My week with Éliane and her family in Pezens was the highlight of my entire four weeks in Europe! It was such an honor to be welcomed into her home! Had Option 2 been available when I booked with Éliane I would have jumped at the chance to spend more time with her. The apartment is very comfortable, private, and spacious and I thoroughly enjoyed our outings to the winery of Pennautier and village of Montolieu. I also greatly enjoyed the flexibility to cook in a well-equipped kitchen – and the many pleasures of seeking out French ingredients like a local. I also highly recommend the walk/bike trail along the Canal du Midi between Pezens and Carcassonne for quiet beauty and thinking time.
Éliane is an outstanding teacher, gracious host – and an excellent cook! She met me where I was – on a good day level B2 – and in addition to speaking/oral comprehension work, some of my favorite lessons involved phonetics and how to actually make French words “sound” French when spoken by me. 😀
She has a remarkable ability to take complex/advanced grammatical rules I have always struggled with and simplify them into easy to digest principles. She also provided me with excellent resources and notes to take home.
Perhaps one of Éliane’s greatest strengths when working with me was putting me at ease (not an easy thing to do) with patience and a sense of humor that is infectious. When I returned to London I could still hear her as I was still speaking French in my head! She also accomplished something I never thought I would ever see … I became comfortable calling a taxi on the telephone and riding French trains without panicking! I left not only with a newfound confidence in my French but more importantly renewed self-confidence. Can’t wait to return!