shopping and out to lunch she would correct me, and it was so nice just to be in natural settings and have her there to help me. You won’t be disappointed if you take courses with Clarisse!

My French immersion experience with Clarisse was fantastic! It was a perfect combination of conversations during formal exercises, cultural experiences, meals, and the beautiful sites on Ile-de-Ré!

Clarisse est une femme adorable et une enseignante brillante. J’étais nerveuse au début mais elle a renforcé ma confiance à chaque leçon. Je peux la recommander vivement pour améliorer votre français.

Clarisse is fantastic as a teacher and as a person. She makes you feel like there are no obstacles to achieving a high level of French, and she helps you learn by doing: through Pilates, shopping, hiking, lunch with the family, concerts… I highly recommend her. I had an experience that exceeded my expectations, and I plan to do it again!

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!

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!

Chère Clarisse, Cher Claude,

Un immense merci à vous deux !
Ce séjour a été le plus beau que j’aie jamais passé en France — et votre cours, le plus inspirant et le plus chaleureux !
Votre gentillesse et votre amitié me touchent profondément. Je repars le cœur léger et rempli de bonheur.

L’Île de Ré m’a enchantée — si unique, si différente, pleine de charme, de beauté et de surprises.

La rencontre avec les parents de Clarisse a été un vrai moment de joie et de douceur.

Merci du fond du cœur pour tout ce que vous m’avez offert.
Je garderai précieusement ces souvenirs dans ma mémoire… et dans mon cœur.

Avec toute mon amitié,

Grazyna

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.