May 2016-Joie C

I have spent a week with Geneviève for an immersive course in French. It was very helpful towards improving my grasp of the language. I requested help particularly with my speaking and comprehension skills, and I really appreciate how well she tailored the course to my needs. She is an excellent instructor and swiftly helped me grasp certain structural aspects of the language that I had been struggling with for a while. There are set hours of instruction, and we covered a lot of ground each day. She also sets homework, which provides the opportunity to revise and apply the lessons learnt during the day.

One of the issues I have faced while learning French is that I feel self-conscious when speaking which makes it difficult to practice and improve. Geneviève is such a lovely person, and is so able to put others at ease, that probably for the first time I was able to speak with someone in French without any feeling of hesitancy. She also corrects pronunciation and grammar during conversations, but in a way, that is kind and warm. Looking back I realize that I learnt a lot from her, not just during class hours, but also throughout the day.

Geneviève is a generous and caring host, and the stay in her ideally located apartment in Nice was very comfortable. She is a wonderful cook and my meals with her were delicious and varied. She took me on multiple excursions, and helped me gain insight into the culture and history of the place. The French immersion stay with Genevieve was an incredible learning experience, and at a personal level too, I had a wonderful time. I hope to return.