The following is taken from an article on Danièle '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 Danièle @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.