Rita, USA, January 2013 In January, 2013, I experienced an eight-day immersion program with Myriam. Previous to that, I had read all the reviews available on her site, fantasized doing it one day, procrastinated and hesitated, wondering whether the program was really as good as the reviewers described. Having taken the plunge, I am here to tell you that yes, the program is fantastic and the positive reviews are no exaggeration. Having been a former professor, I tend to be quite observant about the teaching and learning process. Myriam is an excellent language teacher who quickly surmises your level, identifies your strengths and weaknesses, and motivates you to achieve your goals. If you have ever wanted a safe and pleasant environment in which you are forced to speak French while gradually becoming better and more confident in the process, this is it! Of course not everything that comes out of your mouth will sound great, but there will be enough times when you form perfectly good sentences that hold up a conversation, and you start to believe that you can do it! Aside from being an excellent language teacher, Myriam is also a keen observer of cultural contexts and influences. Her own multi-cultural experiences include living abroad in a number of countries, and interacting with students from various cultures. She can interact comfortably and work effectively with students from different cultures and backgrounds.. In addition, she is well-versed in both the French and the Basque cultures where her roots are, and makes an ideal guide for the interesting sights of the region as well as the artifacts of the Basque Museum in Bayonne. Myriam is an exceptionally gracious host; this is in part because she is a great cook who likes to share good food and in part because she is a genuinely kind and caring person. She is energetic and hard-working, often going the extra mile to make things better. She is happy to share her family and friends; in getting to know them one realizes that Myriam comes from a close-knit network of good folks. One can feel safe with her. When I went with her to the Thalasso Spa, even with my terrible sense of direction, and blind as a bat in the mist and the salty sting of the seawater, I knew she would find me. It rained quite a bit while I was there, though this is not always true of January weather in Bayonne. Given such a situation one sees Myriam’s flexibility and efforts to make the most of any student’s immersion experience. One morning we happened to come across a short reading in which the death penalty was mentioned, and we discussed its abolition in France. That rainy afternoon, Myriam offered me the chance to watch a French film entitled Abolition, based on the book about about Robert Badinter’s decade-long struggle to abolish the death penalty after a client of his was unjustly guillotined in 1972. During that decade, his articulate defense saved several other clients from the guillotine. In the end President Mitterand named Badinter Minister of Justice, a position that enabled him to champion the legislation that abolished the death penalty in France. The film was so engrossing I did not mind the weather! We also talked about Robert’s wife Elizabeth Badinter, an ardent feminist philosopher and writer, and later watched an interview that featured her. From Myriam I learned about French TV and French cinema, and came home with titles of several classic films I hope to watch! If these things do not interest you, rest assured every experience will be somewhat different, because Myriam will tailor it to suit you and your interests.