Language Immersion Stay at Rebecca's

Welcome to our home! We are Rebecca, Paul, and our six-year-old daughter Nina. Rebecca is a native English speaker from Louisiana in the United States. She is a professional ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher with experience in academies in addition to individual classes in person and online. She holds a Bachelor's Degree from Louisiana State University in English Literature, began Master's studies in Public Health, and traveled before settling down in France (Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, China, Southeast Asia, Mexico, Spain, Greece). She is also a certified practitioner of positive pedagogy, having completed a training at the Fabrique à Bonheurs (Paris) directed by Isabelle Pailleau. She is more than happy to include positive psychology and pedagogy techniques during the English language immersion to help build confidence, identify and develop memorization and concentration strategies, and approach learning from a fun and constructive angle.

Paul studied agriculture and is the gardener at a local notable garden (''Jardin Remarquable''). He is a native French speaker from Deux-Sèvres (79), speaks English well and is accustomed to an international environment. Paul has experience working as an activity leader in summer camps on the Atlantic coast near Royan where he led groups of children on expeditions to discover marine life and natural habitats. He would be very happy to share his knowledge of organic gardening and wildlife with visitors.

We are raising our little girl to be bilingual - Rebecca speaks to her in English and Paul in French. She understands some Spanish as well. We love to expose her to other languages and cultures.

During the time we receive guests, we would be sure to use only English in the house. We cannot assure outside activities will always be in English.

We are the happy owners of a classic country home in a very tranquil village with 5000 m2 of land to play with :) It is best if our guest is accustomed to, has an interest in, and loves the outdoors and nature. There are plenty of bike rides and walks we can take right from the house. The charming town of Saint Loup Lamairé is a short bike ride from the house as well as the Thouet River, Cébron Lake, and the Jardins du Gué where Paul works. We have a kayak and bikes at our guest's disposal.

A one-hour English class 6 days a week taught by Rebecca is included in the package. Additional hours of class are available upon request for an hourly rate added into the total price.

Our dishes are health and home-cooked (the occasional local pizza is a well-appreciated treat!), with as many locally sourced elements as possible.

There is a guitar, violin, trombone, djembe, and piano in the house with amateur knowledge of how to play them. We'd be happy to transmit what we know to our guests if they express interest in learning.