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ARTICLE
The following is taken from an article on
Daniele's plans for LFIF
which appeared in a Language Training magazine in 2000.
For many years Danièle Cook taught
French at secondary and university level. She then went on
to become a successful business language trainer and carved
a well-respected name for herself in Reading. In fact, Danièle,
who originated from Bordeaux and made Reading her family home
for over 25 years, trained employees of some of the major
companies in the heart of the Thames Valley region. Most of
her business came from recommendation - her standards are
high and she gets results for her clients. Business has been
booming in Reading and no doubt Danièle would be seeing
a return on the many years of hard work and the network of
influential contacts she now has.
But she has taken a very drastic step. Just
when business is at its peak in this thriving, busy metropolis,
Danièle has decided to move! And she hasn't moved further
into the Thames Valley to search for even richer rewards,
she has moved to Les Landes, one of the quietest and most
remote regions in France.
Les Landes has no big business, in fact
the only thing there is in abundance is forest. It's the biggest
man-made forest in Europe. So why has she done it? A need
to escape? A rash decision? Hardly. All part of the plan of
making the most of her teaching ability and the experience
she has gathered.
According to Danièle, "There are two ingredients
to successful language acquisition: learning and practice.
It's straightforward but not always easy to achieve. There
are too many distractions and often stress in our everyday
routine, especially in the workplace, to make learning an
easy thing to do. And practice often has a sense of artificiality
- everyone can speak English so everyone knows there's always
a safety net.
"I've found the best way to achieve results in a target
language is to detach the student as far as possible from
their everyday work place. Those that are able to divorce
themselves from their surroundings - even for an hour - progress
faster than those that cannot. Even more so if they can get
away for a day, a weekend or even a week!
"Here in Paquetout, I'm simply utilising what I do best,"
she adds. "I'm providing a peaceful, relaxing environment
that is ideal for learning. And I'm making many opportunities
for people to use the language they have learned in a realistic
way. The people who come here communicate with real French
people in real French situations. With the safety net down
people certainly benefit much more from the practice they
get. The results are outstanding."
Danièle is the first to admit that
there is nothing new in what she is doing. Students wanting
to learn English have been coming to similar places in Wales,
Scotland and remoter parts of Britain for decades and have
had an enjoyable and rewarding experience.
"It's time we did the same," she asserts. "Language
immersion, in a total but controlled way, allows individuals
to build up their confidence necessary for communication.
But in this kind of situation, you get more than a language
course, you have a very enjoyable holiday at the same time."
And it's the individual touch that makes
these programs so special: students here receive attention
from morning until night. Even during periods of relaxation
they are still using the language. They meet French guests
around the dinner table, read French books by the pool, visit
local people in their places of work or home and are invited
to play their favourite sport or share in their favourite
hobby with a French counterpart. And there are many new things
to do and learn as well: whether it's canoeing or horse-riding
all the participation is through the medium of French.
But what about the hassle of travelling
all the way to a remote part of France, surely that would
put people off? "Not at all," Danièle says.
" We meet our guests at the airports and drive them here.
With direct flights to Bordeaux or Biarritz costing less than
a train journey from London to the north of England - and
taking less time - it's very convenient. In fact, some of
our guests arrange to visit us several times a year."
So if you're thinking about brushing up your French, or even
want to learn French from the very start, this option is a
must. You can read all about Danièle Cook's intensive
courses on her web site at www.learnfrenchinfrance.com. You
can e-mail her on daniele@learnfrenchinfrance.com. In fact
why not speak to her directly by telephone on 00 33 558 08
32 10. Like me, you'll soon find out why it is she's still
leaps and bounds ahead of the competition.
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