Deep French
I help you master French in a fun way without mastering grammar first.
Join me in a full French immersion experience based on hands-on activities, cultural exposure and discovering the best that France has to offer.
How it works
I skip all the grammar blah-blah, spelling lessons, and tedious monologues about the French language. Not only because it can be very boring and discouraging, but because that is neither the most natural way of learning a language, nor a very effective method for it to seep deeply into your brain. Instead, I plunge you in a natural bath of French so that it infuses you profoundly until you wake up one day, thinking and dreaming in French!
To learn French, you need to play being a French-speaker already. I help you do so through exciting immersive experiences in France that will get you to relax about the language and thrive like a baby.
Like a baby? YES!
Think about how you learned your first language. Here is how it happened: you were a silent observer for a very long time, then you tried (and failed!) to imitate what the grown-ups were saying, and found ways of getting your points across anyway (you really wanted that toy right now!), and eventually succeeded with saying recognizable words, and you even progressively pronounced them correctly! After all that work of imitation, you complexified your language by forming sentences and you became a master at that skill by the time you were 3 or 4 years old: your observation, imitation and complexification period was long. It’s only in kindergarten or first grade that adults started to teach you reading and writing, and after they let you experiment with all that, they even told you about grammar and spelling so that you wouldn’t continue writing "I goed” even though that’s much more logical than “I went”.
So why should we learn a foreign language by starting at the end? Most language teaching methods are flawed: they start with the grammar and spelling, and they start with reading and writing. Yet, your brain is naturally wired to do it the other way around: by starting with oral input (listening) and output (speaking). Languages are a survival tool, so they need to be learned in a way that makes them useful for survival.
That’s why I teach you French as though you were a baby: I immerse you in life in French, so that you have plenty of opportunities to observe, to repeat and imitate, to attempt producing language, and when you’re ready, to complexify it and get to more scholar language skills. And just like with a baby, I help you do that in a comforting, reassuring and safe environment –my first mission is to help you feel confident and courageous, so that you take off in French!
What’s it like in practice?
No classroom, no textbook, this is what you get instead: an experience living in a gorgeous and authentic region of France, touring local sites of interest and tasting delicious French food, but also learning how to cook some of it, playing board games, learning how to make soap, art or baskets, shopping at the farmers market and attending a guided tour of a monument in French. And all that with my pedagogical expertise to help you feel good and have a good time while doing all this (even when you did not understand anything), and to help you acquire French in the process.
I offer this in multiple ways:
-
one-time French immersion stays in Ariège or elsewhere. These experiences are usually 10 days long. Check out the next one coming up!
-
one-time “camps”, all in French immersion, in the US. That’s like the language trip for the ones who prefer not to travel far yet.
-
shorter French immersion workshops that allow you to launch or supplement your French acquisition journey. For example a 2-hour French-immersion cooking activity in Portland, Oregon.
-
online, live immersion workshops and built-to-acquire-French conversations
I am also developing the following two offers, so stay tuned by signing up to my newsletter and reach out to register interest:
-
online French immersion courses, to be followed autonomously
-
a cohort-based, year-long program with multiple language trips to France, online live classes between the trips, and access to autonomous online courses and resources
Still wondering how it works? Check out my FAQ
What participants say about this
Jim (october 2025 experience in Ariège)
"What a fantastic experience! Not only did it take place in a beautiful location with lots of culture and lots of history, Baptiste proved to be an excellent tour guide, food guide and teacher. As we were ruining the French language, he provided gentle correction without being interruptive, and allowed us to progress on our own to more natural speech through the immersion experience. I made great strides towards fluency in a short time. I was also thankful that the locals were tolerant of foreigners speaking bad French."
Robert (october 2025 experience in Ariège)
"This experience was unique for me because we were able to discover French culture directly, without the crowds of tourists that you often find in Paris. I love Paris, but in Paris, everyone speaks English and there aren't as many opportunities to speak French. Baptiste had a good idea of our level of French, and he knew how to speak so that we could understand. We lived almost like French people for 10 days, and it was an exceptional experience.
We were a group of people who already knew each other. That made it easier for us to communicate and share our experiences. Baptiste handled all the details very well. We were also able to explore Foix on our own. Ariège is a very beautiful region of France. I saw a side of French life that I wouldn't have seen otherwise."
Lisa (october 2025 experience in Ariège)
"Touring with Baptiste was an experience of a lifetime. I have studied French for years but still struggle trusting myself to speak the language. On this trip there was no where to hide but Baptiste was there for support. He is a gentle and persuasive teacher who encouraged me to express myself to the best of my ability. I could feel my confidence grow every day. I also enjoyed exploring a part of France I’d never heard of. The Ariège region is lovely and Foix was the perfect base to come back to after our excursions. I loved being able to practice my new language skills while shopping in the market or ordering at a restaurant. I can’t wait to return for another Deep French adventure!"
Lori (october 2025 experience in Ariège)
First, the organization of the trip was well done. We had fabulous accommodations in the very lovely town of Foix. Baptiste planned many interesting outings while at the same time built in choices for us as well. That kept the experience relaxed and fun. He took care of the little things too. When I told him that good coffee every morning was crucial to my language acquisition, he made sure I was taken care of.
Most importantly, our access to language study was embedded in every activity we did. Meals and plans were discussed in French, as was shopping at the market and pharmacy. My ability to speak and understand French snuck up on me. When a group of us were sitting around discussing the issues of the day - in French - I was so pleased and proud. The trip was so good, picking one highlight is just impossible. All I can say is I’m returning this spring.
Who am I?
Je m'appelle Baptiste
By now, you might be really wondering who’s behind this way of learning French: is he French, does he know what he’s doing, has he done this before? Here is my story.
My name is Baptiste (pronounced bah-teest) and I grew up in a French family in the southwest of France. After years of learning English the wrong way at school, with boring lists of irregular verbs and grammar drills, I decided to take matters into my own hands and to learn the way that felt the most natural: I went to the US for a year. At 17 years old, there I was living with an American host family and going to a regular American high school. I can tell you that not only did my whole life change that year, my English proficiency also skyrocketed. I was finally living life in English, so I was no longer learning English, I was acquiring it. As a result, English became just as natural for me as French, and to this day, I think in both languages and I feel they are both my first languages.
I specialized in language teaching by working in some truly amazing immersion schools and by studying pedagogy in renowned American universities. After meeting my wife in Eugene, Oregon, I traveled around the world for a year with her, and went on to teach at international schools in Asia and Europe. I also founded two language schools (in Vermont and in Ariège, France), a professional development series of conferences for educators, and wrote multiple books and articles.I have now lived in Ariège, in the French Pyrenees, since 2019. I am blessed with a fabulous family, including two bright and cheerful bilingual boys, and views from my house that remind me everyday how amazing the planet really is. I live in a part of heaven!
In the fall of 2025, after years of using my language teaching method successfully in classrooms and language centers, I offered my first full immersion 10-day-long experience in France to a group of 5 American retirees. I had a blast and I know they did too. The real reward for me was to see how much they improved in French! So in the winter of 2026, I decided to dedicate all my professional energy to growing my offers to help you and many others acquire French in small-group, fun full immersion experiences. Do you want to join the happy team of French acquirers?
Ready to join?
3
Live the experience, have fun, and acquire French in the process
You’re ready to embark on a thrilling adventure. At this point, you can simply enjoy all there is to enjoy, play the game of full immersion, and let French seep in.