I really enjoyed the time I spent at CERAN and look forward to returning. My children also loved it. I liked being in the environment where I could focus on language acquisition using CERAN's method, aided by CERAN's skilled and intuitive instructors, surrounded by the beautiful countryside, and in the company of a diverse and interesting collection of other students. The method itself is well-structured and uses every sensible medium to help people acquire the language as if it were their first. The focus on acquiring the target language on its own merit, not "piggybacked" on one's mother tongue, is really good.

My reason for attending was to enable me to better communicate with the teachers and parents at the international French school my children attend in San Francisco.

The pedagogical program was FABULOUS. I don't know exactly what this was like for the kids but they made wonderful progress. For myself, I loved the structure, the immersion, the instructors were great, as I said above I think this is a very well developed program, extremely well thought out and "on purpose", and everything is designed to enhance the ability of the participants to soak up as much of the target language as possible. The breaks, the after dinner programs, the lab, the study hall, the writing assignments, the question and answer approach, the way the tutorial hour(s) synchronize with the morning lessons, etc. I am totally satisfied with the program on site.

I found myself dreaming at night in my target language. I'd say that's pretty successful. I was much more able to communicate in Paris the following two weeks. I have tools to continue training myself, until I can get back there. I have techniques I can use in conjunction with my Alliance Francaise instructor here in California. I know how to watch an emission on TV5 better now. I understand much more of what I hear.

My room was perfect, comfortable, clean, etc. Meals and snacks were fabulous. NO complaints. I actually requested a recipe. Loved that there were healthy options. Lots of fruit. Perfect. You have a fine staff at CERAN in Belgium. It was very enjoyable to be there. My kids recall the time fondly. By the end, they had begun making friends with the older kids and didn't want to leave. They liked the lunches and dinners a lot. The sports and activities were great.

You were wondering who might progress more, my kids or me...I think we all made great progress, a bit differently but they really applied themselves and once we were in Paris, both were more conversational. My kids tend not to approach people in the U.S. to ask questions, ask for directions etc., but in Paris, they seemed perfectly comfortable doing that in French. We lost a backpack on the metro and my older daughter had to explain this to multiple authorities in the process of recovering it. She did it like a native born. Of course, this comes after 7 years in a French school, but the CERAN experience gave both of my kids a huge boost of confidence, and an opportunity to focus on the French language as a friend, not just the means by which they needed to produce their mathematics, their history, their science. So it was great for them. For myself, I was much better able to express myself in Paris as well, and I look forward to developing that in terms of "nuances" as described in the write up.

Robin Holland
Vice-President, Totally Games, CA
Mother of Kiara (11) and Allegra (12)
Studied together at CERAN BELGIUM in June 2006.